My library does not require a reference, so I cannot ask them.
Since our tax dollars help pay for the library, it’s perfectly reasonable for us to point out when their requirements are pointless. Hell, it would be reasonable even if we didn’t help subsidize them.
Just because they don’t ask for much is not an excuse to ask for pointless things that do nothing but inconvenience, unless a benefit is demonstrated.
Sorry, Revtim, I was answering you as though you were the OP. I see your point. I just feel so grateful for the existence of free libraries (free in the sense of any per use cost), that I’m happy to comply with any rules they might have. I remember many years ago when I moved into a new area and was sharing a house. The local library required a utility bill in my name at the new address to issue a card. My rent included utilities, so I was stymied. I think that they agreed to settle for a credit card bill or something, but I had to wait to receive mail at my new address before I could get a card. That was painful for a book addict like me, but my gratitude for eventual access to ALL THOSE BOOKS 
made it easy for me to accept.
No problem dude. I totally agree about being grateful for the library. Before my career got going, buying a book seemed an outrageous waste of money, what with the library being there willing to just let me borrow it! When I started having some disposable income, I kinds got out of the habit of borrowing, and began ordering them cut-rate from Amazon and other cheaper places.
Then I got laid off, and I didn’t have a career-type job for a couple years.
That’s when I rediscovered the amazingness of the library. Not only just them willing to let me borrow the book, but I had the free time to read more books.
I’m working and have disposable income again, but I’m still hesitent to purchase a book instead of borrowing it. Also, I happen to work next to the county main branch, and I’ve begun borrowing audio books for my longish commute. And, I recently discovered netlibrary.com , where I can download audio books right to my PC and put them on my portable player and play through my car speakers! Cool, cool stuff.
OK, Revtim, we’re getting quite unpitlike here. I have a long commute, too, and have been borrowing audio books from libraries at both ends. Thanks for the tip about netlibrary.com. This is the excuse I need to get a portable player.
I wonder what kind of questions they ask the references when they call:
Library: Mr. Smith? Bob Jones listed you as a reference on his application.
Smith: Oh really. Is this for a job?
Library: No, it’s for a library card.
Smith: Your kidding me?
Library: No Mr. Smith. Now please answer the questions. Has Bob ever borrowed anything from you?
Smith: I think he borrowed my rake last fall.
Library: Did he return it?
Smith: Now that I think about it now, no he didn’t.
Library: That’s verrry interesting. Anything else?
Smith: I let him borrow my phone book last week.
Library: Did you get that back?
Smith: Yeah, but he bent the cover, and there were some cookie crumbs in the pages.
Library: Super. That’s all we need to know Mr. Smith. Thank you very much.
Not pitlike? FUCK YOU!!! 
You have to be careful about what player to buy to support the format of netlibrary, it does .wma with some kind of security. The iPod is NOT supported. The netlibrary website says “the only requirement is that the device must be able to support playback of secure or protected wma files.”
I have a Creative Zen Nomad Xtra 60gig, which supports it. That was basically luck though, I didn’t know about netlibrary when I bought it. It’s quite a bit bigger than an iPod, but costs considerably less than the 60gig iPod. Plus the wma is useful, of course.
Also, netlibrary has two formats, they call them “CD quality”, and “Radio” quality. In truth, the CD quality is 32kbps, and sounds more like scratchy radio AM than any nondamaged CD I’ve listened to. I haven’t even tried the “Radio”, which is 4kbps, and must sound like it’s being transmitted through a dead donkey’s large intestine.
Exact same thing here. I gave a relative’s name that had a different sur name than mine and their phone number as reference since it wasn’t supposed to be a relative. :rolleyes:
I’ve worked in three Libraries, the currant one for 25 years. We do ask for employer and work phone to make it easier to trace you if you don’t return the items you checkout.
I can’t for the life of me imagine how asking for a personal reference could be of any use. Even evil book theives and vandelizers know other people.
I prefer my libraries plain. The currants always get stuck in my teeth.
Are they actually denying you the ability to use their services because you are unemployed or have no friends? How bizarre is that? I thought libraries usually were taxpayer funded, at least in part, and as such couldn’t just arbitrarily deny people services.
Thanks to this thread, I just signed up for the NY Public Library, online. They’ll send me a card in a few weeks, and I need to show proof of address when I go to use it the first time. No references needed, whew!
Eesh. I just signed up for a library card this year after moving to within spitting distance of the newest branch. And as I recall, all they wanted was me to fill out the paper with my address, etc, and provide proof of residency (phone bill and/or DL).
References weren’t asked for anywhere that I can remember.
Exactly. If the government can’t tell who your friends and employer are when you check out that book on the “watch me” list how will they find you? :rolleyes:
In that case, they could just as easily demand a small deposit, to be returned when you hand in your library card. Or they could sell memberships. Or they could charge a “use fee” if you want to have the privilege of taking materials home.
“Connection to the community?” See my electric bill.
I can’t believe no one has put together this thread with Justin_Bailey’s thread in which he pits people who damage library materials.
I’m no librarian, but ISTM that references and proof of identity would be a good thing in case you, the patron, lose or destroy expensive, valuable stuff. With references and ID, they can trace you to recover their losses. Although, I think that leaving a credit-card number as a form of deposit would be good in lieu of references and ID.
Robin
Even after they take a blood, hair, and nail samples, do a complete background investigation, and contact Interpol to find out if you have any outstanding warrants, make sure you return your books on time lest you end up like this woman.
Tripler
Yeah, they’re really cracking down on late-fee enforcement too.
I have a drivers license as well as various utilities bills stating my residence which I’d be happy to provide. My employment and connection to the community, beyond being a citizen, isn’t their concern. They don’t ask for references when I go in to pay my property taxes.
Marc
I have friends I just don’t have any in the county I live in. I don’t work in this county, I don’t have family in this county, I don’t go to school or church in this county, and my neighbors are far away so I never really spoken to them other than to say “hi.”
Marc
Bingo. They have a legitimate need to verify address, mainly to determine that it falls within their taxing area. My library provides service through contractal agreement with a library district (a distinct body) so service extends into rural areas. The primary reasons to verify residence are 1. to determine whether it’s within the taxing area and 2. for contact to retreive overdue items. Period.
References, in this day and age? I’m stunned at this one.
First off, McGibson, figure out the governing body for the library. If it’s a rural county with several cities, could well be you’re dealing with a county system. Find out who’s actually responsible for setting the policy. Might as well address your concerns to the right folks.
Public library laws can vary a lot, state to state, but most of 'em specify at least a quasi-independent governing body. From a quickie Google search, it looks like
Chapter 2 of the Arkansas Code deals with public libraries. It looks like the usual board system holds, but look into your local situation.
If it is governed by a board, the names and contact information of the trustees should be publicly available. I strongly recommend 1. writing a very civil, articulate letter to all of them, 2. phone calls to the officers, offering more explanation if wanted and 3. attend the next board meeting. The meetings should be open to the public; most fall under some sort of open meetings requirements. It could well be they don’t know what requirements are being used, don’t remember or just plain never thought about it.
This is the first time I’ve heard of references being required for a library card in this day and age. It was fairly common a century ago but this is ridiculous.
Veb
In my county, the librarians are so glad to see people read that they fall about your neck in gratitude if you check out anything that isn’t a movie.
I don’t know what our library requires for ID; having just moved here, I haven’t checked it out since I haven’t got a new driver’s license yet.
But I hope they don’t require more than the local dump. That’s right, my husband took a load of half-full cans of latex paint that had been occupying the attic of our new house to the dump, and was “permitted” to leave this load but will have to have a car registration showing residence in this county to go back again. The freaking dump. (Although once it was explained to him, it makes sense – this is the only county dump in the area that doesn’t charge, so a lot of folks from surrounding counties were abusing the privilege till this county instituted the new strict residency requirements.)
The world, she is a strange place sometimes.