Reserve
There are a few various suburbs in Boston we’ve been looking into, and in my normal nerdy way, I was looking up the libraries in those areas to see their collections and circulation policies.
And one of them charges THIRTY cents to reserve an item.
I reserve a lot of books. I currently have 10 items requested from three different libraries.
Strike that suburb right off our list. I cannot live somewhere that charges me to reserve books.
Shut. Up. I agree with you. Much like I could never love a Baywatch fan, I could never let my community library charge me to put books and cds on hold. It’s a crime.
This may be one of my favorite posts from you ever!
Would you believe me if I confess that I’ve been scared of the library ever since we moved here? I don’t know what my problem is but figuring out how to get a card here and find my local branch just stresses me out and I have no idea why. I used to love the library!
Even if you’re living in a suburb outside of Boston, you can still get a Boston Public Library card. And we definitely do not charge for reserves!
It’s true. There are some things that one cannot look past; a reservation fee qualifies. What the heck!
For me, it was the gym. Even if I loved the house, if there was not a fitness center super close… forget about it.
Luckily, I’ll be moving two miles away from a great gym and two blocks away from one of SL best libraries (and maybe they’ll carry my books someday).
I do hope you post pictures of the homes you like.
PS You must’ve posted about your move on my blogging hiatus. I didn’t realize you were moving to Boston. COOOOL!
Bethany
I love that you thought to check this out first! Stuff like that is VERY important!!! I’d also be making sure there was a Target nearby but that shows you my priorities!!
That is ludicrous! Why not just live on “the wrong side of the tracks”!
Way to do your research!
I agree, that seems pretty ridiculous.
I have never heard of charging to reserve a book.
That is just wrong! A library is so great for the fact that you can reserve and check out books for FREE!
The library in Nebraska charged fifty cents for each book you reserved. The nerve.
I am not at all kidding when I say the terrible library in Lincoln was one of the top five reasons we had to move. I felt like I never read anything when I lived there.
On the plus side, it’s made me so incredibly grateful for the good library system we have in Sacramento.
Good call. I put seven books on hold today alone. Can you imagine that cost that sort of library usage would incur over the course of a year?
Ridiculous! Isn’t the great benefit of public libraries that they are free to the public?
Hi…Ashley(your cousin I think) …was one of my BFF’s in high school and still is…I think?? But I found your blog off of her list and I have looked at it quite often and today is the day I decided to tell you that I like you:) So… happy I like you day!
And Boston is one of my all-time favorite cities…actually it is my #1 big city that I have visited…I still haven’t been to NYC so I am not sure if that would outrank it…but I am a tinsy bit envious you get to move to Boston…I just think it is a fantastic city with so much to offer…love it!…except for that whole charging 30 cents business…what the?
Anyhow…I think I have said far too much for a stalker…so I will now return to the shadows…but thanks for the great posts!
You are kidding! (No, I know you aren’t.) We have a problem in parts of Idaho where the libraries are city-funded. If you live outside the city limits you pay annually for your library card. (Several years ago it was $20.00 for an individual. I haven’t asked lately what the fee is.) And, they wonder why so few people patronize the library. Way to think to ask about the policies of the libraries!
ridiculous! i support your decision to not patronize that. it’s not particularly user-friendly or user-focused to charge people for a service like that. i wonder if it has to do with tightening budgets? alas, there are better ways to handle such issues.
also, i’d totally check that out before moving, as well.
What! What district is it in? I’m part of the Minuteman Library System and they definitely do not charge you.
That’s just weird! I can’t imagine why they’d charge to put an item on hold, other than because they need an increase in revenue. Or to discourage people from, you know, USING the library. WEIRD!
We have city-funded libraries where I live in Utah and so we, too, have to charge if you don’t live in the city the library’s in. This makes lots of people very ANGRY, but it’s a charge I understand (unlike the charge for holding a book…I’m still shaking my head at that one!)
What the? Who charges to RESERVE a book? What if you changed your mind? Do you have to pay to check the book out? Dumb library, they just lost a good patron 🙁
My sister’s library does this. I think they charge around 50 cents to reserve a book. This on top of the fact that they have a crappy library so if you want to read anything decent you HAVE to reserve a book.
I think I would DIE if I had to pay to reserve a book. Again, I live in podunk USA and so my local library has NOTHING. The only way I can read anything I want is to request and reserve it from other libraries in the state.
What is the world coming to?
I always check out the library system before we move. I like to know what I’m getting in to. I cannot imagine having to pay to reserve books!
Maybe there’s a group of people (let’s say the local library director, gym owner, and police chief) in that neighborhood trying to keep people from flooding the place. The librarian charges outrageous reserve fees, the gym owner charges customers by the time they spend looking at themselves in the mirror, and the police chief doesn’t share his donuts. I don’t want to fight them on this. Let’s avoid that suburb.
I went to the library here in Oregon last night for a book on puppy training and EVERY SINGLE BOOK was lost. Then the same for dogs. (And it was a large section, lots of dogs where I live). I’d hate to pay 30 cents but at this point I’d pay just to have a book be available! Return books people.
I like you a little bit more than I did before reading this post 🙂
That is crazy! I have never heard such a thing! I would strike that one off the list too. We are moving too and am depressed at leaving our wonderful library. I already have all the libraries on a Google map of our new city. I haven’t even thought to check the circulation polices. Heaven help us if they charge!
Wow, you and all your friends who reserve books. Never done that… My lovely city doesn’t have a library and the next closest charges $85/year. We haven’t been to the library in awhile.
Holy twenty-fifth comment. You’re getting to be quite the popular one, aren’t you?
The Dunedin library had a charge of $1.00 to put a hold on a book. This is why the only book I ever put on hold was The Book Thief. Well worth it.
What!? Ridiculous!
Did I totally miss a post or something? Are you planning on moving? Dang, must come stalk you in Austin before you leave.
WHAT! It costs $ to reserve books?! I would be broke! (Or never reserve anything) I usually have 15 books (the max allowed) on reserve at all times!
@Megan: Who needs 15 books on reserve? That means 15 people can't renew their books!
@all: I wish people would think before complaining. Most libraries I know charge for reserves to stop patrons like Megan from reserving too many books. Every reserve means work/time for the staff! Some patrons reserve books they don't even need, just in case. Want a certain book? All 10 copies are out on loan? Reserves are free, brilliant! Let's reserve all 10 copies and see which one is returned first. Don't care if 10 patrons can't renew their loans. That's one of the reasons libraries usually charge a small fee for reserves but not for requests.