I’ve never used one of the rental programs but I’ve priced them out. They’re pretty expensive. The books come pre-processed, i.e. laminated jackets, pockets, etc. so that cost is figured into the rental terms. The library still has to catalog and barcode the item; have it appear in their invididual catalog and make note of which copy of the title belongs with which barcode. So there’s still some expense involved there too.
I do know if a copy isn’t returned at all or after the terms of the rental agreement the library eats the full cost. My guess is between covering the upfront rental costs, additional processing, etc. it’s still a considerable drain.
Veb
Veb - some of our meekness comes from simple gratitude. I still remember being surprised at not having to pay for a library card.
And from the reader’s belief that books are special. How many places let you go home with their treasures?
Hi Veb, I wondered how many times you were going to get involved on this topic. Glad you did.
I am so embarrassed about overdue books, I avoided this thread as long as I could.
I am one of those people who gets the book munchies constantly, and our town’s library is right next to my office.
It’s not that I intentionally don’t return the books. It’s just that when I finish them, I put them down there, wherever “there” might be at that moment. I have library books next to my bed, at home, next to my desk at work, in my car and in the bathroom both at home and at work.
Our small town librarian is very tolerant of me, however. She will call me at home and tell me that someone has requested a book I checked out and ask me to take it out to the car right then so she can walk next door and get it the next day. I generally feel very embarrassed, but I should.
I also comp the library free advertising around $50 to $60 in advertising in our paper every month to make up for my rudeness as a book taker. I know $50 to $60 dollars isn’t much in a big city daily, but in a small town weekly it isn’t bad at all.
Veb, have you read the children’s book, “The Frog Princess?” If you haven’t, I will bet you a dollar you will like it. All you other librarians will like it too.
I must live in the wrong town.
I just finished paying off $127. in overdue fines. On FOUR books. We are talking double the list price of the books. And that was after I returned them. They wanted another $65 if I didn’t return them.
shortly before I left for college - I checked out one book from one of the public library systems in the area, and I reserved another from the other library system. I forgot about the first book and left for school. The second book arrived in the mail after I was gone, my brother took it, read it, and lost it.
I got back at the end of the semester, and returned the one that I could still find, but the fines were huge on both books, 3 or 4 times the actual price of the books, and way more than I could afford as a college student. So, I just stopped checking out books.
Now, it’s been about 10 years, and I’m too embarrased to actually go in and deal with the fines…
maybe soon.
if you are into feeling guilty, find one of those battleaxe librarians and see if you can arrange a private punishment session with her. rowr. battleaxe librarian with a rigid corset and stern gaze, that musty book smell in the silent, echo-y library, oh my. that is just dead sexy. i’d better loosen my corset or i may faint.
-fh