I noticed the headline in Yahoo! news buzz about an unreturned library book leading to an arrest in Iowa. I used to work in a public library in Iowa. One of the things that I posted on the library bulletin board in the lobby was a photocopy of the section of the Iowa Code about unreturned library materials. In fact, public libraries are required to post such information.
Even years later the memories of the theft of library materials during my watch rankle. There was that dark-haired lady who applied for a library card, supplying an address from a nearby town, and then checked out two videos. I still remember the name of one of them (Truly, Madly, Deeply). When they were seriously overdue, I tried to get the videos back, enlisting the help of the librarian in the nearby town. It was one of those "no such name, no such address" situations.
There was the "F" volume of the encyclopedia that a student sneaked out to write a biology report on fish. Why he (and, yes, I know who you were) didn't just toss the volume in our book drop when he was done is beyond me. But he managed to devalue an entire set of World Book.
There was the autographed copy of The Bridges of Madison County, which was an immensely popular novel 15 years ago. You tell me how someone could enjoy having a copy of a book inscribed "To my friends at the ---- Public Library. Robert James Waller."
I know materials get damaged. I used to take one morning a month to repair all the snarled and broken cassettes. The hopeless ones you toss. Book repair is a fact of life, not a major situation.
And things get lost. A number of years before I worked at the library, I got a call from a worker there about a book that was seriously overdue. At first I had no idea what she was talking about. Then I remembered the book. It was some poorly written autobiography that I thought I had bought in the 10-cents-a-book sale (donations or weeded library books) and I'd thrown it away, thinking no one would ever want to read that turkey again. But I was upfront about what had happened and she was understanding. The next time I went in, I put some money in their donations box.
Librarians manage tax dollars and hold a public trust. Theirs is a really fun lot but it's not an easy one!
Even years later the memories of the theft of library materials during my watch rankle. There was that dark-haired lady who applied for a library card, supplying an address from a nearby town, and then checked out two videos. I still remember the name of one of them (Truly, Madly, Deeply). When they were seriously overdue, I tried to get the videos back, enlisting the help of the librarian in the nearby town. It was one of those "no such name, no such address" situations.
There was the "F" volume of the encyclopedia that a student sneaked out to write a biology report on fish. Why he (and, yes, I know who you were) didn't just toss the volume in our book drop when he was done is beyond me. But he managed to devalue an entire set of World Book.
There was the autographed copy of The Bridges of Madison County, which was an immensely popular novel 15 years ago. You tell me how someone could enjoy having a copy of a book inscribed "To my friends at the ---- Public Library. Robert James Waller."
I know materials get damaged. I used to take one morning a month to repair all the snarled and broken cassettes. The hopeless ones you toss. Book repair is a fact of life, not a major situation.
And things get lost. A number of years before I worked at the library, I got a call from a worker there about a book that was seriously overdue. At first I had no idea what she was talking about. Then I remembered the book. It was some poorly written autobiography that I thought I had bought in the 10-cents-a-book sale (donations or weeded library books) and I'd thrown it away, thinking no one would ever want to read that turkey again. But I was upfront about what had happened and she was understanding. The next time I went in, I put some money in their donations box.
Librarians manage tax dollars and hold a public trust. Theirs is a really fun lot but it's not an easy one!