About a month ago, my daughter left this library book where our puppy could get it, and that he did. He chewed a corner of the book right off. Unfortunately, this is a big, expensive book ($35). I did a little looking around and found the book on line for under $10. Instead of just going in the library and explaining what happened, I decided to call and inquire anonomously. Well, they told me that they will not allow this to be done (we replace) and it would have to be approved by the Board! I'm speechless.

I guess I would like to know if anyone else has replaced a book.

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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

my son lost a book. We had the option to pay to replace or let them replace and we pay them. Sadly, I tried to replace myself but I could only find the book in soft cover and it was hard cover. Come to find out, I guess only libraries can order the hard cover So, I had to pay the replacement cost.

There is no way we could replace a book without them knowing. Every library book I have seen has the school name stamped inside and catagory numbers on it. If your school doesn't allow you to replace, I don't know that you can fight it. I was told that even if I replaced, it would have to be approved because the replacement needs to be exactly what was damaged and sometimes non-school versions vary

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

Yes, this happened once... similar situation.

Our school librarian told me that the books that the library has are specially bound (for strength) and as smurf said, sometimes the version can vary slightly as well.

My son learned his lesson after he had to pay out of his own money for the book. No lost books since.

Hard lesson for me and for him.

I had a similar incident with a puppy and the case of an audio cassette. This was years ago and I don't remember exactly how much I was charged to replace but do remember how stunned I was at the cost to replace what is essentially an item that could be bought for way less then a dollar. Wondering whether libraries get big discounts from book sellers and other suppliers and part of the agreement is that they must purchase through them.

I made my son pay for the book as well (about $18)...just as Cuthie did. He's been MUCH better with books now

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

our situation was a little different...we had put a video on top of the car and drove off....the case broke into pieces but thankfully the video and the paper cover insert were untouched. we went back to pay for a replacement case and they told us it was $10 !!!! So we said no thanks and drove everywhere looking for a similar case. No such luck. On the way back to the library, we stopped at the fire hall where the same library was having a book sale and bought a video they were selling with the case for $1!!!! exchanged videos and covers and returned it no problem!

Same situation here, except we ended up finding the one we lost and it wasn't an issue in the end.

Our school librarian told us what others here have said. Libraries order specially-bound-for-repeated-use versions that aren't like the ones you buy elsewhere. She said they are twice the price but last just about for forever, whereas if it's an especially popular book, if they buy the version that goes out to the masses in bookstores, they can count on the binding coming off in a couple of months.

I can see why they'd want to replace the lost/damaged one with one of equal quality, and they shouldn't have to spend hours searching the web for a used library version at cheap cost just so we don't have to pay replacement price. I hate that it's that way.... but I do understand why that'd be a mis-use of their time.

Since I work for the Library in Philadelphia, if a patron damages a book, we allow our patrons to go out and buy the same exact book and replace it without paying anything. We process the book back into the library for circulation again. But if they can't replace it, they charge the patron the price of the book and a processing fee being that the library has to re-order that book again.


I thought that was the practices at all libraries.

First off, this is a public library, and I talked with the woman at the Central hub, and was pretty much informed that it would not be approved. I think a letter has to be submitted and a committee to review. Doesn't this sound a bit over the top? Anyway found the exact same book but new and even better, but I guess that doesn't matter.

After examining the library book, there is a stamp and of course a page with the library cardholder and a very fine, cellophane covering. I went looking around for this exact covering, but nobody seems to carry it. Ended up going to the Goodwill and finding an older library book with same covering to exchange it out. It will take a little creativeness, but I think all this can be duplicated. There is a woman at a printing shop who said she would help me with this project. Hopefully, we can pull this off. I just can't believe that the library won't work with me on this situation.

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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

Personally I would never try to *pull off* anything like this. I have lost a book, ponyed up and paid the price that they wanted. Libarys are public but like everything else they scrounge for money. It was my fault I lost the book. If it had been anything else that I had borrowed from anyone I would have replaced it for what they paid for it.
But that is just what I would do.

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"Cast upon this globe without physical strength or innate ideas, incapable in himself of obeying fundamental laws of this nature which call him to the supreme place in the universe, it is only in the heart of society that man can attain the pre-eminent position which is his natural destiny. Without the aide of civilization he would be one of the feeblest and least intelligent of animals.."
Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard

We had a book that got wet & I called & was told this book was $48.00 to replace by them, or I could find another one just like it with the same ISBN #'s & that would work just fine also. I found this book online & had it shipped to me for $6.58.

I have lost two movies on separate occassions. Both times I was told I could not buy it and give it to them but must pay them what it cost to find it AND a 5.00 cataloging fee!!

I work in a public library. Our patrons have to pay for the book that they have damaged or lost. It states that on the form that you fill out when you get your library card. We also have the $5.00 processing fee. It actually cost a bit more than $5.00 to order and process a new book. Many books have special plastic covers and bindings. Bar codes have to added to the books and computers. Our books have security tags in case someone tries to sneak it out of the library. The replacement book will be passing through a few hands.

I think if the book was accidentally damaged, you should just pay for the book. It happens. The library belongs to everyone in your community, and you should follow the rules. The rules are there for a reason. The location that I work at deals with about 2000 people a day. The rules are across the board and the same for everyone, and that is how it should be. I sure that you don't want to teach your daughter that rules don't have to be followed.

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Donna

Our library policy (and we have had to use it) is that the book must be identical and be brand new. So I buy it off ebay or amazon whichever is cheaper!! I have never heard of something needing to be approved by a board!! Crazy! They might also require you to purchase a "library edition" book, the library edition will be double back bound so they can withstand alot of use. Good Luck!

I would also call back and ask to speak to the Head Librarian, you might have gotten a volunteer that really doesn't have a clue how it works!

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

I work for a public library in Georgia. If someone loses or damages a book, we have a price that we quote to them, and there is a $10.00 processing fee added to that as well. They are not allowed to go find a copy of the book and try to replace it with that.

90% of the time, if someone says they cannot find a book, we just keep renewing it for a few weeks, and they usually eventually find it somewhere in their house or at the kids' school.

That is a really nice gesture. My niece lost a book from the library and after searching the house high and low, they finally paid for the lost book. About a month later, it finally showed up. My brother was not very happy with my niece for that, lol.

For the time and gas you have already spent looking around, then going to Goodwill, then going to a printing shop, etc, etc to "pull this off" has already cost you much more than $35, and a submitted letter, per the requirements. Are you saying you are going to try to go around the library policy? For something that is not the library's fault? Take responsibility for the damage and follow their policy. It's there for a reason. I've learned from others in this thread why so many libraries have this policy. What A nice thing to teach your daughter that rules don't need to be followed

I lost one to a puppy a couple of years ago-I'm still not sure how he got off the table to chew it up. The book was old- about 8 years old- and they would only let me pay them- I couldn't replace it- cost me $44 for a book I could have bought for about 10

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Mom to Katie 1/95 and Sara 5/97

op - were you able to pull this off with your creativeness since the library wouldn't work with you?

dl

Don't want to be flamed, but yes I did return the new book that I bought online to replace the damaged one. Just had to insert the cardholder page and find an exact cellophane-like covering. The book is better than the one checked out. I did not like to be sneaky, but already had the replacement and couldn't believe that replacing it wouldn't even be considered. Sorry if some of you are offended. I really was trying to do the right thing.

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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

Just Kidding!! No flames from me....I was actually about to ask what kind of dumb library would not let someone replace it. They get a new book without having to do the work to get it. I would just think its just easier on them and cheaper for all around.

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

You agreed to abide by the library's rules when you got your card, and you didn't abide by their rules. I don't understand how you felt you were doing the right thing.

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Donna

The last sentence says it all. Except you forgot to insert NOT as the fourth word

dl

I get your point.....HOWEVER some rules are dumb and need to be changed.

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

Cheating and lying are never the right way to go about something. This is the example that you set for your daughter.

You asked for advice on this board when you knew what the right thing to do was all along.

I don't mean to hurt your feelings but I really don't agree with what you did and you did ask for opinions.

I'm done on this subject.

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Donna

Exactly.

dl

I don't think cheating and lying are right either. I don't do anything like that. I just think its all a little much for a library book. If I had that kind of library I would probably see about getting the rule changed.

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

Im assuming you are referring to the OP's child?

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

This is all water under the bridge now and as the situation has been resolved but I wanted to reply with my thoughts, even though I am posting late on this topic.

My personal opinion is that you should have taken the book back and paid for the replacement cost. If after that you didnt like the rules, you should have written a letter to whomever is in charge and voice your opinion. If you were still unhappy with the results, you should have turned in your library card and tried to find a library with a more liberal policy.

I personally would have just paid the cost or if my child checked the book out and it was lost or damaged due to their neglect, I would have made them pay for it.

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Sell crazy some place else, we are all stocked up here.

I don't really have a problem with what you did OP, it is better, I guess, than what I did. I borrowed a paperback book and returned it into the outside book drop. Library called and said it was water damaged. It was not damaged when I returned it because I would have absolutely fessed up and paid the money, to replace it, it was a paperback. I went to the library and looked at it and it had definately been subjected to water. I told the lady that someone must have dumped something into the drop (this was a downtown library) and she said no because then other books would have been wet. Well, apparently not because I did not return that book damaged. So I just stopped going to the library until I got married and had a new last name, then I got a new card. DH still teases me that I have been blacklisted by they library. I guess they had no reason to believe me but I was not lying.

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Raising my baby RIGHT!!!!!!

All the cool babies are wearing cloth!