Reclaiming Library fines?!!!

Lou3000

Being a good girl, I try to use my library as often as possible, especially when I want to try out books by authors I haven't read before. I have paid fines in the past, but only a handful of times. Now that I am trying to watch every penny I've been extra careful of going over my book due-back dates... but the past 10 dayve has been so hectic for me that I just never got the time to check the return date (16th April) or even email/phone the library to re-issue the books so I could avoid being fined.

So, I finally had some time to myself this morning and returned the books to the library and discovered that nowadays the library service charges 15p per book per day... not only that, they also charge for Saturdays and Sundays when they are not open to the public! So had to pay for 8 days rather than 6 days @ 15p per book for 3 books.

Why should they charge for days where it would be impossible to take books back?
Surely that's not right?!!:mad:

embarrassed_about_my_debt

most have letter boxes that they can be put through instead, so i would guess they will say they could have been returned

fiscalfreckles

Our library has an on line service where you can renew books 24/7, so I suppose that's why.

Also, you can take a book back to any library run by the council (ie not necessarily the one you got it from) so even though your local one may be closed, there might be another one open in the area. Ours does open Saturday mornings, and is closed Sunday, but the one in town opens for half of Sunday.

Lou3000

What I'm cross about is them charging fines for the days the library is shut. They don't have letterboxes (it's in the main council office building) so I couldn't have popped them through over the weekend (I work at the weekend too, so definitely couldn't!) My point is that, yes charge fine for the days I have the books, but why charge for the days I couldn't have returned them?

Put it this way: The books could have been taken back Wed, Thur or Fri. They weren't - my fault, hold my hands up. The next available day I could have taken them back was Monday. It doesn't matter that I didn't, but if I had taken them back on the Monday I'd have still been charged for the Sat and Sunday even though they were shut. And another thing, what if I had no email access? I certainly wasn't able to phone them to renew them (as I've done in the past) during their opening hours because I was at work.

Hmm. Must be just me thinking it's just not right!

juno

embarrassed_about_my_debt wrote: »

most have letter boxes that they can be put through instead, so i would guess they will say they could have been returned

But then at our library they count it as when they're next open. So if you return a book Friday after they've closed it still counts as Monday.

floss2

The library couldn't loan those books out for that weekend because you still had them and you had not been able to return them / email or phone to renew.

I don't think you have a leg to stand on really - the books were due back on a certain date - they weren't renewed or returned, so there were fines due. Thats life I'm afraid.

I have fallen into the same trap of not being able to renew, so having to pay fines - it is more embarassing for me as my parents both used to be county librarians and would always find out when I had overdue books, so I didn't just get fined, I got earache from mum too!

BTW fiscalfreckles, some of our local libraries are open on Sundays too.

pandapaws

I agree with the OP, it's a joke. The same old usual rip-off Britain! Ok, it's only 15p so not worth having a coronary about, but it's the principle. They know that most people won't bother to complain about such small amounts, so they'll get away with it.

Sadly, if you do complain about it, apart from probably not getting anywhere because half the people you deal with will be too incompetent or lack the intelligence to understand what you're saying, it's your own Council Tax money that's getting used while your complaint is being dealt with. Lose money directly or lose money indirectly, your choice!

(Not that I'm bitter about the cost and standard of local services!)

Yorkielass

I've become a big fan of my local library over the past year and regularly get books out. We're very lucky as it's open until 7.30 2 nights a week and 10-4 on Sundays but I also have an online pin code so I can renew books online - great for when you can't get into town etc.
The University I did my degree at used to charge 75p an hour :eek: if you had a key loan book out for longer than the 4 hours you were allowed (and I think it was 20p a day for normal books) so I got good at remembering to take books back I guess.

See if you can get a pin code to do it online and when you get books out set a reminder in outlook/on your phone a couple of days before to remind you to take them back/get them renewed.

rayday2

I don't see a problem with Library fines.

We used to spend over £5 a week on paperbacks for hubby to read at work and it has saved us probably hundreds of pounds. You have three weeks to get in your mind the date they need returning thats plenty of warning and the fees are hardly extortinate.

mitty_2

pandapaws wrote: »

I agree with the OP, it's a joke. The same old usual rip-off Britain! Ok, it's only 15p so not worth having a coronary about, but it's the principle. They know that most people won't bother to complain about such small amounts, so they'll get away with it.

Sadly, if you do complain about it, apart from probably not getting anywhere because half the people you deal with will be too incompetent or lack the intelligence to understand what you're saying, it's your own Council Tax money that's getting used while your complaint is being dealt with. Lose money directly or lose money indirectly, your choice!

(Not that I'm bitter about the cost and standard of local services!)

I disagree - that's not an example of a rip off, the library allows us to rent books for nothing and just ask us to return them when we said we would so that other people can enjoy the books on offer - returning a book on time is not a lot to ask and if you cant - just pay a small fine, it's no big deal.
Understand your frustration, but I dont blame the library...sorry

pandapaws

No, if I'm honest I don't blame the library either...it's the local councils and their constant wasting of money that gets on my wick, this post just struck a chord! The libraries themselves do a great job on limited resources.

But if they don't let you return books on a certain day, it's a bit unfair to charge you for not doing so! I'm certain that policy has nothing to do with the good people who work in the library and everything to do with someone in an office getting paid loads of taxpayers money to find ways of improving efficiency! As I said, I'm not bitter about the amount we pay in council tax for our fortnightly bin collection:rotfl: