We have lost a library book. Wait. Well, okay, I'll say "we" as, despite the fact that it is Darcy's library book, I might have been responsible for turning it back in. The problem is we have no idea. We are a family of readers, and since our world now consists of library-ing online we rarely enter the library. I can sit down at my computer and research books that interest me, order them on my library site to have delivered at my local library, receive an email confirmation that they have arrived, and pick them up at my library's convenient drive-thru. I managed my account, Darcy's account, and my mother's account online. Madison manages her own, and probably wishes I had taken over that task as she recently had to fork over $24 in overdue fines for books she checked out for a school project.
When it is time to take the books back I use two options. One is to drop the books off at the same drive thru I use to pick them up. The drive thru is close to Madison's school and on the same route as our recreation soccer club and there is a book drop next to the drive thru window to use when the library is closed. My second option is to use the drive thru book drop at my mother's library which is directly on the route to her house. That is usually the one I use the most lately as I am up that way a few times a week. I can zip in, toss the books in the drop, and zip back out again. Only problem with that is I don't get a receipt. It becomes my word against the library's word.
And therein lies the problem. I say I returned the book. The library doesn't have it. He said, she said. Darcy recalls returning the book at our library. I recall returning it at the other library. The problem with my recall is that it was a series book and she had checked out several of those books. I found one of the books lying on my dining room table, and knowing we own these series books, thought it one of ours. I went to put it on our bookshelves and then saw the library stamp. I'm sure that the book was hardback and a tad skinner then most books. I put it in the pile to be returned. Darcy is sure she gave me the book to add to our pile one day that she was with me when we went to our local drive thru library. Sigh.
Now on three separate occasions I have discovered mistakes the library has made. The first one was when Madison was about three years old, and this was before libraries went computer age. We returned a book and then I got a threatening notice in the mail telling me the book was severely overdue. I was pissed. I marched into the library, but the line to the desk to discuss the issue was very long, and so I went into the children's section and found the book on the shelf. When I stood in the long line with the book and explained the situation to the librarian, she looked down her nose at me and said in unbelieving tone, "You found this book on our shelf?" I was so stunned I didn't reply and she scoffed and said, "Next time bring this to our attention and WE will look for the book on our shelf." I still hate this librarian to this day, and she still has that same pursed lip and stern expression every time I see her.
So the next time I suspected the same situation I went to another librarian as instructed, told her the problem, and she said, "Oh, that happens a lot. Go check the shelf and see if you can find the book there and bring it back to me." I did and she checked it in and fixed the fines and all was good. The third time I did the same thing, having learned my lesson the first time, and another librarian told went with me to check the shelf, found the book, and said, "Next time just find the book and bring it to us and we will fix your account." AAHH!
So having had these experiences I thought perhaps the missing book was already on a library shelf, just not checked in properly. I have renewed the book the two chances that I'm giving to do so online. The book was due back the 27th of December and since then has been racking up $.15 a day. It has been weighing heavily on my mind, and finally this week I marched into Connie's library, where Darcy had gotten the book on a take-Conne-out-day, to see if the book had inadvertently been placed on the shelf. The librarian was a youngster in her late twenties with an expression on her face that did not change at all the entire time we conversed. I explained the situation. She wrote out the information on the book, gave it to Madison, and told her to check the shelves. Madison did so, and returned with a book with the same title, but the wrong barcode. I said that the book was hardcover and thus not in the paperbook area Madison had checked. The librarian said no the book was paperback, but check in the other section to make sure. No book. I sighed and said I would just pay for the darn book. The librarian said no and suggested we check with the other library to make sure they hadn't put it on the shelf by accident. I asked if we could renew the book so that I wasn't racking up charges, something my library does all the time for us and tells us to call them on the phone to do this, but she shook her head and told me, "Sorry, but as you can see you already had the two allotted renewals. I'm sorry." But she didn't look sorry. She looked the same as she did when she told me "hello" and "thank you". We left.
Yesterday Madison and I went into our library. My favorite librarian, Shelly, who is the sweetest, kindest, and funniest woman ever was behind the counter and I practically ran to it so that she could deal with my problem. I explained the whole situation, and she led us to the children's book area to check for the book. She was in the fiction section and all the series books were hardback. I told her the other librarian and told me the book was paperback. She disagreed. No book. I repeated the paperback assumption and we checked there just to make sure, despite the fact that Shelly believed the book to be hardback, as did I, since I remember finding a series book on my dining table. No book. Shelly led us back to the counter where she renewed the book for another four weeks, "to buy you some time to search for it". Something that other librarian could have done, but refused. I tried to pay the $2.60 fine racked up now for the late return, but Shelly waved it away saying if I had to pay for the book this library usually overlooks the fine. Something tells me the other library won't. So we have four weeks to find the book, and Darcy also has four weeks to work to raise the money to pay for the book if we don't fine it.
Despite the fact we returned it.
No comments:
Post a Comment