Damages and Replacements Information
Library materials are APF-funded U.S. Government property. Patrons are responsible for the care and safekeeping of all materials checked out to their accounts, including materials checked out by their dependents.
If a library book or other material is lost or damaged, the patron is responsible for replacing it. Replacement must be a new, exact duplicate of the original item or a substitute approved in advance by a JBSA Library supervisor.
Cash payments are not accepted for lost or damaged materials. Patrons must provide an approved replacement item in accordance with library policy.
Parents and guardians are responsible for lost or damaged materials checked out to their dependents. Patrons may also be held responsible for damage to library equipment, furniture, or other government property.
Commonly Asked Questions
Do you repair books?
JBSA Libraries makes every effort to extend the useful life of its collection through professional book repair and maintenance. Keeping materials in circulation as long as possible allows us to maximize their value to the community and remain responsible stewards of government resources.
Library book repairs are performed by trained staff using established library conservation and repair techniques, along with commercial-grade repair materials specifically designed for library use. These methods are selected to preserve the integrity of each item and help it withstand the repeated handling associated with public library circulation.
Not all damage can be repaired successfully. A repair must do more than make a book appear whole; it must be durable enough to withstand continued use by multiple borrowers. Household tape, ordinary glue, and other makeshift repairs may weaken materials, damage pages, or interfere with future professional repairs. For this reason, patrons should not attempt to repair damaged library materials themselves.
Library staff evaluate damaged items to determine whether a professional repair will restore them to a safe, functional, and sustainable condition for continued circulation. Minor tears, loose pages, and certain binding issues may be repairable, while extensive tears, liquid or food damage, mold, and other significant damage will require replacement.
The final determination of whether an item can be repaired or must be replaced rests with library staff. Items that cannot be restored to a condition suitable for continued circulation are subject to JBSA Libraries' Lost or Damaged Materials Policy.
If you notice damage to a library item, please notify library staff rather than attempting to fix it yourself. Early reporting may allow us to make a successful repair and keep the item available for the community.
What constitutes damage?
Every item in the library's collection has a natural lifecycle. JBSA Libraries strives to keep materials in circulation for as long as possible to maximize their use and enjoyment by the community while ensuring responsible stewardship of government resources.
Normal wear and tear occurs through regular use and does not automatically make an item eligible for removal or replacement. Library staff assess the condition of materials each time they are checked out and returned, documenting wear and monitoring each item's continued suitability for circulation. Examples of normal wear and tear may include wrinkled pages, light pencil smudges, small tears measuring less than one inch, and bindings that have loosened through regular use.
When appropriate, trained library staff repair worn materials using professional library-repair techniques and commercial-grade repair supplies. These repairs help extend the useful life of the collection while maintaining the integrity and usability of library materials.
Damage Requiring Replacement
Damage resulting from misuse, mishandling, or other causes that cannot be adequately corrected through professional library-repair methods requires replacement of the affected item. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Irreparable binding damage: Broken or detached bindings resulting from misuse, such as throwing, dropping, or skating on books, when the item cannot be properly repaired.
- Excessive tears: Torn covers or pages with tears exceeding one inch.
- Liquid damage: Damage caused by any liquid, including water, juice, coffee, tea, milk, and other beverages.
- Food damage: Damage caused by food or food residue, including grease, oil, sauces, ketchup, and similar substances.
- Writing and marking: Coloring, scribbling, ink stains, pen marks, highlighting, or other markings that deface the material.
This list is not exhaustive. Other damage may also require replacement if it compromises the item's condition, usability, or suitability for continued circulation.
Library staff will assess the condition of each item and determine whether it can be repaired or must be replaced. Items determined to be damaged beyond repair are subject to the library's Lost or Damaged Materials Policy. Replacement requirements apply regardless of whether the damage was intentional or accidental.
What is the process for removal of a library item?
Once library materials are designated for removal from the collection due to the end of their useful lifecycle or customer damage, JBSA Libraries is responsible for ensuring they are processed in accordance with Department of the Air Force Instruction (DAFI) 34-101, paragraph 17.20, Disposal of Materials. This instruction requires librarians to coordinate with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Disposition Services for the turn-in of obsolete or irreparably worn library materials. (DAFI 34-101 17.20. Disposal of Materials. Librarians coordinate with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Disposition Services for turn-in of obsolete or irreparably worn library materials. Item records are removed from the integrated library system, card catalog, and online computer library center or other similar union catalogs as required.)
Due to the size of Joint Base San Antonio and the volume of materials processed by DLA, the DLA-approved, designated process for discarded library books is through the Joint Base San Antonio Qualified Recycling Program (QRP), operated by the 802d Civil Engineer Squadron. QRP manages the installation's recycling operations and facilitates the appropriate handling of recyclable materials, including APF funded materials.
JBSA Libraries is responsible for identifying materials for withdrawal, maintaining appropriate library records, and ensuring discarded government property is transferred through the designated disposition process. Discarded library materials are turned in to QRP weekly for processing through the installation's recycling program.
Once materials have been designated for disposal, they remain government property and must be handled through authorized procedures. They may not be taken, given away, or retained for personal use by patrons or library staff.
How much funding do you receive for materials? Why can’t you replace the materials with your own library funds?
JBSA Libraries operates with three materials-purchasing contracts: two appropriated fund (APF) contracts and one nonappropriated fund (NAF) contract for print materials. These funds support the purchase of new materials across our library system.
With our current funding, each library can purchase approximately 50 adult books and 45 youth books per month. These purchases help us maintain a relevant, engaging collection that serves the diverse interests and needs of our military community.
Across the JBSA Libraries system, we serve approximately 37,000 registered customers and welcome roughly 16,000 customer visits each month, many from military families. We carefully manage our available funds to provide the greatest possible benefit to our community.
Our materials budget is limited and is intended to support the ongoing development and maintenance of the collection. Replacing items damaged beyond repair by patrons would divert funds from the purchase of new books and other materials for the entire community.
For this reason, we cannot routinely use our library materials budget to replace items damaged while in a patron's care. Requiring the replacement of lost or irreparably damaged materials helps preserve limited funding for new acquisitions, supports responsible stewardship of government resources, and ensures that our collection remains available and useful to the entire JBSA community.
The DAFI says I can pay for the materials, why wasn’t I given that as an option?
You are correct that Department of the Air Force Instruction (DAFI) 34-101, paragraph 17.17, provides for either replacing or reimbursing the library for lost, damaged, or destroyed materials. The instruction states that reimbursement must be processed in accordance with the standard payment procedures established by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS).
However, there is currently no local system or mechanism that allows JBSA Libraries to accept cash, checks, or card payments directly for damaged or lost materials. This limitation applies to the Air Force library program, and the Air Force Services Center (AFSVC) Library Division requires materials to be replaced in kind, consistent with the replacement provisions of the DAFI.
Processing reimbursement through DFAS requires coordination among the local resource accounting team, AFSVC, and DFAS. This process is generally used for larger-volume or higher-value government property losses, such as computers and furnishings, rather than individual library books.
If reimbursement were authorized and processed through DFAS, payment would be made to the U.S. Treasury through the prescribed procedures. These funds would not be returned directly to the local library to purchase a replacement item.
For these reasons, JBSA Libraries requires in-kind replacement of lost or irreparably damaged materials rather than offering payment as an alternative. Patrons must provide a new copy of the same title or, when approved in advance by a library supervisor, an acceptable substitute title.
We understand that replacing an item may be inconvenient. This process ensures that the library can restore the materials available to the community while complying with applicable Air Force procedures.
Why can’t a page torn out of a book be taped back into the book?
The JBSA Libraries makes every effort to repair damaged materials whenever possible, extending their useful life and ensuring responsible stewardship of government resources. Our trained library staff use professional repair techniques and commercial-grade materials to make repairs that are durable enough to withstand repeated circulation.
Minor tears measuring less than one inch can generally be repaired successfully. However, pages that have been completely torn out of a book cannot be reliably reattached in a way that will withstand the demands of continued library circulation.
A repair that works well for a book in a private home may not be suitable for a public library. At home, a book may be handled by only a few family members. In a library, that same book may be borrowed and handled by dozens of children each year. Popular titles may circulate 40 times or more annually.
Library books must withstand the realities of everyday use: being carried in backpacks, transported in vehicles, read on floors, taken into playrooms, and handled repeatedly by customers of different ages. Even when a detached page is carefully reattached using professional repair materials, the repeated stress placed on that repair can cause it to fail.
Our standard for repair is not simply whether an item can be put back together, but whether that repair is durable, sustainable, and suitable for continued circulation.
When a book cannot be restored to a condition that will withstand normal library use, it is considered damaged beyond repair and must be replaced in accordance with JBSA Libraries' Lost or Damaged Materials Policy.
Liquid Damage, Food Damage, and Mold
Liquid and food damage can permanently compromise library materials and create conditions that encourage mold growth. Books and other library materials are made from porous materials that can absorb moisture, oils, and food residue. Even when an item appears dry, moisture or residue may remain trapped within its pages, binding, or covers.
Mold can develop when moisture is present, potentially damaging materials and creating a risk of contamination to other items in the library's collection. Once mold develops, the affected material may no longer be safe or suitable for circulation. Mold can also spread to nearby materials under favorable conditions, putting additional government property at risk.
Food and beverage spills—including water, juice, milk, coffee, tea, grease, sauces, and other substances—can cause staining, warping, pages to stick together, weakened bindings, unpleasant odors, and deterioration of the material. These types of damage cannot be reversed through cleaning or conventional library repair methods.
For these reasons, materials with liquid or food damage must be considered damaged beyond repair and require replacement in accordance with JBSA Libraries' Lost or Damaged Materials Policy.
Why can’t I keep the item I am replacing?
Library materials purchased with appropriated funds (APF) are property of the United States Government. Even when an item is damaged beyond repair or removed from circulation, it remains government property until it has been processed through the authorized disposition procedures.
For this reason, JBSA Libraries cannot give or transfer damaged materials to patrons in exchange for replacement copies. All withdrawn materials, including those damaged beyond repair, must be handled through approved government disposition processes.
Although you may be required to provide a replacement copy, the original damaged item cannot be released to you. This requirement ensures that JBSA Libraries complies with federal property accountability requirements and maintains proper stewardship of government-owned materials.