There are times when I think the library system here is actively trying to discourage readers from using it. Today I tried to pay an overdue fine on a DVD and renew my books. The rules say that if you have more than $1 overdue on your account that you can’t renew online, you have to go to the branch.
But DVDs cost $2 per day, so the moment that’s overdue you can’t renew anything else.
Annoying, but okay, whatever. So I took it back to the library and discovered that they only take cash. I walked across the street to use the ATM and got out $20 and returned.
They didn’t have change.
Really? I mean, really? Also, they couldn’t renew the other books that were due today because I still had a fine on my card, because they didn’t have change.
One of the librarians took pity on me and made change out of her own wallet, which I appreciate but there’s no way that she should have needed to do that.
Other things that frustrate me.
- I can only put three books on hold at a time. (It used to be 5, but they didn’t have enough staff to keep up.)
- I have to use a paper form to do an interlibrary loan.
- They will only give me one paper form at a time.
- I can only renew items three times.
I’m happy that there’s a library but why does it have to be so hard to use? Please, someone, increase the funding. I love the library but I want it to be functional. Your librarians have to make change out of their own pockets. That’s ridiculous.
That is ridiculous, especially is such a large urban area such as Chicago. I live in St. Catharines, a city with a fraction of the population, and our library system is nowhere near as decrepit.
Wow, I knew that the Portland library was good, but the contrast is striking!
I know. I actually had that conversation with a librarian when I was trying to do an ILL. I expressed my surprise about the paper forms and mentioned Portland. He said, “Oh, we are way, way, way behind Portland.”
You should mention some of these directly to them. May not make a difference, but sometimes uh. Librarians just do not think about things that they really ought to.
I did and the answer was that they don’t have the money to do it any other way.
Oh for goodness sake. This makes me a thousand times grateful for the Ann Arbor library system. They don’t lock down your renews until $10 in fines (which I have to agree is kind of reasonable, though still annoying when it happens), you can renew and request ILL online, you can pay fines over the phone using a credit card, you can renew and request books, and if there’s a cap on how many outstanding requests you can have at once, I haven’t found it. The Chicago library would drive me batshit. By the way, if you have Redbox, it might be cheaper than your cumulative DVD late fees at your library. The selection is not that good, though.
š Yech. On a better note I read Glamour in Glass today and I love it. When Jane confronts Anne-Marie I was reading Jane’s dialog aloud to myself. š
I like this better note very much.
That’s really surprising to me. I’m in Idaho, and I can put a book on hold from the computer from any library in the network (some dozen locations) and they’ll deliver it to my local branch for free — and send me an e-mail when it shows up.
I can put books on hold from the computer at home and they’ll deliver it for free, plus email me. But I can only do that with three at a time. It’s the Interlibrary loans that require the paper form.
Have you been to to the main branch of the CPL? There are giant owls-holding-books gargoyles on the building. I realize that doesn’t improve the level of service, but I like the architecture.
Not yet, but I need to head down there to do some research.
Do you suppose any one could tell you WHY, Chicago is way way behind Portland?
Besides being major frustrating, it is curious! Call the mayor (you know who) and complain.
Funding cuts, apparently.
At the least they still open. Where I live they closed 3. But service is much better now and you can do a lot online.
True. Small blessings should be appreciated.
Suddenly I feel a lot better about my library’s recently imposed 30 items out/30 items on hold limits. (I blame myself for that one, since I actually dared to discover that the previous cap was 100). You can renew fines with a credit card on the computer, or cash in person, and they do make change for you. Who would have thought that Minneapolis would be more reasonable than Chicago?
The hassle of dealing with fines is actually why one tiny public library where I used to live stopped charging fines… They just refused to do so at their branch… Secondly, someone there (a librarian if not a circulation clerk, depending on their set up) should have been able to waive the fine or at least override to renew – if not their ILS has real problems… (secondly be thankful that public libraries even have ILL anymore…a lot don’t – which is why I am happy to be faculty at an academic library where I can request ILLs all I want! Electronically!))
Wow, if they’re so short, they should take volunteers. Even volunteers from local high schools should make up the difference in being understaffed. That’s just so weird that they’re not more…resourceful with city resources.
That is quite ridiculous for a major metropolitan library — we have a tiny regional library and you can have 30 holds at a time and pay fines with cash, cheques, credit/debit cards, or online banking.(I think they might still only have three renewals — the academic library I work at only recently increased the number of renewals from two to three.)
I work in a public library. Much of your frustration would probably be alleviated if the library system would simply up the fine limit so that patrons had more time to pay a bill before their use of privileges was blocked. That way, even though the library doesnāt take credit cards, most people wouldnāt be kept from checking out because of its inability to make change for larger bills. Our systemās fine limit is $12. We donāt take credit cards either, but on any given day, most people can still renew or check out items even if they canāt pay fines out of pocket.
At my specific branch, we are not supposed to make change for twenty dollar bills or take them for small fine amounts. Doing so on a regular basis really would deplete our cash on hand since we have no system in place to acquire more during the day. It seems unreasonable, I know, especially since ATMs only spit out twenties. I wish we took credit cards. I use them almost exclusively myself, but Iāve been told that credit card service would cost the system money it could better spend in other ways. Unfortunately, the situation can be frustrating, for patrons and for the staff helping them.
Libraries are facing tougher budgets in many areas across the country. A few years ago, our system reduced the number of items a patron could place on hold from unlimited to fifteen due to the time it was taking our diminishing staff to fulfill hold requests. Many patrons were disgruntled, and I canāt imagine where weād be if we cut back to a five item hold limit. (I think a lot of people might stop relying on our library. It would be akin to shooting ourselves in the foot.)
On an aside—I donāt see how paper ILL forms save money. To me, that decision feels more like lazy thinking or straight out cantakerousness.
As far as complaining goes, I doubt talking to the person behind the desk will garner change, even if they listen well. See, I am that person, and I have no access to affect library policy. I pass concerns along to my manager, and she, in turn, passes them higher at regular meetings or immediately if needed. But since the administration rarely faces actual patrons in the flesh, I donāt think it gets how some policies and procedures pan out. Iām not bashing the administration; their job is simply different than mine. Iām pointing to a problem inherent in many large organizations. To give your concerns a chance of lasting weight, Iād write to someone on your library board, if you have one. Iād get to know them. Iād make a reasonable yet heartfelt case to someone outside the library system, per se, but whom the library system holds in high regard.
But I know. Who has the time for that?
Thanks for the suggestion about writing to the Commisioner. I’ll do that.
I’d love to be wrong about this. Can you give me a link to the online form, because according to the website, “Fill out the ILL form available at any Chicago Public Library location.”
Well, I guess that depends on what you mean by ILL. You can get something from another CPL branch online (just look up the book and select “place on hold” in the corner). If you mean from another library system altogether, yeah, you might have to use paper for that. I never did that. Sorry!
ILL means interlibrary loan. I can place books in the CPL system on hold via the computer.
Yeah, sorry. Sometimes I forget that all of Chicago is technically one library. Making you do it on paper is, yes, stupid and unnecessary. (Also in my defense, until about five years ago you needed a paper form to request from another CPL branch.)
The local public library of the last town I lived in charged a dollar to place a hold on an item. Not to ILL, not to check out new high-demand items, but just to place a hold. As a librarian, this makes me so steaming mad…
(Also, I didn’t know CPL took cash only, although it does not surprise me (former chicagoland librarian). And yes, it’s stupid in the age of Square, but they can’t make changes until all of the branches can support those changes, and I’m sure you’re aware of the budgeting issues.)