# More library patrons **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 16, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892 "2005-09-16T00:40:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/21 "2005-09-17T22:10:34Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > There are libraries where the staff don’t pay fines?! Yep - where I work, we (as well as other faculty and staff) don’t pay fines for books owned by our library. If we get a book from [OhioLink](http://www.ohiolink.edu) and it goes overdue, we still have to pay that fine. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/22 "2005-09-17T22:28:46Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > There are libraries where the staff don’t pay fines?! I owe, like, 60 bucks. It’s really embarassing. We definately and absolutely pay fines. Did when I worked at the university library too. But I think the library would go under if we didn’t, we provide so much revenue. I’ve never worked at a library that charged fines to staff. Otherwise my account would be worse than yours–in library school I racked up $17 just for my thesis paper. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/23 "2005-09-17T22:37:19Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > But the really insane policy: if a student lost a book, it didn’t matter what it was, then the replacement fine was $50.00. In my experience, most college and university libraries have a similar policy. At my university, the fee for a lost book is $75. As you observe, there are problems with those policies. I, too, have heard of people who simply keep valuable or out-of-print books and pay the fee. It really pisses me off. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/24 "2005-09-18T08:23:37Z")
No fines for staff at my library either. The system keeps a record of the last six months of fine activity on your card. I total it every once in a while and in three separate six month periods I would have owed $500, $750 and $1100. However, the all-time king is a page who no longer works there (because she wanted to explore the world… and moved three blocks away) who racked up $2300 in one six month period. Yep, a wonderful perk indeed. ---
**Author:** ![zelie\_zelerton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/59ef9b/32.png) [@zelie\_zelerton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zelie_zelerton)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/25 "2005-09-18T12:17:53Z")
Well not to be contrary or anything but my university library DID have a target figure to be gained in fines. In 2000 it was £10,000 :eek: And no, they didn’t see any of that money either. Slush fund ahoy. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/26 "2005-09-18T13:30:39Z")
> [@zelie zelerton](#): > > Well not to be contrary or anything but my university library DID have a target figure to be gained in fines. In 2000 it was £10,000 :eek: > > And no, they didn’t see any of that money either. Slush fund ahoy. Just out of interest, how might one achieve a target figure? Stand by the returns counter and tell students that they had to keep the book another week? “Upsell” borrowers in an attempt to have them take books they don’t really need? I can see it now: “That’s a great little pile of books on plate tectonics and long runout landslides you’ve got there. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to supplement them with this Penguin edition of E.P. Thompson’s _Making of the English Working Class_? It’s a great read, and at only 800 pages it shouldn’t take you more than a couple of weeks.” ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/27 "2005-09-18T14:44:42Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Just out of interest, how might one achieve a target figure? Stand by the returns counter and tell students that they had to keep the book another week? “Upsell” borrowers in an attempt to have them take books they don’t really need? I expect it would come primarily from actually collecting fines - I know the system we use can allow the circulation clerks to override fines at times. I don’t think they’re actually gone at that point, but it lets the patron check out books even with the outstanding fines. I do know there are ways that fines can be removed from the patron records, but I’m not sure of the specific situations in which that is allowable. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/28 "2005-09-18T14:56:43Z")
> [@Lsura](#): > > I expect it would come primarily from actually collecting fines - I know the system we use can allow the circulation clerks to override fines at times. I don’t think they’re actually gone at that point, but it lets the patron check out books even with the outstanding fines. I do know there are ways that fines can be removed from the patron records, but I’m not sure of the specific situations in which that is allowable. When I was 11, my house burned down. Since I’d had library books destroyed in the fire, the library was nice enough to waive the fines until the books could be paid for. That way, I wouldn’t be penalized for something that wasn’t my fault. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/29 "2005-09-18T15:01:53Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > When I was 11, my house burned down. Since I’d had library books destroyed in the fire, the library was nice enough to waive the fines until the books could be paid for. That way, I wouldn’t be penalized for something that wasn’t my fault. > > Robin When I was 17, my house burned down. Luckily I didn’t have any books out at the time, but when I went to the public library to get my library card replaced, they made me wait 2 weeks before they would issue the new card, “in case I found the old card.” Yes, I had explained how I “lost” the card. Clueless clerk. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/30 "2005-09-18T15:30:54Z")
I brought in the books, which were smoke- and water-damaged. I also had a copy of the fire department report “just in case”. The librarian believed me. Robin ---
**Author:** ![JeffyDMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JeffyDMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffyDMan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/31 "2005-09-18T15:42:53Z")
> [@SusanStoHelit](#): > > 2 days for a book? For a NYT bestseller, maybe, but what if they checked out a Wheel of Time series book, or the last in Stephen King’s Dark Tower series (which is still in the new book section of my library, btw)? There’s no way your average reader could go through one of those books in 2 days. I’m an average reader and can eat up an 800 page book in about 8 hours. Doesn’t taste very good, though. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/32 "2005-09-18T16:57:49Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Just out of interest, how might one achieve a target figure? Stand by the returns counter and tell students that they had to keep the book another week? “Upsell” borrowers in an attempt to have them take books they don’t really need? > > I can see it now: “That’s a great little pile of books on plate tectonics and long runout landslides you’ve got there. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to supplement them with this Penguin edition of E.P. Thompson’s _Making of the English Working Class_? It’s a great read, and at only 800 pages it shouldn’t take you more than a couple of weeks.” I can’t speak for other libraries, but I believe at mine a certain amount of money is sectioned off in the budget as coming from fines. But we don’t actually get the cash until the next year starts I think. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/33 "2005-09-18T17:42:03Z")
Our libraries here are hooked into the internet. We can borrow books from any branch and reserve from any branch and pick them up at any branch. Thus we can reserve books not yet on the shelf and get them first. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/34 "2005-09-18T22:56:41Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > The student I really wanted to kill though: there was an obnoxious spoiled brat (but very bright) kid who had a huge interest in Georgia history. He checked out every book we had on the history of Milledgeville, Georgia and surrounding areas (more than it might sound like since it was the home of Flannery O’Connor, site of the world’s largest mental hospital, etc.) and returned the ones that were still in print. The others he claimed he “lost” and when told that it would $350 to “replace” them, pulled out his checkbook. C’est la vie, to him. Bastard biblioklepts: you should have put out both his eyes on the spot with his Mont Blanc pen: “Sorry, sir, my hand slipped. Twice. While you’re waiting for the Braille editions, any chance we could have the books back? I understand eardrums are _very_ soft at this time of year, and we wouldn’t want you to miss out on the audiobooks too.” ---
**Author:** ![SusanStoHelit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@SusanStoHelit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SusanStoHelit)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/35 "2005-09-19T20:14:51Z")
> [@JeffyDMan](#): > > I’m an average reader and can eat up an 800 page book in about 8 hours. So can I… but I don’t have 8 free hours in 2 days. I’m very lucky if I get 1 hr/day, and I don’t even have kids or anything like that to distract me. That policy only makes sense if you are a library renting exclusively to the unemployed and students. ---
**Author:** ![Yamirskoonir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/c0e974/32.png) [@Yamirskoonir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yamirskoonir)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/36 "2005-09-19T21:03:34Z")
> [@SusanStoHelit](#): > > 2 days for a book? For a NYT bestseller, maybe, but what if they checked out a Wheel of Time series book, or the last in Stephen King’s Dark Tower series (which is still in the new book section of my library, btw)? There’s no way your average reader could go through one of those books in 2 days. > [@This Year's Model](#): > > Who gets to go to the library every two days, anyway? I can barely make it once a week. The people who showed up nearly every day and snapped up all the “new” materials…no, I’m not kidding. It was a small public library that served a small community and was part of a small consortium. The “avid” regulars were the ones I saw at the front door every morning at 9:55 am impatiently waiting for the door to open at 10, their arms full of the books they had just checked out the day before. The not-quite-so-avid regulars showed up every other day or so. And the short checkout time only “harmed” the clueless teens who wanted to hold on to a copy of the latest video for longer than a week. It all worked surprisingly well. I don’t know if they still continue this practice. They still charge $1.00 to place a hold on a book that’s checked out, though. That was (still is?) their major bank! ---
**Author:** ![CapnPitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/edb3f5/32.png) [@CapnPitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CapnPitt)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/37 "2005-09-19T22:17:48Z")
**Sampiro** , despite the fact that the rich jerk should have just returned them and the Dean should have definitely put those things in Special Collections, I’m going to fault that library’s collection management. I don’t see any reason why, given all the other issues you mentioned, that archival copies of the rare unpublished works like that diary. That’s what the 108(b) library exemption is for. At any rate, it’s a shitty situation all around. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/38 "2005-09-19T22:33:23Z")
> [@JeffyDMan](#): > > I’m an average reader and can eat up an 800 page book in about 8 hours. That’s me, too, and if I have the interest I can make the time…but I can’t stop at the library every two days. Only once a week. So I grab a whole bunch of books, and each week trade some in for new ones. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/39 "2005-09-21T21:50:50Z")
Just got a new one today. Thus sayeth idiot patron: > [@](#): > > Ya know, you’re always here when I come in. It’s eerie! Right, because it’s not like this is my full-time or anything. Oh hell, one more. > [@](#): > > So where do you REALLY work? It’s so great that you can volunteer here so often. Ahhhhhhhhhh! ---
**Author:** ![Yamirskoonir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/c0e974/32.png) [@Yamirskoonir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yamirskoonir)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892/40 "2005-09-21T23:48:28Z")
It’s official. You’re channeling [Dewey.](http://www.overduemedia.com/) In my current job, I’m in cataloging and acquisitions. Then they say: > [@](#): > > So what is it that you _really_ do? As in, there is no possible way that ordering books, serials, periodicals, and electronic reources and then cataloging them and processing them could possibly fill up 40 hours a week. :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-library-patrons/321892.md?page=1)