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Outraged at Objectionable Treatment of Books
On Monday last week we received seven inches of snow and ice here in South Carolina. I remembered sometime on Monday afternoon that we had library books that were due. Since I would be unable to return them on time, I got on the library website and renewed them online.
On Wednesday afternoon JDaniel and I headed to the library after been iced and snowed in at home for a few days. The library website didn’t mention it still being closed so I assumed it would be open. JDaniel wanted new books and Might Machine videos. I wanted to get out of the house.
When we got to the library, it was closed. I looked over at the bag beside me bulging with books and Mighty Machines videos and thought I would try to place them in the book and video drops. We would just come back later to select new materials. I pulled the car up to the curb in front of the library and got out to drop the books off leaving JDaniel in the warmth of the car.
I quickly made my way to the book drop and found the drop was overflowing with books. Not only was the book drop full to the point of having books sticking out of it, but there was a pile of books left under the drop.
I was shocked who would leave books out in 38-degree wintery weather. Granted they were piled under an extended overhang, but they were still left outside. I couldn’t believe it.
When I got back in the car with my bulging bag of books, JDaniel wanted to know why I hadn’t dropped them in the slot. I told him that the drop was full and we had to bring the books home and keep them warm.
I was outraged when I got home and wished I had taken a picture of this horrendous sight. I ended up talking to my husband when he got home about this outrageous sight. Later I talked with my friend Bridgette and my sister Michelle about it. No one could understand why people hadn’t just taken the books home with them and renewed them online if necessary.
The next morning we headed back to the library to drop off the books before meeting friends for a play date. I thought maybe someone would have stopped by the library and brought the books in and the slot would be empty. No, the library was still closed and the book pile under the drop had now become piles of books. It was amazing to see that other people had chosen to leave books outside.
This time I remembered to take a picture to show you.
Can you believe that people would do this?
Why do you think they didn’t bring them home?
The library opened later that day and the books were brought in! I didn’t go back and check later in the day. I found out from a librarian when we went back to the library at the end of the week. She couldn’t believe people had done it either.
Afterthought: What would have happened if someone took these books? Would the patrons have to pay from not returning them.
I’m glad they survived the night! That’s crazy!
I’m as shocked as you are that people would just leave books outside like that….wow! Glad the story has a happy ending & the books were ok!
I’m surprised they weren’t concerned the books would be stolen. Sheesh!
I am such a book lover that it’s hard for me to wrap my mind around this picture. I wouldn’t leave my books or anyone else’s in a car overnight, let alone leave them outside in cold weather! Poor books!
WOW that’s crazy! It’s really not that hard to just take the books back home! Poor library staff!
I wouldn’t do that. I’d be afraid that the books would get stolen out there and I’d be charged to replace them!
I agree my thrifty side wouldn’t allow the risk of them being stolen and my having to foot the bill! But beyond that, what an abuse of library services :o( Those are probably the same folks that complain that the books aren’t in like new condition!
If nothing else, I’d be worried a book I took out, got stolen and then I’d be charged to replace it!
Oh wow! No way would I have dropped off my books like that!
Oh my goodness! I cannot believe that! I grew up on the theory that you did not push the book all the way to the back of the shelf to allow the book room to “breathe”. So, I can really not imagine just dumping books outside. I would worry that mine would come up missing! Kerri
I would never had left my books there! I love how you told JDaniel that you had to take the books home to keep them warm. 🙂 Books are people, too!
I’m surprised they weren’t worried about being stolen too! Talk about late fees!
I would never have done that. Ever! Even if my books would have been overdue, I would have brought them home. I’m quite sure the library would have ignored fines under those circumstances anyhow. People are so lazy as to not be willing to come back again later. I would be sending those patrons a letter if I were the library.
Crazy! and total disregard & plain politeness for something they “borrowed” in the 1st place! if they disappeared I would think the library could still assume they were not returned & fine the people, and I would! just plain lazyness to come back another time.
I think the library should fine everyobne op left their books lying there. Would serve them right.
Wow! That’s crazy! I pity the poor Library staff.
XOXO LOla:)
Some people don’t realize what a treasure the library is. That makes me sad.
That is unbelieveable. There is no way I would ever treat a book like that – or anything that I had been allowed to borrow. Show some respect! You need to share your pictures with the library board and the friends group so everyone sees the reality. If the library was closed they should have had someone come in and clear the drop off chute, or made arangements to extend due dates. But COMMON SENSE people!
There is so much wrong with this. And those would be the same people who will complain about cutbacks in services. They feel entitled. As if this was an inconvenience to them.
Unbelievable. Our library does not have much variety in our little town, I cannot imagine treating a book this way.
Such a shame! I love libraries, they have such a calm, peaceful feel to them:@)
Books are such a treasure..it’s amazing to me that people would show such disrespect…
I agree with that last comment… books are such a treasure. They open up worlds, change lives, teach, expand imagination… I could go on and on.
People have such disregard for things that aren’t theirs. I’m always amazed at how cavalier people are with merchandise in stores…
I honestly can’t believe that either. And I was thinking to myself the whole time I was reading your post, “how could someone not care if they were stolen?” Even if there was a closed off bin to put them in outside of the drop box, there is no way I would have put the books in it. Maybe others are just far more optimistic than me.
I just got on blogger and seen your comment. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. It means a lot to me. I had to take a hiatus due to some serious sickness and horrendous weather but I hope to jump back in. And Im happy that your comment led me to discover your blog. I can’t wait to start reading!
We were snowed and iced in as well. We got 8 inches where I am in Alabama, which was.. quite different. The past several years we’ve had maybe one small snow each winter. I’m ready for it to stay away. The novelty has worn off.
That is odd that people just left the books outside. I hope they were assessed for damage when the librarians checked them in? I’m also surprised nothing was stolen!
~Amanda
That is just crazy!!!
This is unbelieveable but the pics show that some people don’t respect books. I am picky to whom I even let borrow my books. It’s crazy and the library personal should ck each book and fine all that were left outside the boxes.
misskallie2000
I would have never left my books because I wouldn’t want to pay for them! Wow, I guess some people are just trusting. Joni
Crazy!
Yikes! Maybe they didn’t know that you could renew them online…
That was my first thought that someone would steal them and then the person that dropped them off would be responsible. How sad? I would of taken them home too. Crazy! We have a grocery store who also has a drop for us…makes it so much nicer just in case we can’t make it back down to the library!
I am surprised that there isn’t a sign that tells you not to leave books there if the book drop is full! That is outrageous!
Or even a sign saying you can renew them online. I didn’t know you could do that. But I don’t think it would break the bank if I had to pay $1 in late fees!
rOh I feel sad for those books. I would neve do that. 🙁
Truthfully, it’s the moron that shoved the last book, albeit barely, into the shoot that blows my mind! Following from Thursday Friend Cafe- hope to see you by my place soon!
Oh, this makes me grit my teeth! Fool people. Don’t they know that there is someone’s life in those books…in one way or another, no matter what the book is about, there is someone’s life there.
Shame on them.
No Respect for the book! That makes me angry and I am not even there!
It surprises me that the books are still there ! and that nobody has stolen them. I think that would have happened here.
Craziness! I too am surprised they weren’t taken.
I am glad they weren’t stolen, too. People can be so lazy sometimes! I would never leave a book out in the weather. What were they thinking??
That puzzled me as well why people would leave the books out like that. Good thing no one took the books, or the patrons would be penalized, I think!
Can’t understand it, either. People are just in such a hurry that they don’t care, I guess.
Sad.
“/
Thoughtless lazy people leaving the books outside in the weather. They probably do not want to be bothered.
But also the library should have known this would happen and had someone check and bring in. They must or should have a custodian that works after hours.
Or should at least leave a note informing to not leave books outside.
I would have that more about someone stealing them then the cold. It is odd that a custodian didn’t bring them in.
I would have taken them home for sure, and probably called the library to see if there was an emergency line to leave that information on.
I suspect the first person to leave the books out had the biggest dilemma and then others just followed along.
What a thought provoking post on our little journey through Alphabe-Thursday’s letter “O”.
A+
Oh my goodness I can’t believe that anyone would treat books like that. When I first saw your picture I only saw the books bulging out of the book return, then as I scrolled I saw the whole picture. WOW…I was wondering the same thing about what would have happened if someone took them or they were damaged. What a shame it would have been to loose all of those books!
It would annoy me too. I am a bibliophile, but not all people have the respect for books that they deserve.
Yes, I can believe selfish people would leave their books out in the element. As far as they’re concerned, their responsibility to the library ends with getting the books back on time. Their line of reasoning is that it’s not their fault that the library was closed. These are the same people who I believe would allow their kids to run crazily and loudly through the library.
I wouldn’t be surprised, too, if this was the nth time it has happened at your library or at other libraries. Even, if not, librarians need to come up with a procedure to handle overflow books during those long closed weekends.
I’m quite appalled by the site of that too! Wow! I think it’s incredibly selfish of the patrons to just leave books out in the cold weather like that. They probably didn’t care about what happens to the books because it’s not *theirs*. That and they probably just left them there because they were too lazy to come back another day to drop it off.
I can’t believe these people have no respect for books. They should be penalized for not taking better care of the books they check out. They need to put something in the borrower’s agreement that states that books should not be left outside.
This is terribly upsetting. How about sending that photo to the local newspaper so they can do a “shame on you” article. For it is truly shameful.
No, this is not the first time that this has happened at this library. Unfortunately.
However, to those of you who think that the library has some responsibility here, think of this: we were all snowed in, and the roads down here were pretty bad. That’s why the library was closed. Which is why the library didn’t arrange for someone to come and take care of of the books left in the book drop.
The reason there’s not a sign…well, I suppose it’s one of those things that you would hope would be common sense. Maybe it’s something the library needs to think about, now that people have shown their stupidity.
And for the record, the library did extend the due dates so that no one was charged for books due during the closing date. If people had been patient, they would have found the library very agreeable.
Communities are so blessed to have a good library, we have a tiny library and even though there is not much selection I am grateful that they have what they have a what a great “FREE” resource that is. We should never abuse this fantastic gift.
that is HORRIBLE!!!!
Why would someone do that?
Do they not realize that damages the books?
thus meaning less books for everyone to enjoy?