Wherein the impossible is possible

[shankyknitter]

Couldn't she have simply walked on over & looked in the box? Seems so obvious of a thing to do.

It had already been checked into the system by that point so it was no longer in the box. The problem was it was checked in the system on the 25th, and it was due the 19th.

[Eisa]

I just had the nice version of this. I had a book due on Oct. 30th, and I returned it then. I specifically remembered finding it, putting it in a bag, and taking it with me.

Looked up what books are due today and found out that book was marked "overdue." So I searched my room to make sure it hadn't fallen out, and had my mom look in the car to see if it had fallen out there. Then she called the library and asked them to check.

They'd put it back on the shelf without checking it back in. And she apologized. No snark at all.

[Argus]

They'd put it back on the shelf without checking it back in.

I've had that happen two or three times. But since I'm somewhat compulsive about checking my library returns online, none of them had a chance to become overdue.

[greek_jester]

You know, I really miss the library where I used to live.

After a spate of thefts, they stopped having a book-drop outside of opening hours - if you didn't get in to return it & couldn't get online to renew it until you could get in, tough. In the entrance lobby by the security desk, they had 2 self-check machines where you could book your items in or out yourself. You got a receipt, so there was no arguing over whether it had gone in or not, & since the machines were in the entrance lobby next to the security desk with 2 paid security guards, you couldn't sneak anything out (you had to go through anti-theft gates to get in or out). Made life a lot easier for me, particularly since my bus stop was right outside! Many's the time I'd decide not to get on the overcrowded bus right after I left work, then wandered in for the half-hour I had before the next bus to browse for a bit.

[crazyofficeclerk]

I had something like this happen once. I got a notice that I had not returned a book. I knew I had because it was the last book I put in the drop box. I went upstairs and pulled the book off the shelf and took it to the desk. The lady was snotty but did take the fee off. She was just sure that I had brought the book in somehow and was "finding" it so I didn't have to pay the fee.

[Ben_Who]

I read about something similar in an anecdote that appeared in a local paper. The local library had been having a terrible time keeping track of their collection and a lot of people were getting overdue notices for books that were sitting comfortably on their shelves. One such person noted that when he went in to check out another book, he was told that the library didn't have the book he was supposed to have returned a month before.

He said he did. She said he didn't.

He said he did. She showed on the computer where he didn't.

He went upstairs, took the book off the shelf, brought it back, and showed it to her - not only pointing out that he'd taken it off the shelf, but pointing out the card that indicated that it had been checked back in and when.

She looked at him, looked at the book, looked at him - and burst into tears and ran into the back office. A moment later, her supervisor came out and threw him out of the library.

For a while, the library had a hell of a lot of trouble attracting visitors because they had one loose nut there who had no idea how to use their computer system, and a lot of people were getting drubbed with fines for books they'd returned. I don't know if they fixed it. I don't go to the library much myself for that very reason.

Love, Who?