Just testing

[altivo]

Making sure that e-mail posts are working now, before I get to MFF and
find they aren't.

Someone dumped a bunch of books in the library bookdrop this afternoon
that had been shat upon by an animal or a baby, apparently. As if we
wouldn't know who it was. I wonder if the borrower will dare ever to
show their face again...

Comments

[quickcasey.livejournal.com]

There's a terrble pun or wise-assed comment here, but I won't say anything.
E-mail test loud and clear.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Passing up a wise-ass comment eh? Now I wonder when you'll catch up on it...

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

What utter disrespect. They could at least have cleaned it first. Seriously, I wonder if common manners and apologetic humility are totally alien concepts to some folks.

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

Ack! I've just realised how much that made me sound like a grumpy old man. :/

It was not intended to be such. I just view good manners as timeless, essential and a mark of civilisation. Their absence to me points to a decline in civilisation.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm proud to be a grumpy old man. No, I don't go yelling at kids to get off the grass. But this was pretty extreme, exacerbated by the fact that most of the books had been borrowed from other libraries for this user and weren't even ours. That's a real embarrassing situation. We have to return these (in plastic bags with a warning attached to the outside) and wait for the owning libraries to tell us how much it will cost to replace them. The books are totally unsalvageable. And, as it turns out, that very user dumped the ruined books in the outdoor book drop, then came into the library to pick up several more, also borrowed from other libraries for her. She was gone before we figured it all out.

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

I'd post her a fine. :/

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Oh, she'll be fined all right. But the other libraries have to determine the amount according to their policies. She'll also be blocked from borrowing more books until she pays. My guess is the total fines will run about $30, and this is a teenager.

[songcoyote.livejournal.com]

You mean the borrower won't be billed for replacement cost? Just fines? Hmf. Not serious enough.

I don't appreciate mistreatment of books, even those I don't like. With one exception, but that's a whole different story.

Light and laughter,
SongCoyote

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm using the term "fine" in a loose manner here. She will be charged the replacement price of the damaged books, plus a processing fee. These were all paperbacks, so she'll get off pretty cheaply. Alas, what typically happens in cases like this is that they don't pay their bill, so their library card is suspended and that's the end of it. We do hand people over to a collection agency now, but since the amounts being billed are coming from several different libraries, chances are she won't hit the trigger level at any one place.

[songcoyote.livejournal.com]

All paperbacks, eh? Well, as you say, at least they're relatively cheap. Still, no respect for that particular borrower.

[Codger]
Kids these days!
[/Codger]

Light and laughter,
SongCoyote

[ducktapeddonkey.livejournal.com]

Yuck!

Geeze, accidents happen. But I think I would have just told the library that something happened and I would have to replace the books or offer the money directly to the library.

I know libraries don't like losing books. But correct me if I'm wrong; it would have probably been preferable.

*hangs an air freshener in your book drop*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

These books are a loss anyway, but we have to return them to the owners. Each was sealed in a zip-lock bag with pertinent data on a label on the outside. They don't even have to open the bags unless they really insist. (I'd recommend against it.) The user will certainly be billed for the replacement costs plus a processing fee, but chances are she'll never pay. Teens rarely do.

Yes, if she'd offered to just pay for the books without returning them that would have been accepted. We do that much more often than should be necessary, and we never ask people to explain what happened to the book. We also accept a new copy of the same book, but a fee is charged in that case for the processing: catalog records have to be updated, the book has to be labeled, etc.

[soanos.livejournal.com]

Ewww... I am sure the books weren't THAT dire they needed additional "spicing up". Anyway, I hope the person responsible will also be called in for a very long lecture about respect for books.

*nuzzles and hugs*

One more time, have a great time out there. And take loads and loads of photos of purrdy horsies :)

Speaking of horsies, lots of hugs and treats for you and Tess drom the mad, drunken scandinavioan zebra thing. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Tsk. Stripe-pony, you shouldn't get drunk. I'm sure it's not good for your innards.

[thedeere.livejournal.com]

Am I the only one reminded of the Seinfeld episode where George reads a book in the bathroom then tries to return it? The infamous "Toilet Book"?

This sounds like a more literal application. ;)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I don't know from Seinfeld, but yes, this was certainly a concrete example rather than a figment. ;p

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Urgh... how disrespectful. I'm not blaming the person for the ruined books - these things just happen -, but they really should have had the decency to come in and say, "sorry, my spawn shat on the books I borrowed and they can't be returned anymore - I'll pay you for them, of course".

Kids these days! :P

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You're right on target there. And we do have people who will say that. "I need to pay for the book, you don't want it back." That's fine, and we work out a deal with them.

*simultaneously amused and disgusted*

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

*contemplates* Is this kind of thing covered in "life management class"? If not, somebody should put it on a list of future topics :P

Re: *simultaneously amused and disgusted*

[schnee.livejournal.com]

I didn't even know there was such a thing as life management class, but it sounds like a great idea.

Re: *simultaneously amused and disgusted* Er, well...

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

I've never actually seen or attended one, but I've heard they exist.

Evidentally, people in this country have so few life skills- and it seems inevitable (eventually) mandatory school will itself collapse- it only seems practical to teach people little things like how to write checks, hire attorneys & deal with books that have been shat upon :P

Re: *simultaneously amused and disgusted* Er, well...

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Makes sense. :P One wonders if they also teach things like media competence (e.g. scepticism, telling reliable from unreliable sources, keeping in mind (unintentional) bias and (intentional) agendas etc.); I often think that this would really be sorely needed in today's world.

Re: *simultaneously amused and disgusted* Er, well...

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

I like how you think ;) Yes, I wonders that, too :P I doubt they teach media competence in journalism, though *snickers*

Re: *simultaneously amused and disgusted* Er, well...

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Probably not... :|

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Oh c'mon, thats not right!

I'd at least say what happened and pay for the books!

*facepaws*

Oh the dire straits of a librarian!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

We have a line item in the budget for disinfectants now. It's true.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Why return them at all o.O ?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Good question, and certainly one we all asked, but I have no idea.