The mission of WCPL is to instill the love of reading and foster the pursuit of knowledge for residents of Wake County. In support of this mission, WCPL no longer charges late fees on overdue materials. Eliminating late fees means removing barriers so more community members have greater access to the Library’s books, resources, and services. In Spring 2019, WCPL formally asked the Wake County Board of Commissioners for approval to end late fee collection. The County approved the change as part of the 2020 budget process.

Overdue Library Books

A library account’s borrowing privileges are suspended when three or more items are long overdue. Items are long overdue if they are not returned three weeks after the last due date. When an account is “suspended” patrons cannot check out additional library materials. However, patrons can still visit the library, use the public computers and attend library programs!

What if I misplaced a book and can't return it?

WCPL issues courtesy reminders when due dates are approaching and when an item is overdue. Library patrons are still responsible for fees associated with the replacement of lost or damaged books and other materials they check out. However, replacement fees are cleared from the patron’s account if the items are returned to the library.

There are no refunds once a replacement fee is paid for a lost or damaged item. We recommend searching for lost items to be certain they are lost and unrecoverable, before paying the associated replacement fees.