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Triangular_Trees
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14 Aug 2008, 6:40 am

I've no idea when other than sometime in the past year. I don't even remember checking it out.

My cat was scratching under the bed and worried about what he might be scratching at (ie dead mouse), I pulled out what he was scratching at and it was a university library book.

Oddly the library has no record of the fact I didn't return it - I was able to graduate and was never sent any over due notices.

The only thing I can figure that might have happened is back in maybe October I turned in some books after their due by date but before I should have been charged a late fee. (there were 2 books in the late fee category, 6 that weren't). So I emailed the library and they removed all the charges. I'm guessing this book was checked out then and when they corrected that problem they also marked all of my books as returned



iamnotaparakeet
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14 Aug 2008, 6:45 am

What was your major in?



Triangular_Trees
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14 Aug 2008, 6:55 am

tourism planning and development



release_the_bats
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14 Aug 2008, 10:43 am

I've worked in a library and shall again soon.

You might be surprised at how common your story is. Libraries only keep records of books that are checked in and out. Most libraries don't have sufficient technology (or any technology) to detect when books are stolen (although this is changing). So lots of things mysteriously disappear.

Then two years later, someone requests that title and says, "The catalog says you have it so why isn't it on the shelf?"

And the answer is, "It was probably lost or stolen or shelved in the wrong place . . . who knows. But we can check to see if another branch has it. If so, you could either go there and pick it up yourself or we could have it here within a few days."

I had to say that to someone at least once every hour when I worked in a public library.



Triangular_Trees
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14 Aug 2008, 11:09 am

release_the_bats wrote:
I've worked in a library and shall again soon.

You might be surprised at how common your story is. Libraries only keep records of books that are checked in and out. Most libraries don't have sufficient technology (or any technology) to detect when books are stolen (although this is changing). So lots of things mysteriously disappear.

Then two years later, someone requests that title and says, "The catalog says you have it so why isn't it on the shelf?"

And the answer is, "It was probably lost or stolen or shelved in the wrong place . . . who knows. But we can check to see if another branch has it. If so, you could either go there and pick it up yourself or we could have it here within a few days."

I had to say that to someone at least once every hour when I worked in a public library.


This book was definately checked out. Something had to have happened to indicate it was returned which is why I wasn't barred from graduating. Granted my job did enable me to steal numerous library books undetected, but I never engaged in that (I worked in the basement of the library and we had an elevator key that let us get to the library - so we could have taken stacks of books, rode the elevator to the library and exited the building without going through those "shoplifting" detectors



Zara
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14 Aug 2008, 12:10 pm

I have a Star Trek novel...
from the library...

I think I checked it out like...

18 years ago...

Never got a notice on it.


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release_the_bats
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14 Aug 2008, 12:24 pm

Zara wrote:
I have a Star Trek novel...
from the library...

I think I checked it out like...

18 years ago...

Never got a notice on it.


Probably due to a combination of the "technology" they were using 18 years ago + the fact that most libraries are under-staffed + the fact that most libraries are under-funded.

I hope I don't sound like I'm criticizing libraries or encouraging people to steal from them. My intentions are the opposite - to provide an inside perspective on the challenges libraries face, thereby putting all of this in its larger context.

Missing books are definitely a problem, but libraries also have many other concerns that are arguably of greater consequence in terms of the ultimate effect on the library, its staff, and its patrons.