Comments on: Frugal Tip for Replacing Lost Library Books

By: mrsmicah

mrsmicah — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:26:12 +0000

@Elizabeth, that is an excellent point. In the library’s defense, some of the newest systems make it very easy to scan only half a barcode and have everything act as if it’s checked in. So they scan, it beeps, the thing on the screen moves…but then if you’re watching closely, you see that the title didn’t actually show up.

We run our own shelf checks and encourage patrons to do them too, just in case. I was writing with the assumption that you knew the books were lost; if you think you’ve returned them there’s a whole different process to go through.

By: Elizabeth-The Whole Family

Elizabeth-The Whole Family — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:14:31 +0000

I just recently posted about my frustration with the Library…It seems our library tends to shelve books and not scan them in properly. So, my suggestion is to always check the shelf for the book! Then, if you can’t find it these are some great suggestions! I just paid for a book at the school library and then it showed up a few weeks later on the shelf. I’m awaiting my refund. Also, at the public library I found my books on the shelf just last week.

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:04:34 +0000

Oh, thanks so much for this tip! I am currently fighting a $25 charge for a book that is water damaged…tho’ not by us…grrr! However, I found it at chapters.ca for $13.65 … YAY! I will surely ask if I can replace the book myself if I don’t win this disagreement with the library.

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:46:03 +0000

Our library won’t let us replace anything! It is a charge of $30 per item to replace a books.

By: Mrs. Micah

Mrs. Micah — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:04:59 +0000

Thanks!

Strangely enough, I had a gentleman come in with over a dozen CD cases tonight. He had put the discs in one of those CD carriers and left it on a bus. He asked me what he could do about it. So I gave him the same advice I gave here (replace discs and return in cases), I even showed him how to find which branch the CDs belong to and how we mark them. Hopefully that’ll save him over half the bill. Very fortunate on his part that he still had the cases.

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:18:28 +0000

Great topic and great tips! I haven’t lost a library item yet, but sure we will having two little boys who love their books, CDs, and movies from the library. We are trying to go once a week when it works out with our schedule.

By: Stacy

Stacy — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:16:40 +0000

Thanks for the tip. I’ve always wondered why the fee for a lost library book was so high- its been a long time since I paid the cover price for any book (unless it was bought with a gift card).

By: rebmoti

rebmoti — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:50:04 +0000

We 3 little kids we’ve been finding that this happens too often. One complicating factor in our library system is that they require you to buy the same edition as the one you lost – in other words, it can’t be the 2006 edition with this cover, it has to be the 1998 edition with that cover. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but there it is. Fortunately, with the internet it’s fairly easy to find multiple editions of books, and a lot of times the older editions are cheaper!

By: SavingDiva

SavingDiva — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:48:29 +0000

I didn’t realize that you could buy a replacement! I’ve only lost one book…but I doubt it will probably be the end!

By: Crisp Fall and Banging Radiator Roundup

Crisp Fall and Banging Radiator Roundup — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 13:50:48 +0000

[...] Sunday’s Frugal Hacks post is a frugal tip for replacing lost library books. I’m convinced that every serious library patron has lost or will lose at least one item in [...]