Degenerate Library User

[Alianora La Canta]

Someone borrowed a pocket-size Spanish dictionary from a library in 1994. This individual returned the book... ...last week.

A £614 fine ensued.

The library refused to waive the fine because they saw no good cause for doing so, but local authority rules meant the fine was capped at £5.

[Neil.P]

This "someone" wasn't you by any chance was it Ali?

Neil.P

[Alianora La Canta]

No - I didn't even get my first library card until 1996!

[Neil.P]

Just checking

Neil.P

[Alianora La Canta]

I suppose someone had to

[Wizzo]

This sort of thing should be stamped out! 

[Neil.P]

^^^ That's nearly as bad as yesterdays 'boom boom' joke hehe

Neil.P

[John S]

Just a small point I know but we have all already paid for the books in the Libraries through local and national taxes.

Sorry it's just a thing of mine about borrowing books free but having to pay for other things from the Library.

I know books are good, and yes books must be free for kids and education, but why do novels available in libraries cost us so much on our taxes when the high streets are full of booksellers.

[cosworth151]

^^^ That's nearly as bad as yesterdays 'boom boom' joke hehe

Neil.P

At least no one said "Book 'em, Danno!"   

[Alianora La Canta]

Neil, my sense of humour is not necessarily that great

John, ask the library suppliers - as a general rule it is they, not the librarians, who end up picking the majority of the books that end up in public libraries. Apart from libraries telling the suppliers the categories of books they want and the total budget, and requests for items from the public generally getting bought for them, the procurement of books is generally done by non-professionals. In case you're wondering, it is one of the bugbears of the library profession that this is the case.

Having said that, novels are often the cheapest things to fill a library with. They often get bought in bulk by the library supplier, meaning they can pass savings on to the library. The royalties to authors are also really small. Non-fiction is generally more expensive because it dates quicker (instead of leaving books on shelves until they fall apart, many non-fiction books have to be removed from circulation after a year or two as information becomes outdated), plus the ones in demand cost more than even hardback books. In addition, the amounts bought by suppliers are lower than for novels, so there's less discount. The most expensive books of all are the audio books (often costing £50 each), a situation that frustrates everyone except, it seems, the audio book sellers. As a result of the broad financial situation, the increase in novels may well be a symptom of too little money rather than too much.

As for "costing so much on taxes", my local council gives 70% of the tax to the Derbyshire County Council, which then gives 3% of the remainder to "Culture & Community". This works out at £16.4m, to be shared between quite a few functions: all the libraries (including the school library service), the Record Office, a museum and art gallery and the county trading standards office. In the grand scheme of things, libraries probably aren't a very big dent in the council tax...

[romephius]

Well in this saga, at least there was no coverup and they had enough spine to return a book that was drastically overdue... let's not bury them in pages of rules and fines.  Perhaps we should let them move onto the next chapter of their lives.....


I am soooo sorry about that one....

Rom

[Ian]

And then maybe they will turn over a new leaf. 

[Steven Roy]

I think it is time this thread came to a full stop.

[Alianora La Canta]

Shall I lock it, then?

[Ian]

Not yet Ali, I have'nt seen who dunnit yet.