Little Sue Riding Hood and The Big Bad Library

I have often thought that when my kids are all in school I would like to do some sort of work to keep me busy. Working in a children's library always has appealed to me. I love kids and children's books. But now I have even more motivation to look at a career in the field of the library, perhaps something like a library director or manager. I mean, I have always liked to organize things and am quite well at multi-tasking, but now I also am determined to see a change in our current library system. If that means I have to rise up to become the decision maker, so be it. I can do it in time.

You see, I think the library is out to get me and I am very annoyed by this threat. Two years ago we were told we had lost a library book. We searched and searched our house, but never found the book. Since it was a children's book we thought perhaps it had gotten lost thanks to one of the kids and so we paid the fine to replace the book. One year later the library found the book on their shelf and very begrudgingly refunded us the cost of the book, but not the $5 processing fee. So we ended up paying $5 for their mistake.

Now we are in a new chapter of library drama. Shortly after Jacob was born I received an email from the library stating one of the books I had checked out was lost. This bothered me since I remember the unusually warm December Sunday afternoon that I had dropped it off, family in tow, on the way to visit Marshall's parents. However, since I had a new baby the lost book wasn't top on my list. A few weeks passed and I went to check out a book, only to find the fine on my card. The very kind library worker, one of the few, told me they were looking into it and let me check out books. Two weeks later I went to check out some more books and was very rudely told it was not allowed. When I tried to explain the situation, I was refused the right to defend myself and treated like a dishonest idiot. Apparently, our library sees it's patrons as liars. Guilty until proven innocent. I left the library very upset. My husband, my tough guy, talked to the library about it all and they were still very rude and unyielding. We had lost the book, despite our claims that we had turned it in, and couldn't use my card until we paid for it. Well since they had previously lost a book and then found it, we said we'd pay for the book, but not the non-refundable processing fee. They refused. So I began to solely use my husband's card. The library said they would put a track on the lost book and know more in six weeks.

Months have passed and now Jacob is four months old. That means this has been going on for four months. On Tuesday I got an email from the library stating that I was going to be charged to replace said lost book due to water damage. I found this very interesting since the library claimed to not have it in their possession. This means the book has turned up and has been damaged by water. Mind you they never contacted me to tell me the book had been checked in. The library probably assumes I dropped it off, damaged, being too embarrassed to return it. But that is not so. I stand by my original claim that I returned it back in December.

So where has the book been all this time? Somehow it got damaged and the library wants me to pay for it. But I refuse because I returned it months ago and they failed to check it in. I need to go talk to them, though I know it will be a waste of time because, like before, they will not listen to me. Their patrons are liars and must be treated with contempt. We have the most obnoxious and unfriendly library policies I have ever seen. Not to mention how unimpressed I have been with our library. In Indiana we had an amazing and most efficiently run library. And it had a wonderful selection for both adults and children. I wish our library was more like that. I bet if they were more kind to their patrons they would get the funding for a better selection.

So that's why I am considering going into the field of library work once my kids are all in school. There needs to be a change in our current system. And since it is a public library, there really aren't any form of checks and balances. How does one fight against this injustice? It's mind numbing. I refuse to pay for a book I didn't damage. I'm not paying for their mistake just because they are the big bad library and I am one lowly patron. They are in the wrong and their antagonistic attitude has to change. One day I'll get my revenge. One day I'll make sure the changes are made. Until then, I'll just keep using my husband's card.