tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312158.post1502214122464723182..comments2024-03-25T18:52:36.767-07:00Comments on Michelle's Romantic Tangle: Keeping Library Fines Under Control Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01308680396802432722noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312158.post-79919147022309349952014-07-09T18:43:55.123-07:002014-07-09T18:43:55.123-07:00Good post. I'm happy to hear that yours is a ...Good post. I'm happy to hear that yours is a reading family. Sounds like you are extremely good for your library's usage statistics.<br /><br />Those moms who want their kids to love books but won't put in the effort to keep track of library books might as well forget about getting their kids to love reading unless they are willing to buy their own books. Because ultimately it's the parent's responsibility to get those books returned on time....or graciously pay the fines.<br /><br />I'm a small town librarian, and more than once I've had patrons insist they've returned a book, sometimes getting quite upset over it. I do a shelf check & invite them to look for the book on our shelves as well. If it can't be found I tell them to go home & look for it. Sometimes they come back with the book and a sheepish look on their face & pay the fine. Other times it IS found on the shelves and they get an apology & the fine is waived. We also freeze the cards for the whole family until the matter is settled....and that includes using the computers. Sometimes it takes a couple years to collect owed fines, but the computer never forgets and eventually they need to use the library. And some people never pay their fines even though they call once in a while saying they need to use the computers or something and ask if they owe a fine. They know darn well they do. They simply get told to pay the fines and all privileges will be restored. Some I never see again and that's fine too. <br />QuiltinLibraryLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16392850776832804028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312158.post-17133051669550910602014-06-24T17:32:39.900-07:002014-06-24T17:32:39.900-07:00We too are a family of voracious readers. We spent...We too are a family of voracious readers. We spent so much time in the library that they offered me a job. I could make my own hours and I and I automated the library. We checked out oodles of books. It was a no fine library and seldom did they run into any problems.<br />I had an old wooden chest that housed all the library books and it made returning books simple.<br />Dirt Road Quilterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04686206587226283057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312158.post-45351827613118872882014-06-24T09:06:04.256-07:002014-06-24T09:06:04.256-07:00We have always read, used to drag my children to t...We have always read, used to drag my children to the library all the time, makes for smart kidsbarbara woodshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07824180957906837061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312158.post-41309293388466541402014-06-24T07:25:15.803-07:002014-06-24T07:25:15.803-07:00We are readers too. When my kids were young, we m...We are readers too. When my kids were young, we made it a policy to have a special place for the library books. A basket or a container, so that when the child was reading from a library book, that was the holding place. It made life a little easier when it was time to return the books. We also have had books go missing, but our library would grant us an additional renewal until it was returned. Twice we had returned books and it did not show up in their system. Once we dropped the books in the book drop outside the library. I was positive of the return. They never questioned it. The second time, I did what you suggested. I went to the shelf and found the book and marched right up to the librarian. She was very sweet and just said sometimes when they are checking in many books, the computer might miss something. Now that my children are all grown I have been reading library books on my kindle. Wow has that been a wonderful new approach. I download the books and usually have them read before they are called back into the system. I LOVE my kindle :-)Jocelynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02714577523744715551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312158.post-12499090953297305872014-06-24T07:01:10.337-07:002014-06-24T07:01:10.337-07:00Wow - you do have that down to a science! I only ...Wow - you do have that down to a science! I only have to worry about me, but I'm notorious about losing track of the time, so I put the receipt up on the fridge as soon as I come home with books, and I look at it every day to make sure I'm not late. Life gets so busy - I can't even imagine what it would be like if I had a child or two! Thankfully, I raised my children when I still had a brain :)Teresa in Music Cityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15650995129191593324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312158.post-36613183817456986262014-06-24T06:29:13.928-07:002014-06-24T06:29:13.928-07:00I have had 1 find over many many years. I am at t...I have had 1 find over many many years. I am at the library at least twice a week. It is my favorite place. At our library we have quite a few homeschoolers so on the shelf you would see tons of books under the same name. I love my library and thank goodness they are still around.http://thankfullga447https://www.blogger.com/profile/09752118265182467689noreply@blogger.com