I love the library. In fact we go there almost EVERY day. Maybe it’s because I love books; I want to read them, and caress them and smell them.
Sorry, I was starting to drool.
I kind of think it’s because I’m cheap and everything there is free….Free….FREE!
Wheee!
But all that borrowing, times 6 people (chris, four kids and me) adds up to the occasional fine. It’s never been more than 2 dollars at a time but much to my surprise, when I went in the other day they told me I had a fine of $12 and the offending three movies still hadn’t been returned yet.
Twelve Smackeroos, guys.
That’s like 500 bucks on the budget we’re living on. My husband was going to Fuh-reak out. Well, as much as any passive, mellow, introverted guy can. So I went home stunned and determined to look in every nook and cranny I could find before I had to fess up to Chris.
In a panic I checked under, behind and around the T.V. I checked our private DVD collection. I checked the basket we keep our library books in so they Don’t Get Lost, I checked under the seats in both cars, I checked all the backpacks and tote bags.
Nothin’.
I finally reconciled with the fact that I was going to have to buy 3 new DVD’s for the library to the tune of about $60 because I knew I didn’t have them. But as I walked into the library a little voice told me to check the shelves.
I headed for the nonfiction section to look for the Deadliest Catch DVD. Hmmm. There it was sitting all cute on the shelf, just waiting for me to find it. I headed to find the next one and lo and behold, there was the Swiss Family Robinson movie they said I hadn’t returned. And the third was some dumb PBS show about the first road trip in an automobile, a movie so boring we turned it off after 10 minutes. And yep, you guessed it. Snuggled right back into its original spot.
I walked up to the desk, trying to be humble and hold in the “neener, neener, told you so” that was on the tip of my tongue. I pointed out their error, got my record expunged and left that building with a big ole smile on my face.
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16 comments:
Happy HAPPY ending!! So cool! It's mighty hard for me to keep track of our library books/media too. Now that our kids all have their own cards they're the ones that pay if there's ever a fine. Of course, I do some reminding and am responsible for the actual trip to get them there, but if they can't find'em by the time they're due, well then, they can start pulling out there pockets!! Over all we do pretty well - just like your family - and with everything being FREE, an occasional 50 cents here or there is within the acceptable range.
Hope you told your hubby! Start the story with "I said us $60 today ..." and go BIG from there!!
I must confess I haven't been back to the library, because I owe them money we don't have. I couldn't find a Magic School Bus vhs for a week. I wonder how much they charge???
I am glad they found yours. I have had that happen with books. Did you find anything you were looking for while in search of the movies?
:>Michelle
Oh, that very same scenario has happened to me on more than one occasion.
And, we've also paid our share in library fines. Funny how a book that costs $3 on Amazon suddenly costs $15 to replace at the library. "Administrative fees." Mmmm hmmm.
Oh my goodness, I wish that's how my library fine incident had ended this week. I knew we owed, but nothing more than a couple of bucks right? 22 smackers! I guess I just spaced on the fact we had borrowed movies and only returned the book portion. Our library only lets you borrow movies for a week and then they charge $1 for every day they are late. We had a few! The husband will not be finding out about this one unless one of the kiddos tattles on me. He wouldn't be mad but I would definately be made fun of forever. These are the things that don't get forgotten in our house. I'm still trying to live down making tuna noodle and forgetting to put the tuna in it, and that was years ago!
my library does this sort of thing so much that when I get a notice, I immediately call them and tell them to check the shelves.
The first time I was all, Neeneer, neener. But now I'm just really ticked off that it happens so often this is where they usually are.
get it together People!!
EVERY.SINGLE. TIME. I return books to our local library, they mess up like this. EVERY! TIME! It's caused me no end of frustration, especially the last time, when they couldn't find them and I KNEW that I KNEW that I had returned them. They just kept telling me I'd be charged a lost fee and I kept telling them that I hadn't lost them they had. They finally found the missing books and didn't even bother to notify me that they'd been found, let alone apologize. Sorry! I don't do well with incompetence in alphabetizing and basic ignorance of the Dewey Decimal System by library workers!!!!
Glad you found the movies! ;)
I almost always have library fines. It's to the point where my husband gets mad when he sees library dvds since those are what we're always late in returning.
Glad you got out of that major fine.
This happened to me, too.
Our library actually has a form that you fill out if you think you returned them.
They then put the fine on hold and when they find it they just return it to the shelf and you never have to pay the fine.
By the way, we have been watching the Deadliest Catch also!!
Good for you! Unfortunately for me, the library is always right and I'm always wrong. I just paid nearly $30 in fines this week (those $1/day DVD fines really get you!) I could have paid the minimum, but I just needed to start with a clean slate! I did not check out DVD's this time.
Way to Go Gayle!!!
We borrowed Bob books (early readers) once and lost one of the 8 little books. They wanted to charge me for the whole set. I hunted forever and finally found the thing...I wasn't about to pay for the whole set! The library here won't let you check out anything if you have over $10 in fines so that keeps me accountable.
whew!
My husband and I have a theory that our account has a note on it. 'Tell them they owe three dollars- they'll give it up with no question'
hmph.
That is the third time I have heard a story like that. Our library is trying to claim that we did not turn in three books, and we KNOW we did. I am going to the library when I get a few minutes and look for those books.
Ha Ha Ha...glad you found them!! I have a book due tomorrow (I should say my son) and it is no where to be found. I sure hope my story ends as yours!!!
Ugh, the L******* Library... They are a bunch of book fine Nazi's over there. I'm serious! I stopped going to the Library in L******* because of the same type of thing. ~K
Haha! Glad you got 'em!
We have gone through that several times.
Short Man (9) returned a movie and they didn't scan it before they put it back. They were very rude and blamed it on him just being a bad, irresponsible boy. I was very proud of him when he found it on the shelf and POLITELY took it to the front desk.
Just stumbled on your blog and have enjoyed it! As a homeschooling mom of six, library fines had become a way of life. That is until I found libraryelf.com I heard about it on someone's blog...can't remember who...
Anyway, you put EVERYONE's library card numbers in the system and "the elf" will bug you to return them. It's been great and has saved me a ton already.
And it's completely free!
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