For the librarians among us - you can do more than say "ssshhhh".

Todd, I heard that this morning on NPR - and I'll admit I laughed. That kind of thing falls in the category (for me) of, "if you make a threat, you have to follow through with it." She ignored the summons, and they followed through.

That made me laugh too, partly because I remembered the periodic (no pun intended) discussions Buffistas have about how many don't even have library cards because they can't be relied on to return the books because -- they're BOOKS! They don't want to give them back!

(Me, I love the library and use it almost every week. It is one of the most glorious things ever. You can TAKE BOOKS HOME, *FREE,* basically on the honor system [yes, I know it's a little more involved than that, but it IS mostly the borrower making a promise]. And you can do it over and over and over and over.)

And, seriously now -- a fine is 10 goddamn cents a day -- how hard is it to TAKE THE BOOK BACK? I mean, honestly? I'm glad that woman got arrested. I hate that cavalier the-law-doesn't-apply-to-me attitude. And the fact that she said that she'd use the library again, though probably not the one she shafted -- that pisses me off. I'd ban her ass from the library system, mostly as an arrogance penalty.

a fine is 10 goddamn cents a day

Ours is 25 cents a day, fines add up very quickly in these parts.

how hard is it to TAKE THE BOOK BACK?

Some days, very

However.

I do, eventually, get them back there. And always pay the fine.

how hard is it to TAKE THE BOOK BACK?

I've had badly needed work clothes lingering at the dry cleaner's four blocks from my house for more than two weeks now. Also extra cable boxes that I canceled nearly a year ago.

a fine is 10 goddamn cents a day

Ours is 25 cents a day, fines add up very quickly in these parts.

Actually, we might have jumped to 20 cents a day. But we can still check out books with a fine on our account as long as its under $10 (and we've returned overdue items).

Fines on DVDs, however, are $1 a day per movie (or maybe even $2). It's cool -- you can check them out free, and get them for 7 whole days. But if you're late, you're fucked. Especially if you're a greedy-gut like me who checks out 5 DVDs at a time. (D'oh.)

how hard is it to TAKE THE BOOK BACK?

Some days, very

(Er -- I meant how hard is it to take it back EVER; but saying so would have ruined the flow of my rant. I even deliberately took a library book on vacation that I knew would go overdue book while I was there, because I wanted to finish it and I couldn't renew it because it had a wait list on it. But I returned it the day after we got home and paid my $2.40.

I'm no library saint; I just don't get the people who don't EVER return books. Banninate! Banninate!)

after a long absence I went to check out a book and they told me I had overdue fees. I was horrified.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry! How much?!" I asked.

"Fifteen cents."

I'm glad they didn't send me a notice- they would have lost money on the postage.

Power is back! ::whispered, just in case the power gremlins want to tease me::

Am very, very gronkly because once the power went out last night, the frog concerto was turned up to eleven. And Mooshu was having a bit of a panic attack, the poor baby, so I had to soothe him. (Hundred pound dog + panic = pitiful in the extreme)

My library has gone to a self-checkout system, which is glorious. I can zip in and out and don't get stuck behind someone who is endlessly grilling the librarian about what versions of the Bible the library has -- as a book on tape. (True story.)

So when your fine reminder pops up, you can opt to pay it (but only with a debit or credit card, through the swipe-y thing on the side that you swipe your library card through), or just select "Pay later." It's fucking awesome.

t /library nerd

I just don't get the people who don't EVER return books. Banninate! Banninate!

TOTAL BANNINATION!!!

Barb, we just had a short power outtage, too. Although we're not facing a tropical storm. Yesterday, it went out for about three hours so I took the kids to the gym. Today it was an apparent planned outtage to figure out what caused yesterday's. *sigh*

At least my modem didn't go out for an additional two hours on top of the electrical outtage.