Will the library care? Or am I being ridiculous?

[beaners]

This is probably something I should file under Not That Important and move on, but it's driving me nuts. We borrowed a book from our library about Red-headed Woodpeckers. Most of the birds in the photos aren't the right kind. They have Pileated Woodpeckers and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers instead. The photos are glaringly incorrect, even if you don't know anything about birds. It's one of the "include a couple sentences opposite a giant photo" type of children's nonfiction books, so having the wrong photos makes it practically useless.

 

In the grand scheme of things, this probably matters about as much as what day of the week I clip my toenails. But I'd hate to just let it slide in case someone might actually care. Should I mention something when I return it to the library? What are they going to do anyways? I doubt they're going to take it out of circulation. I'd be very satisfied if someone noted the errors on a post-it inside the front cover, but that's a little silly. Should I casually mention how awful the book is? Or should I just put the book in the return slot and forget we ever borrowed it? I like our library. I should probably just forget about it so that the staff doesn't start dreading me.

[Wendi]

I'd mention it to the children's librarian. Unless you complain every time you're there, I doubt they'll be upset with you. The librarian may appreciate your caring enough to mention it.

 

Wendi

[Tap]

I'd mention it to the children's librarian. Unless you complain every time you're there, I doubt they'll be upset with you. The librarian may appreciate your caring enough to mention it.

 

Wendi

 

:iagree:

[Jen in PA]

I don't see how it would hurt to say something. It might even convince them to replace the book.

[Jean in Newcastle]

If you really wanted to make a difference regarding the content of the book, I would write a letter to the publisher.

[ConnieB]

I'd definitely say something....librarians don't have the time to read every book so they don't know there is a problem until someone says something. Worst that could happen is they politely thank you and put the book back on the shelf. Best thing, they discard it so that they aren't giving out incorrect information.

 

You might also want to write to the publisher of the book so if nothing else they could correct it for any future editions.

 

If you're so inclined and your library has simply put it back on the shelf, you might consider purchasing a more accurate book and requesting that they remove the bad one and replace it with your donation.

 

I noticed an article on yahoo earlier today where Walmart is removing some CD it sells that is marketed to kids that contains swear words. It took a mom complaining before they realized there was a problem. Just like your library they need to know before they can fix the problem.

[Hannah C.]

I would tell the children's librarian and contact the publisher (if it's a fairly new book). The librarian may decide to remove it from circulation. If the errors are all contained in the book, however, they may just leave it in circulation as is. The library's function is to have books to lend out, not to police the content of the books. While this one has obviously incorrect content, policing book content could quickly become a slippery slope.

[Brindee]

I'd mention it to the children's librarian. Unless you complain every time you're there, I doubt they'll be upset with you. The librarian may appreciate your caring enough to mention it.

 

Wendi

 

If you really wanted to make a difference regarding the content of the book, I would write a letter to the publisher.

:iagree: with both of these!

[Sophia]

I think it depends on where you live and the attitudes of the librarians.

 

When I lived in the Chicago suburbs, I found library staff took books and book content very seriously.

Here in the south...not so much.

[shougmom]

I'm a library sub and I would definitely care. On top of that, I'd thank you for bringing it to our attention! ;)

 

Not sure if your library does this, but ours has a "Collection Comment Card" available that we are to provide to anyone who expresses why any certain book should or should not be included in the collection. Completed cards are sent to people who matter and care :) at the main office ... so even if the particular librarian you choose to speak to doesn't see it as important it may not matter? I would definitely speak up.

 

(p.s. Do you want to share the title of the book? :001_huh: I'm wondering if we have it!)

[Sahamamama]

We've had something similar with a few books. One book had some of the pages bound in the book upside-down. The children's librarian was happy to know it, because that way she can return the defective book for a better copy.

 

With glaring factual errors, you might want to point them out to the children's librarian, especially if it's a book in a series. If one or two books are so poorly done, the librarian probably will not want to order more books from that series and/or publisher.

 

Yeah, I'm a book nerd. I get this. :lol: Happy New Year.

[redsquirrel]

Dh the librarian would thank you and give it to the selector and make them deal with it. I should mention he is an academic librarian, not a public librarian. There is a big difference.

 

But, he is pretty sure if there are glaring errors the library would want to know.

 

I once had to pay a late fee at our local library and when paying it, mentioned that the book was not very good. The librarian took the charge off my card. She didn't see the need to make me pay when the book (non-fiction) was lousy. She said the fee was 'insult to injury', lol.

[cindergretta]

Please do mention it for the sake of the ignorant, like me. ::blush:: I would never have known the pictures were wrong and I would very much appreciate it if someone "in the know" corrected errors so I would be learning and teaching properly. :)

[Margo out of lurking]

I should probably just forget about it so that the staff doesn't start dreading me.

 

LOL. It depends on what other kinds of requests you frequently make. (I work at a library.) You're probably not the hs mom who calls me, demanding to know why we don't have more books on the Crimean War, and then lectures me about its importance.

 

I don't know what our library would do. If the book were new, I doubt we'd remove it from circulation; I could see us double checking and perhaps adding a note somewhere in the book. If the book were old, we'd remove it from circulation.

 

As a patron, I would take a pencil, cross out the incorrect information, and write in the accurate name of the bird. Anyone else reading can choose to believe me or erase.

 

You are not being ridiculous.

[Pam L.]

No, I do not think you are being ridiculous. I know that the library here would appreciate the info and after the staff members personally verified the incorrect info, then the book would be discarded and perhaps a better one purchased.

[laundrycrisis]

I would mention it to the children's librarian (the one in charge if there is one), and I would also post a detailed review of these issues on Amazon. I consult Amazon reviews for most of the books we read - I think these do reach people.

[beaners]

Thanks everybody. I will mention it when I bring the book back.

 

The book is called Redheaded Woodpeckers by James E. Gerholdt. The Amazon page actually mentions the inconsistencies, a second book in the series has the wrong kind of bird on the cover according to another review, and a more recent book by the same publisher has incorrect photos of cats. They are all part of the Checkerboard Library Series published by ABDO & Daughters. I looked at their website and it's the same publisher that does the majority of the biographies for children that our library has in stock. I was planning on checking out some of those next, but now I think I'll either preview them or skip them altogether.

[luvnlattes]

Thanks for sharing. It turns out our library has 14 of his books, most from that Checkerboard series. I would never have known that these books may contain incorrect information and could see my kids using them to research a topic. :glare:

[Pegasus]

 

As a patron, I would take a pencil, cross out the incorrect information, and write in the accurate name of the bird. Anyone else reading can choose to believe me or erase.

 

.

 

Pretty please don't do this. I was very upset when I checked out a book only to find out that a previous reader had blacked out some of the text and written their own "facts" in the margin. Do what you want with your own books but do not write in library books. I'd be fine with inserting a sticky note pointing out the errors.

 

Pegasus

[Hannah C.]

Pretty please don't do this. I was very upset when I checked out a book only to find out that a previous reader had blacked out some of the text and written their own "facts" in the margin. Do what you want with your own books but do not write in library books. I'd be fine with inserting a sticky note pointing out the errors.

 

I think most libraries will charge for damages if a book has been written in, as well.

[Margo out of lurking]

I think most libraries will charge for damages if a book has been written in, as well.

 

I work at the library. IF I were just a patron, and I saw a glaring error as mentioned by the OP, I would probably correct it in pencil. I may also choose to use a sticky. That is what I would do. I can recall doing this twice many years ago, one pencil correction, and one I believe on a sticky. I've seen enough libraries that I wouldn't trust them to take care of it in any way. I don't see them making the effort.

 

I think it's great that several people have indicated their librarian would return the book. That's what they should do. Our children's librarian would not, just as she will not return a book that is printed incorrectly. It drives me nuts.

 

The library would have to prove that I wrote in a book. They do not look through books when returned. I think we can tell by the posts here that it's often a challenge for the library to even check the book in properly.

 

I highly doubt any library would withdraw a book from the collection just because it contained incorrect information. If that were the case, the collection could be reduced by 1/2. These are tough economical times, and I just don't see it happening.

[Hannah C.]

I work at the library. IF I were just a patron, and I saw a glaring error as mentioned by the OP, I would probably correct it in pencil. I may also choose to use a sticky. That is what I would do. I can recall doing this twice many years ago, one pencil correction, and one I believe on a sticky. I've seen enough libraries that I wouldn't trust them to take care of it in any way. I don't see them making the effort.

...

The library would have to prove that I wrote in a book. They do not look through books when returned. I think we can tell by the posts here that it's often a challenge for the library to even check the book in properly.

 

I worked at a college library as a front desk worker until very recently, and the policy was that books were *not* to be written in, with dire warnings posted in several places in the library. At the very least writing, defacing, or damaging a library book in any way was against the code of conduct, if not state law. I can't remember the exact wording of the notices.

 

But you are correct, they never followed up. The problem with such things is not pencil marks (we had the pleasure of erasing those on occasion), it's people who literally treat a library book like it's their own textbook, write in it extensively and then return it. :cursing:

 

I know that my mother has paid public libraries for book damages, however. If my memory and impressions are correct, at least one of these public libraries would assume the last patron caused the damages if they saw them. But I could be wrong on this. Either way, they would charge people at times. This may have been for things like water damage, or tearing, or extensive markings with say a Sharpie, though...the things that are really obvious when one is handling a book at all.

Edited January 3, 2011 by Hannah C.

[laundrycrisis]

I wrote a correction in a library book once, with no regrets whatsoever, and I would do it again. I didn't cross out what was there - but I wrote a note in pencil in the margin and pointed it to the error with an arrow. It was in "Honey for a Child's Heart". The book had both the title and author of a book wrong !! This made it very hard for me to find the book. Once I found it - no way was I leaving that uncorrected. I added information that might help someone else find the book more easily. I also pointed out the error in my review on Amazon.