I ask this because here at work a few minutes ago I got a call from a woman requesting a video, and when i told her that our branch didn't carry it, but I could have it shipped in from a bigger branch, she asked me how much it would cost. Then she was dumbfounded at the fact that it doesn't cost anything to use our services here. This got me to wondering: Do some libraries actually charge for simple stuff like that, or are a lot of people just unaware of what a public lending library is (and/or have never been in one?)
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Do libraries in your area charge for their services?
- Thread starter belgurdo
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lo escondido
Apartheid is, in fact, not institutional racism
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Mama Smurf
My penis is still intact.
DVDs and stuff are charged for round here I believe.
Libraries are just like greatest things ever. It's sad how many people don't take advantage of them. People would be in complete shock if they did the same thing with games, a whole building full of games you can take home for free for a couple weeks, but, perhaps because of the familiarity of it, few people seem to appreciate libraries.
Libraries are just like greatest things ever. It's sad how many people don't take advantage of them. People would be in complete shock if they did the same thing with games, a whole building full of games you can take home for free for a couple weeks, but, perhaps because of the familiarity of it, few people seem to appreciate libraries.
goodcow said:
yeah. A good 90% of books I want are all either categorized as "missing" or "lost". I find it more convenient and easier to just buy books instead. I still support libraries though, because not everyone can do that, and it is a great resource for people without the means to buy books when they want to.
mrkapawutzis
Member
Belgurdo, are you a librarian or do you just work in a library (it sounds like a redundant question but it isn't)?
mrkapawutzis said:
I'm a "page," which basically means I'm the library's stocker. Shelve books, assist people with looking for stuff, help folks with the internet, etc. I tried getting a promotion to a clerk (which is like a librarian but without the college degree and lower pay) but this "field" really favors women for some reason so I doubt I'm going anywhere for a while. I'm here until I get my degree then I'm probably going to leave the state
MaverickX9
Member
Mama Smurf said:
The library back home carries Xbox games.
They have a pretty large collection. Nothing new, but they have about 75-100 of them that you can rent.
EDIT - Actually, they have a 160 Xbox games right now.
my library used to carry pc and psone games but not anymore. man, i'd save a bunch of money if libraries carried video games...i'd just renew them for a couple weeks
and my libary branch used to offer services like requesting movies/music cds online and have it delievered to any library, but they had to cut that off cause of the budget crisis. you can still rent them but they're harder to get now since the good movies get checked out almost immediately
oh, forgot to answer the question...no, they do not charge
and my libary branch used to offer services like requesting movies/music cds online and have it delievered to any library, but they had to cut that off cause of the budget crisis. you can still rent them but they're harder to get now since the good movies get checked out almost immediately
oh, forgot to answer the question...no, they do not charge
Comfort_Eagle
Banned
Ive never paid for anything at a library before and the whole thing just sounds odd. DVD's, cd's etc are all free like books, unless you are late in returning of course. I imagine people are just not aware. A few local libraries have a great collection of criterion collection dvd's that i always enjoy checking out.
mrkapawutzis
Member
belgurdo said:
Cool I was just curious because I was planning on pursuing a degree in LS after I graduate.
Wario64 said:
Libraries all over must been feeling the crunch, because we're doing this too. Unfortunately, the shift towards trying to stock more feature films that can't be held on the shelf for people means that people treat our branch like it's blockbuster, and seem to have forgotten basic rules about actually being in a library. No, hambeast woman with 10 kids hanging off her arm, I don't want to hear your phone conversation with your friend about those boils you got lanced last week. :\
And all of the goddamn old people come in at the crack of dawn and take all the first-run stuff too. It sucks when you want obscure stuff, only to never see it on the shelf because someone took it back to another branch
MaverickX9
Member
belgurdo said:And all of the goddamn old people come in at the crack of dawn and take all the first-run stuff too. It sucks when you want obscure stuff, only to never see it on the shelf because someone took it back to another branch
Can't you just request them?
I request about 20 CDs at a time, maybe 5 or so will come in at a time, then I go home and put them on my iPod, return them and wait for the next batch to arrive.
MaverickX9 said:
In summer of last year or abouts, our library system got a new CEO, along with several new policies including not being able to put feature film DVDs on hold/request and only being able to keep them for three days (reduced from three weeks.) :\ Supposedly this officially is a way to increase patron attendance at our branches and to reduce theft and loss, but in reality it's a way to sucker lazy people into forgetting when their movies are due and paying mega fines (forcing people to physically come to branches also gets the deadbeats out to pay up too), since we're having budget problems
Jill Sandwich
the turds of Optimus Prime
The library I work at just got the Harry Potter book in the other day, I'm making up a display for it (protip- Bloomsbury sends out Harry Potter posters free of charge.) We can order media from other libraries and get it sent here, and the other way around. The only charges are for CDs (80p/week) DVDs (£1/week) and audiobooks (40p/ 2 weeks).
Internet use is free of charge and limited to an hour after 4pm, before that you can have it for as long as you like, depending how busy it is. And it gets busy, mostly with the Polish/Czech/Nigerian immigrants who need to call home. Lately though one of our internet users appeared in the local paper for sending bomb threats to local businesses because they wouldn't hire him. Not smart.
Internet use is free of charge and limited to an hour after 4pm, before that you can have it for as long as you like, depending how busy it is. And it gets busy, mostly with the Polish/Czech/Nigerian immigrants who need to call home. Lately though one of our internet users appeared in the local paper for sending bomb threats to local businesses because they wouldn't hire him. Not smart.
Tommie Hu$tle
Member
belgurdo said:
Yeah, where I'm from we call it taxes.
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