sassenach Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 We just moved to a new area. I'm browsing through the policies and everything seems normal/reasonable until I come to this- The charge for reserve requests is fifty cents ($0.50) per request. :mad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 My library used to charge a dollar, but recently they got rid of the fee. However, they still won't reserve something if it's on the shelf, which annoys me, because I live 20 miles away and can't just come in and get the book usually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2boys Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 You might ask if they waive fees for teachers and homeschoolers. Some libraries do. Until recently I was able to have withdrawn books for free as a homeschooler, while the general public had to pay 25 cents per book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmomof2boys Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I didn't know that libraries charged to request books! I am glad that our library doesn't do that. Our library, however, charges you $1 if you forget to pick up the requested book. I am pretty careful, but once this past December, when there was in a deep-freeze, I forgot to go and pick up my books, and there were about 18 of them! Ouch, an $18 library fee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsingscrapper Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 library fees are eeeeeeeeeeeevil *makes the sign of the cross at library fees* :lol::lol::lol: sorry....I think I've had too much caffiene and womanhood and not enough concentration....probably going to bed early tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacqui in mo Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Boy I'm glad my library doesn't charge for request holds. I couldn't afford that with all the requests I make! (My local library branch is very small & woludn't have most of the books I want without requesting them from the other branches.) My bane is the 25 cents per day charge on DVDs that are late (and they only let you check them out for one week. I guess I shouldn't complain too much as they used to only let you have them for 3 days.) I get most of my library fines from DVDs because somehow they slip by me in noticing when they are due. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I once asked at the library if I could have a longer checkout time as a homeschooler and the head librarian freaked out on me, about how I was a patron just like other patrons and it wasn't fair if I held the books longer, etc. I was like, "A simple no would have sufficed!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I don't like to think about library fees. We don't have any user fees whatsoever where I live, and they wave fines all the time. However, I have friends in other parts of the US who are charged like mad. OOH I think it's wrong, OTOH, we've spent billions on wrong wars, so I am absolutley amazed there is a dime left for books at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MountainViewMama Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Library fees are a sore spot in our house. I recently forgot to renew/return the pile of books that I had. Let's just say it totally slipped my mind....for a while. At .25 cents a day per book, my total was $34.00.:eek: Luckily my library lets you still check out even if you owe a fine so I have been paying it down. We still have $5.00 to go. Next time we'll pay it off. Now I make sure I put the due date on the calender as soon as we get home. Oh, thankfully our library doesn't charge to request books and we can even request books right off the shelf so there waiting when I get there. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MountainViewMama Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Oh, and our town is getting a new library set to open next year and I have jokingly said that I am helping to fund that new library with all my fees. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crafty Mathy Mom Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Fifty cents seems cheap compared to the $2 per book my library charges. I am very thankful that they have a one week grace period on returns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Our library doesn't charge fees to request books, but I make up for that with the fines I pay. I never can seem to get things back on time. Every time I pay them, I swear I'm going to get the new batch back - and don't. My dh (Mr. Organized) gives me that "I'm amazed by your stupidity" look whenever I own up to how much my fines were. So I just tend to avoid mentioning it. :001_smile: I am going right now to write on the calendar when the books we have out now are due. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Now, now. I consider these fines to be donations. :) Yeah, donations. I wonder if they can be claimed as such for the IRS? Hmmmm.... Our library doesn't charge fees to request books, but I make up for that with the fines I pay. I never can seem to get things back on time. Every time I pay them, I swear I'm going to get the new batch back - and don't. My dh (Mr. Organized) gives me that "I'm amazed by your stupidity" look whenever I own up to how much my fines were. So I just tend to avoid mentioning it. :001_smile: I am going right now to write on the calendar when the books we have out now are due. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 My dh (Mr. Organized) gives me that "I'm amazed by your stupidity" look whenever I own up to how much my fines were. So I just tend to avoid mentioning it. :001_smile: One time I put $5 on the debit card and DH was pretty irritated that I had to pay the library a fine. Oh, if he only knew! That's the last time I used the card for paying a fine. Cash only for me! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 The other thing that annoys me about our library is that once something is overdue you can't renew it online. You have to either call or go in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I pay my share of library fines!!! One things that helps me stay on top of it is to only go to the library on certain days. Then my books are due on the same days all the time. I try to go on Wed & Fri so my books are due on Wed and Fri. If I don't go on these days, I try to renew on these days. HTH someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I pay my share of library fines!!! One things that helps me stay on top of it is to only go to the library on certain days. Then my books are due on the same days all the time. I try to go on Wed & Fri so my books are due on Wed and Fri. If I don't go on these days, I try to renew on these days. HTH someone. My kids have art class on Mondays at the library, so that is our day. Except i think a child has a movie that is due today from an extra visit last week. Hmmmmm...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MountainViewMama Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 The other thing that annoys me about our library is that once something is overdue you can't renew it online. You have to either call or go in. My library is the same way! I really wish they would just let you renew it online after it's late. It never fails that when I call to renew, everyone else is calling and the line is busy forever. Then I forget to call back and the late fees pile on higher. Maybe that's why they do it? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 If my library charged to request books, that would instantly become my number one homeschooling cost. I go twice a week, and always march straight to "my" hold shelf. Even my kids know that there will always be something waiting for us there. I request about 50 items a month, so I would have to change my habits if they ever institute a fee. We have no fines on juvenile items, which means that very little of what I check out can accrue fines at all. The thing that I have to be careful about is that many of my requests come from other library systems in the county, and some of those do charge fines on juvenile materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 With the amount of requesting I do I don't think I could afford it if they started charging a fee. Overdue fines-well I pay lots of those (even after I have renewed them twice online). For a DVD it is $1.00 a day. I rarely take out movies because you can not renew them and I am forget them frequently. Of course, there was also the time I insisted I had returned a book only to find it in the car 3 months later. Ooops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebonLI Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 My library has amnesty day on the day we vote to approve the budget. I often joke as I pay my fines that I'm helping with the new wing. But I haven't had to take the checkbook to pay fines like my friend has. Debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
always cookin' Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 When they started this several years ago, I stopped putting things on hold. I barely use the library system anymore. It is too expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMCassandra Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 The charge for reserve requests is fifty cents ($0.50) per request. :mad: That is horrible! I would have a conniption fit if my library did this. I probably reserve about 20 items a week! And I always go pick up my holds--every Wednesday like clockwork, either before or after piano lessons. The only possible justification I could see is that if they had uber amounts of trouble with people not picking up holds and the librarians were having to go to the work of pulling the books and then having reshelving them as unclaimed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 We had that particular fee for a long time at our library. They got rid of it about a year ago and it's been wonderful. I'm totally jealous of those whose library will wave fees for teachers & homeschoolers. Not ever going to happen here. Just don't lose a book. That will cost you the shirt off your back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosy Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Don't even get me started. I've paid hundreds over the years. My saving grace is that they charge a maximum of $3 per book. I do better now that they send out e-mails 3 days before books are due, but if I can't renew one and can't get to the library right away, it gets me into trouble, especially with the volume of books that come through our house. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 When they started this several years ago' date=' I stopped putting things on hold. I barely use the library system anymore. It is too expensive.[/quote'] What do you do for books?:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkeller Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Wow. I really hope our library doesn't start a fee like that. I use the online hold system all the time. That way I can just go through the drive thru and pick up my books! I know ours also waives late fees and such for teachers checking out educational books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Wow. I really hope our library doesn't start a fee like that. I use the online hold system all the time. That way I can just go through the drive thru and pick up my books! I know ours also waives late fees and such for teachers checking out educational books. You have a drive thru???? Lucky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 If my library charged to request books, that would instantly become my number one homeschooling cost. I go twice a week, and always march straight to "my" hold shelf. Even my kids know that there will always be something waiting for us there. I request about 50 items a month, so I would have to change my habits if they ever institute a fee. We have no fines on juvenile items, which means that very little of what I check out can accrue fines at all. The thing that I have to be careful about is that many of my requests come from other library systems in the county, and some of those do charge fines on juvenile materials. I'm a big requestor too. I just can't see any reason for a book to be in the library unless someone READS it. Although I keep running into librarians who don't seem to share this passion for books (just makes me scratch my head). The librarians at our old library knew who I was, because I always had something waiting on hold. Hawaii had a state wide library system, so some of my books would actually come from other islands. One of my favorite feats was being on vacation on Maui, checking out books on whales and coral reefs to read during the rest of our cruise and then returning them back on Oahu. Or the series of books that were only held on Molokai. Heady days, those. Yesterday I was in the base library, looking for a book that was listed in one place as being in the library, but wouldn't come up when I searched the catalog. The head librarian and I ended up in a discussion about getting books from other military libraries in theatre. I asked if there were charges or a limit on how many I could request a month. He said that there was no limit, but I got the distinct impression that he really didn't know what I'd do with the ten books a month that I threw out as a possible number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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