Comments on: Frugal Tip for Replacing Lost Library Books

By: Neil Mudde

Neil Mudde — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:39:04 +0000

Guess what in all my excitement I forgot to post this good news, a few days later I checked my library account, and lo and behold the book had been returned by some heaven knows but certainly a very kind person, citizen of the City of Toronto, now mind you I would do the same, as you cannot miss the look of a book from the library. My faith in human kind was restored and it only goes to prove that sometimes I worry about things and only see the dark side, never dreaming of this possibility, hopefully some of you will experience the same thing

By: kimc

kimc — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:13:21 +0000

Have you talked to the librarian about it? They once shelved my books without checking them into the system, and if you have a good record they might take you at your word and waive the fees just once.

By: Jane Bartlett

Jane Bartlett — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:42:02 +0000

I had 4 books that I know that I returned to the library and now am being charged for all 4 and my account is blocked. I made a special trip to the library and put them in the return slot. I can’t afford to pay for these books and they are not on the shelf. I know that I returned them. Could it be possible that someone stole them from the library return area? I just don’t know what else to do. Thanks.

By: Neil Mudde

Neil Mudde — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 20:49:17 +0000

Well being an avid reader, this has happened and I have usually paid whatever since I do not want to lose my library privileges, just lost a brand new book on the public transit hoping for a decent soul to return it to the library, barring this will check with library first, to get the ok to replace as I saw a copy on amazon for far less then 1/2 of the price.
Thanks!

By: bonnie

bonnie — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:41:45 +0000

My library, Colorado Springs, will not allow us to replace books ourselves. They say they’re not allowed to accept them. They have certain processes they’re required to follow. So the book I lost recently, which was old and beat up but which costs $7 new on Amazon … will cost me $24 with the library “processing” fees. Seems to me that despite their recently upgraded systems and bar code scanners, they must have extremely inefficient processes. But then I looked around at what some other libraries charge, and $24 is actually reasonable … if ANY of these exorbitant charges can be considered reasonable.

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.