r/Libraries • u/MrMessofGA • Nov 17 '23
"I need to renew my library card."
"Sure! Do you have your card on you?"
"Why the hell would I have a library card?"
"... Okay. With a photo ID, I can look you up in the system... You don't appear to be in our system. Has it been longer than two years since you've used it?"
"No! I used it last week. The man I talked to last week found me right away. Why can't you?"
"At this library?"
"I live in Florida! Why would I have ever been in this library?"
"Okay,
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u/SpiritSongtress Nov 17 '23
I love the idea of statewide/nation wide libraries.. Can you image the joy.
The national library would be awesome.
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u/MrMessofGA Nov 18 '23
My state does have a state-wide system, but I'm in one of the municipal systems so it doesn't work here. I get a lil sad every time I have to tell someone, "sorry, a georgia card doesn't work here. Yes, we are in georgia, but we're not a georgia library."
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u/DisplacedNY Nov 19 '23
Actual call we got at a Minnesota library: "Hi, I returned my book the other day and I'm wondering why it's not off my record yet." "Okay, what branch did you turn in it to?" "I don't remember the name, I'm on vacation in Wisconsin, I returned it to the branch here."
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u/MrMessofGA Nov 19 '23
In a library near Atlanta, we once got a book from San Fransisco Public Library! We eventually mailed it, but for the two months we had it, no one ever called to ask if we still had the book.
We've had tons of people turn our books into the local school and vice versa. A lot of moms screaming that we should pay their little angel's school late fees because they turned it in to us on time (they did not) (we cannot) (we would not)
I imagine that happens at every public library within walking distance of schools, though
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u/princess-smartypants Nov 17 '23
This is right up there with the folks who don't understand that they aren't entitled to library cards everywhere, for free. So you live here? No. Do you work here? No. Do you own a home here? No. Do you go to school here? No. But I want a card. Your state's library's resources are better than mine. Ok, but keep telling me about how awful Socialism is.
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u/BuddhistNudist987 Nov 17 '23
But it's only Socialism when it benefits other people because other people are lazy and entitled and want handouts! I'm a real, red-blooded American and I deserve a piece of the pie! /s
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u/Baba-land Nov 17 '23
I grew up going to the library weekly. Now that I’m old I absolutely love that I can get ebooks and especially audiobooks from my local library. I go through 3-4 books a week. I was happy to learn I could get a library card with library in near suburb. I did have to drive there to get a card, not far. Then I learned a library 30 miles away also would let me get a card. Unfortunately, their card would only allow me to check out books in person. I just thought oh well, you’re no fun.
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u/Umbr33on Nov 17 '23
This reminds me of a circulation story we have. A woman came upstairs, and tried to walk out the main door with her 4 kids, and an absolute stroller full of books. She had definitely hit the max check out limit, and was peeved, when staff directed her to the Circ Desk. She starts with: ‘I don’t know why all these didn’t check out!, they all beeped when I scanned them with the app!!!’ Circ staff stared at each other, then gently explained, they don’t have a check out by app system, we have the desks, (which she was at) or the self-check kiosk. She got furious and stated she didn’t understand why her INDIANAPOLIS library card, didn’t work, in the Ga Library. She ended up leaving everything at the desk, when she realized, (after so much explanation), that she couldn’t get a library card, since she wasn’t a resident.
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u/appleboat26 Nov 17 '23
Lol. I once had a person transferred to me who was soooo mad because the service desk couldn’t find her account and she wanted to renew her books. She was ranting and raving and going on and on about how annoying and inept we were and how busy she was and blah blah blah. It was her accent ( dialect) that tipped me off. She lived in a city with the same name in another state and called our library, 500 miles away, by mistake. When I asked her what state she lived in, she immediately went off again … and then the light bulb went on. She hung up. People. I have been retired for 10 years and still avoid them, if possible.
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u/dragonmother99 Nov 17 '23
We get an awful lot of people arriving at our library expecting to use a neighbouring authority's library card. But probably the most egregious situation I had was one where a customer stormed up to the desk and demanded to know why her child had overdue charges on their account.
'But the library in (nearby town, different authority, so different library system entirely) doesn't charge children!'
'Yes, but that's another authority. They're nothing to do with us.'
'But why? They're close by!'
'...Yes. But they're considered to be in a different county, so they're run by a different authority, which has different rules to us.'
She demanded that I remove the charges because the other library didn't apply overdue charges to children's accounts and she didn't think it was fair that we did. Eventually a manager got involved and told her the same thing that I had. She left after screeching that she was never using our library again and it was especially disgusting because she paid her council tax and, therefore, our wages - but the hilarious thing is that she actually lived in the neighbouring authority, so her council tax didn't even go to us. Lol
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u/brande1281 Nov 17 '23
In my state we have a library system that borders our county. There's also the large "Metro" system close. So plenty of people come in and ask if we're part of either of them. Most of them are very chill when we explain that you're not part of the system but we can do a lot for then as a non card holder and hey if you've got the right info we can get you a card today. But at least once a year somebody comes in and insists that because they have a card with the pioneer system they're going to check out this book.
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u/asskickinlibrarian Nov 17 '23
Some lady called me from Florida wanting to use our online resources and wanted a virtual card from us, a library in New York. I had to explain that’s not how any of this works.
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u/ScienceWorksPeaceOut Nov 17 '23
There are some libraries that offer online only regardless of residency. I’m in IL and I have 2 online library memberships in other states. I used to have one to the Brooklyn Public Library, but they stopped offering it. Such a shame too because their resources were outstanding.
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u/LissaBryan Nov 17 '23
I work at a place that has an archive library. There's a $2 charge to use it, and of course, you have to use the materials in-house under supervision.
A woman came in and tried to insist her public library card gave her access. "It's called [name] LIBRARY, isn't it?" she kept saying. She refused to pay the two dollars and insisted she be allowed to take any materials she wanted with her. She left in an outraged huff.
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u/startokki Nov 17 '23
I'm in Texas and where I am none of our libraries are connected to each other so it's usually people that are moving from other states to Texas that are confused when we say that a card from another library will not work for our branch. Some get mad and say it's ridiculous but sorry not every state is the same. It's just something you have to get used to moving to a new state because there are different rules.
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u/thedeadp0ets Nov 17 '23
Wow, why would a local library have your information to renew a library card? People are so dumb
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u/DevotedSparrow Nov 17 '23
My town (with 2 libraries) borders another (with 6- big metro city) and is on a major bus line, so lots of people from Big Metro City come over to use services and get a card at ours.
Most cite convenience, and while they can still use the majority of services, they get incensed at the fact that they have to get a card at their home library (in the city they live in...and are driving back to/bussing back to today) and then come back any time to check out books.
It can be annoying, I get it, but Big Metro City lets you register for a card online, has lockers to pick books up/return them and a whole bunch of things our tiny branch couldn't dream of.
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u/blipblewp Nov 17 '23
I work at an academic/public library that isn't part of our county library system. I explain that we're "adjacent" to the county and our patrons can get their cards, their patrons can get our cards, and with both cards, you get a ton more access to library stuff.
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u/Jgorkisch Nov 17 '23
Personally, I can understand why this is frustrating and also why people believe libraries are interconnected.
As someone just learning this, for me I’d chalk it down to a couple things:
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government entity. The police sure don’t have trouble looking people up. (Not saying this is right but I think this is why people assume)
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interlibrary loans are a known thing. I feel this also contributes to the assumption of inter connectivity.
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u/spiced--coffee Nov 17 '23
The amount of people who think that all libraries are connected somehow and they don’t need more than one library card (for the most part) is insane. I dealt with this stuff quite often working at circulation.