Lost Library Books... Does this happen to you?

[JessMcG]

Over the past two years there have been 2 incidences where I am almost positive I returned a book to the library only to end up being charged for it because it never got checked in.

 

I know there is a possibility the books got lost in the house or car but I haven't seen them and lost things always turn up around here.

 

I'm just frustrated. Am I the only one this happens to?

[Just a Jen in Mississippi]

I've had it happen to me and went to the library and indeed, found it on their shelf. So you may want to check there.

 

We had a lost book recently that we searched every where for. I finally went into my girl's room to deep clean. I pulled out an over-stuffed drawer and found it had fallen underneath the drawer.....thank goodness it was found before I had to pay for it!

[plain jane]

No, you're not the only one. This has happened to me twice. The first time, the library excused me and waived the fines. The second time was a few months ago. There were 3 books that I returned that the library claims I didn't. I'm not sure what the outcome of this will be and I'm very frustrated with the library at the moment.

 

ETA: I've searched everywhere and they were school books so I know I won't find them hidden in the kids' stuff. I always keep our school books in one place and I triple check my lists when I return books. Grrrrr.

[melissel]

Well, I had a library CD vanish without a trace on me. I still haven't found the thing, almost two years later. But it's also not unheard of that they never checked it in at the library. Very frustrating, either way. Sorry you ended up paying! :(

[RebeccaS]

Our library has a great new system that allows them to check in/check out stacks of books. However, sometimes when checking them in, they get missed. There have been a few times that I've had books get missed and show as still checked out to me. When this happens and I"m sure that I've returned them, I call the library and have them check the shelves immediately. Every time they've found them. I'd hate to be charged for a book I know I returned.:grouphug:

[kewb]

It has happened to me a couple of times. Right now we are in dispute about a book.

[Crafty Mathy Mom]

It happens to me about every third trip to the library. The books are always on the shelf. One time, we were getting ready to check out and they said that I owed $130 for 9 books. :eek: I stomped back to the children's section with my daughter and sent her back with each of the nine books.one.at.a.time. The librarian did not apologize. He just said that I shouldn't use the outside book drop. I would go elsewhere, but it's 20 miles to the other library.

[chanda7]

I have had it happen more often at the college library compared to the city library. A phone call is usually all it takes for them to look for and eventually find the book I turned in. It is frustrating, though. If I had the money to buy the book, I wouldn't be checking it out of the library...

[4summergirls]

This has happened to me both ways. I've been told something was missing when I knew I had returned it, and I also could have sworn I returned a book and then found it a couple weeks later, whoops!

 

Does your library know you're a homeschooler? My library has a policy where they don't charge homeschoolers for overdue books, which I really appreciate.

[unsinkable]

It's happened to me.

 

'Round here, there is something called "claims returned." Books are marked "claims returned" if you claim you returned them but they are nowhere in the library. You are not charged for the book but you can only do this a limited number of times.

 

It helps that I've taken out 1000s of books and have only 2 "claims returned."

[Jill- OK]

I think I can remember a time that I found the book in question, at the library, and then recently, here in OK, I actually paid for a book...and then found it in a bag hanging in my pantry, months later, lol. (They returned my money, less the late fee).

 

When you check out as many books as we do, I've learned that it pays to have a) a good home system for keeping books in a central location, b) a handle on your return dates (lol) and c) a healthy distrust of check in systems. (Turn in your books, then go and log on to the computer and make sure they've all been checked in before you leave, if you really want to be sure).

[Colleen]

There have also been times when the book was reshelved without being checked in. I was able to locate the book and that was that. But there have also been a couple of times when the book simply "disappeared". I didn't have it; they didn't have it. Who knows. In that case, it's listed as "sure returned" ~ e.g. "missing". I wasn't required to pay for the items.

[Perry]

This has happened to me numerous times. You can request they do a search for it, but I've always found it easier to check myself. I've always found the books reshelved.

 

I eventually got so fed up with it I started having them check the books in while I waited. One of the librarians got a little snotty about it, but she backed off when I explained the situation. All the other librarians have been very understanding.

[unsinkable]

There have also been times when the book was reshelved without being checked in. I was able to locate the book and that was that. But there have also been a couple of times when the book simply "disappeared". I didn't have it; they didn't have it. Who knows. In that case, it's listed as "sure returned" ~ e.g. "missing". I wasn't required to pay for the items.

 

 

I like that a bit better than "claims returned."

 

SHe's sure she returned it.

 

vs.

 

SHe claims she returned it.

[LaxMom]

I've had that happen, and generally it has been marked as "claimed returned" (which seems snide to me). I check my checkout receipt against books in my bag when I leave the house, so I would know if one was missing.

 

I also had, last year, an incident where my husband grabbed a couple of books on tape (yes, actual cassettes) and when we got home, he realized one had a cassette missing (not the one he wanted to listen to, though), so I called the library and told them. Then, I waited at the desk to explain when I returned them. THEN, I got a rather rude phone call from the library which ended with the caller telling me they would overlook it "this one time"... WTH? They are overlooking a cassette being missing when we checked it out?!?! :glare: I've had the same conversation when trying to renew a book that is not on hold or even new - so not new that the woman who checked it out said I would probably be the last person before it was retired!

 

I generally try to go to an out of state library that's about 45 minutes away. It's where my 7 y.o. has book club and they are so wonderful and flexible and generous. The children's librarian will even periodically check up on the accounts of her book club families and renew our books if they will come due before the next meeting and if it's overlooked, they get rid of the overdue charge and apologize... It's as if they may actually want people to check out their books or something. Go figure.

[Tap]

I have had it happen to me. The first time I know I returned it (I check our 'checked out' list online before we go and match up my book bag) and they waived the fee. There happened to be a major computer glitch the same day, so they felt that it was possible.

 

The second time, I was just as certain as the first that I returned it. It was a small paper back and like you I keep all the library books together. I was positive I hadn't seen it at home, and was positive I didn't have it. We are on the border of two states, so we have two library piles, one for each library. I always checked each book ahead of time so I wouldn't return them to the wrong library. I hadn't gone into the library yet t proclaim my innocence..... and then I found it at home, tucked inside another book for the other state's library. It was true that I hadn't seen it! :0( oops! Glad I didn't go in insisting I had returned it!

[Pretty in Pink]

This has happened to me several times and every time the books were at the library the entire time. One librarian was quite rude to me last year when I asked her to have someone check the shelves for it. I explained that this had happened several times and the books had always been reshelved without checking them back in. She told me to go look for it myself! So, I did, found it and took it up to her. She checked it back in. End of story...or not. She called the next day to say she had been mistaken and that was the WRONG copy. What a pain in my $&@. Dh went up and handled it for me. Now I stand while they check them back in and print me a clear receipt.

[*Inna*]

It happened once so far. I found the book on the library shelf. They apologized and I didn't make a big deal out of it.

[klmama]

It's only happened to me once that the book was actually in the library and I had returned it. They found it right away. The other 15 times I was sure I had returned something... I hadn't. :rolleyes:

[Jen in PA]

This has happened to me a couple of times, and the books always turn out to be on the shelves. One librarian explained that when the drop bins are emptied, sometimes a whole cart of returns is grabbed by a library page before a librarain has checked them in, and then they have dozens of books still marked as out that have actually been returned.

[AuntieM]

Now I usually return the books right to the librarian at the counter, rather than dumping them in the return bin. I try to have them scan returns as I watch.

[Harriet Vane]

When I return books, I make them check the books in right then and there, in front of me. It's the only way I have found to deal with this type of dispute.

[ElizabethB]

We've moved a lot, and have been members of many different libraries. Some libraries are worse than others. Many times, especially at a few of the worst ones, I've had to go back to the shelves and get the books for them.

 

However, the last time I was *sure* I returned something, I found it 2 months later under the seat of the passenger car tucked way back where you couldn't see it unless you were crawling on the floor. I always put the books in the passenger seat of the car, that one must have slid out and slid under there. I was very confused about the whole thing until then, because I distinctly remembered returning that specific book. (What's one less book in a stack of 10 or 20?)

 

When we lived in Albuquerque, they didn't charge late fees! I donated several books because I felt guilty for not supporting my local library with my normal late fee charges.

[Cindyg]

Be sure *you* check the library shelves yourself. Check in logical wrong places. Like, if the call number is JF WEB look in the adult section under WEB. And look through the audio books under WEB, etc.

 

I've had this happen many, many times. It's almost always their fault, and I almost always find the book on their shelf in the end. (I check out thousands of books a year, and I'm VERY careful with them!)

 

Good luck.

[Kris]

Over the past two years there have been 2 incidences where I am almost positive I returned a book to the library only to end up being charged for it because it never got checked in.

 

I know there is a possibility the books got lost in the house or car but I haven't seen them and lost things always turn up around here.

 

I'm just frustrated. Am I the only one this happens to?

 

This has only happened to me once, so far. I was *sure* we put it in the outside return bin, but I had The Kid walk it over there, and on reflection I suspect it got stuck and someone else snagged it. I always check to make sure they fall in.

 

I told the library that I was sure we had returned it, and they believed me, only asking that I bring it back if it turned up -- under the seat in the car or something like that.

 

Actually, this made quite an impression on me. I don't lie and I don't steal and I get really fed up with the way businesses anymore feel like they have to treat all their customers as if they're just there to rip them off. The last time I had to return something to Wal-Mart, I half expected them to finger print me, they made such a production out of the process. I was totally ticked off, and told the guy, "It must be something to have to deal with nothing but thieves and liars all day."

 

He just looked up, really sad, and said, "You have *no* idea." I don't, really. It's amazing what people will do to get something for "free."

[LibrarianMom]

This has happened to me a couple of times, and the books always turn out to be on the shelves. One librarian explained that when the drop bins are emptied, sometimes a whole cart of returns is grabbed by a library page before a librarain has checked them in, and then they have dozens of books still marked as out that have actually been returned.

 

Your library desperately needs to implement a system so that doesn't happen. At our library, we double-discharge the books in an attempt to make sure that books are discharged before shelving them. Items still sneak past the desk though. We prefer to have patrons report lost books to us so we can shelf-check. When a patron comes to the front desk with a "found" book, we are always skeptical that the book was sneaked in to avoid the book charge.

 

When I'm on the patron side at our public library, it is frustrating when a book isn't discharged properly. Sometimes they find it and sometimes I have to find it on the shelves for them. It's a good reminder to me of the importance of good customer service.