My family has been frequenting our local library all summer. It's been hunky dory till today. My son had chosen some books to check out and upon scanning them the librarian asks if I'd like to pay the 2 dollar fine today. "What 2 dollar fine?" I asked her. She told me it was for a Franklin book we checked out for my son. "We returned it on time. If it had been late there would have been more than just one book late." I tell her. She clicks onto another screen and informs me that it was for damage to the book. "We didn't damage any books." I explain. "There must be a mistake." That's when she tells me that there was a "chunk" missing from the cover. I'm getting angry now because I KNOW we didn't damage any books. My sons library books sit on his dresser unless we are reading them. I gave the woman two dollars just to put an end to the crap but I wasn't happy about it, I mean, how do I prove we didn't do it? When that transaction was finished I slid my book over to her to scan. That's when I asked her how I would go about making sure I'm not charged for damage I didn't inflict. She told me to look at it before I check it out. DUH. I told her I'll have them inspect them in front of me when I return them too! I KNOW this seems petty. It kinda is maybe. It makes me mad that I got the blame for something I KNOW we didn't do. There is no drop box for these books. You put them on the counter right in front of the librarians and they scan them back into the system. If there was damage shouldn't they have said something to me then?
I shoulda asked them to show me the book in question, but it was only 2 dollars right?
GAH! I sound like a petty little freak today!
8 comments:
Mentally I'm pulling hair, boxing ears, breaking glasses, grabbing clothing and rolling around on the floor with this librarian for daring to accuse you of such a thing. She's just about to cry "Uncle" and return your $2. Of all the nerve!!!!
Grannie Annie- THANK YOU! I'm glad you have my back!
It's not petty when you know that you didn't damage the book. I would make sure that the librarians scan your returned books right in front of you and explain that you don't want to be accused of damaging any books.
That would piss me off, too. I wonder if someone noticed the book was damaged when it was back in the library (like the damage had been done IN the library?) and then they just looked up who the last person was to check it out and put the charge for you to cover it?
Can't say i like the approach from the library, but I think your assessment of cost versus value is pretty good.
Humorless librarians drive me to drink.
Uhhh, that's bull shit. I would have been like, next time we are accused of "damaging" a book, please set it aside for us to see it. I don't care if it's $2 or $200 I would have been pissed!
I always worry that something like that will happen to me.
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