Reckoning
At my undergraduate university, you can renew library books indefinitely, so I never returned my library books unless they were recalled. When I graduated, I hauled four years worth of books back to the library.
Unfortunately, two books never made it back, and I have been "renewing" them online for the past three years. I have no idea what happened to them -- in fact I suspect I really did return them, and the library lost them... but it's not like I paid attention when I heaved a couple hundred books into the receptacle.
My plan was to keep fake-renewing the books until I graduated and got a real job, and that plan would have worked if I had gone for a 3 year law degree. But I'm still in school, and this week, one of the books was recalled. So I am going to have to own up to (possibly) losing it. I should probably just pay for both of them, but it will be a few hundred dollars since the other book is out of print
(all because SOME SELFISH OVER-PRIVILEGED UNDERGRAD who SHOULD BE STUDYING just had to have this stupid chick lit novel that probably costs twelve fucking dollars on Amazon)
but at least I won't have to go online and renew them anymore... that was getting annoying.... fuck.
Unfortunately, two books never made it back, and I have been "renewing" them online for the past three years. I have no idea what happened to them -- in fact I suspect I really did return them, and the library lost them... but it's not like I paid attention when I heaved a couple hundred books into the receptacle.
My plan was to keep fake-renewing the books until I graduated and got a real job, and that plan would have worked if I had gone for a 3 year law degree. But I'm still in school, and this week, one of the books was recalled. So I am going to have to own up to (possibly) losing it. I should probably just pay for both of them, but it will be a few hundred dollars since the other book is out of print
(all because SOME SELFISH OVER-PRIVILEGED UNDERGRAD who SHOULD BE STUDYING just had to have this stupid chick lit novel that probably costs twelve fucking dollars on Amazon)
but at least I won't have to go online and renew them anymore... that was getting annoying.... fuck.
-- Di Di at
11:04 PM
9 Comments:
OMG i am the king of not returning books to our undergraduate university... i owed them several hundred dollars because this big stack that I left in my apartment and asked my friends to return mysteriously disappeared... i ignored the bills for months until they actually garnished my state income tax refund! I finally paid them when they threatened to sic the bill collectors on me.
So, long story short-- i feel your pain!
By
Elliot H., at 8/21/09, 12:39 AM
Wow, I think that's the final push I needed to actually deal with this.
And actually, one of the books was last seen at your old apartment. If I left it anywhere, I left it there. So they might be in the same trash dump somewhere.
By
Di Di, at 8/21/09, 1:00 AM
started to rant (I'm a circulation supervisor who also deals with lost and missing books) but I am too pissed.
get your @ss in gear and deal. Renewing books forever because you are too lazy to deal and then losing them is rude. you are NOT entitled
By
kittent, at 8/21/09, 8:45 AM
Now I'm even more excited to call the library. I hope the person at the circulation desk is as nice as you!
By
Di Di, at 8/21/09, 10:05 AM
Be sure to ask them to do a shelf check first -- I've found at least two books on the shelves that the library said I hadn't returned over the years. It's probably a long shot, but nevertheless.
prof c
By
Anonymous, at 8/21/09, 11:47 AM
Also, did you think of trying to possibly buy a used copy of the book over the internet (bookpool, amazon, ebay) and bringing that back as say - a peace offering? Might not get charged and might get out spending only a few dollars. And "donating" a book at the same time!
By
Anonymous, at 8/22/09, 4:57 PM
Oooo, M-joy and Anon are brilliant. Kittent my dear, this is why these sorts of things happen to begin with. You catch more flies with honey...
By
Mamabeek, at 8/22/09, 9:45 PM
I can't believe your undergrad let you graduate w/ books checked out of the library. My undergrad would hold on to your degree until all debts were settled. I never had this problem but heard about it from others who were on the verge of having their degree held hostage.
By
Psych Post Doc, at 8/22/09, 9:45 PM
Di Di -
This is a great teachable moment. You said, "Now I'm even more excited to call the library. I hope the person at the circulation desk is as nice as you!"
You obviously aren't as cursed with verbosity as I am, but if you were, perhaps you would have said something like "you ought to pay attention to how people will respond to the way that you present yourself." Then maybe you would have pointed out that even though kittent is perfectly correct (which she is, by the way), she and her entire industry should be treated with disrespect and abuse because she couldn't be bothered to put on a public persona that pushes the right buttons in you. You might even say that she should go out of her way to affect her public persona so that she won't possibly offend any delinquent borrowers, or she'll deserve the inconsiderate treatment she receives?
Ringing any bells?
But man, I just don't have the self control to leave it at the analogy. Are you, a confessed avid user of the library, really chastising a circulation supervisor?! Seriously, do you know what side your bread is buttered on? All kittent is trying to do is to make sure that when the next generation of freshmen come in (think of them as Di Di Junior), they will benefit from the same vast collection of books that you have enjoyed.
Hey but the girl in the photo on top of your blog, she does look kind of self-obsessed. She looks like the kind of person who doesn't care about anyone but herself and figures that everything that goes bad in the universe is someone else's fault, and people ought to bend over backwards to kiss her ass at all times even if she's denigrating their entire profession.
Sure it's not a photo of you?
- Greg
By
greg alexander, at 8/23/09, 7:25 PM
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