Monday, June 8, 2015

You Be the Judge

     I like the new library system where I can search for books right from home. I like to be able to reserve books from my computer. I like to be able to renew books from home. I like to be able to download books and read them on the pad. 

      So I like to  have control of my business with the library. 

      I have a lifetime library card which I was given after I had served six years on the library board.

     In general I'm a big library user. I've always been a library user. I read a wide variety of genres. I'm not reading much fiction now which bothers me. I tend to find an author or a series and read most of the books. Lately, I haven't found the author or series. 

     I like to be able to see the books I have signed out and when they are due to be returned. I can get a book from any library in Alberta.

     Okay, so far you have nothing to make a judgement on. 

     Yesterday I had two books that were due. Neither one of them had been renewed so I should have been  able to renew them. Well, one of the books came up that I could not renew it as there was a hold on it. In other words someone wanted the book.  Now if I didn't get it back there were library fines. Not an issue for 25 cents a day. 

     The issue is that I was blindsided by having the demand to return the book when I thought I could finish reading it. What if I'd taken my book to Toronto and decided to renew it on WiFi? I would be stuck paying a fine when I thought I would be able to keep the book. I very rarely have to pay a library fine as I like to follow the rules and get books back so someone else can read them.

     It's the principle of the issue that bother me.

     So here's my question. Should the library be able to demand that you return a book you are reading before it is due because somebody else wants it?

The major portion of the library is to the left. I wanted to get the entrance. The red brick part was built as an armory and then used as a fire hall.