When a borrowed item is long overdue, we can't know for sure if it will ever be returned. At some point, we have to assume that the item is lost forever, and begin the process of purchasing a replacement item. We charge a lost item processing fee, in addition to the cost of the item, to pay for the process of obtaining a replacement item and preparing it to be added to our collection. Some or all of that work is often already done by the time a long-overdue item is returned. Therefore, we don't waive or refund the processing fee.
