Library misplaced a book I returned

amother

Seagreen

Tue, Dec 22 2015, 10:33 pm

Now they want to charge me for it.

I definitely returned it. I know with certainty. I called them and they said they'll put a search on it but if it isn't found I'll need to pay.

How can I prove I returned it? I don't want to pay for something I returned.

This is finkelstein memorial library if it makes a difference.

amother

Pewter

Tue, Dec 22 2015, 10:38 pm

amother wrote:

They did that to me also. I returned a book, and they insisted I pay for it. It turns out that it was misfiled in the children's section. I only found it by accident.

Is it a popular book with multiple copies? I located every copy once I found the misfiled one.

You also get better responses from them when they are up for a budget vote. Keep taking your problem to a higher level.

amother

Seagreen

Tue, Dec 22 2015, 10:45 pm

amother wrote:

Yes it's a very popular book. When you found it, didn't they insist you simply returned it late?

How do I know when they're up for the votes?

spring13

Tue, Dec 22 2015, 11:10 pm

FWIW, it's extremely common for people to swear that they returned a book, only for it to turn up in the drop box a day or two later. Library staff expects that to be the case most of the time, with good reason.

You can try contacting other libraries in the Ramapo Catskill library system, to see if it ended up on any of their shelves. But it's difficult for a book to be returned and shelved without being checked in, and if it was simply a matter of pulling it and rescanning the barcode, I assume the librarians at your branch would have done so by now.

Is it possible that you accidentally gave it in at another library, even a school? Could the book have been shelved in more than one place in the library? For example, a romance novel could have been put in fiction by the author's name, or on a rotating rack of paperbacks that may be less diligently organized. A new item might go on a special shelf/display, or it might have been placed in the regular stacks. One library may classify a given item as YA while others put it in childrens. If your book could fit into more than one category or genre, check in all the possible places. If it's a kids' book, call your kids' school and see if it ended up there by mistake.

And try not to hate on them for doing their job. You were the last person to be in possession of the item, and if it can't be located that's legitimately your problem. Shelving error is one thing: but it's a lot more difficult for a returned item to disappear or be shelved without first being checked in.

Volunteer

Tue, Dec 22 2015, 11:16 pm

I worked in a library for about 5 years. It happens sometimes that a patron returns a book and the person who scans returns misses it, and it just gets shelved. Where I worked, if a patron walked over to the shelf, got the book, and brought it to the desk, we usually just waived the fine.

Surely some patrons were lying, but it wasn't worth a few cents or a dollar to argue:.

If you do find it on the shelf, you are doing the library a service because then nobody has to go around looking for it later. You have nothing to lose by bringing it up. If the person behind the desk do want believe you and starts making a scene, you can just offer to pay and consider it a generous donation to the public library.

amother

Pewter

Tue, Dec 22 2015, 11:19 pm

amother wrote:

Yes it's a very popular book. When you found it, didn't they insist you simply returned it late?

How do I know when they're up for the votes?

No, I paid while making a giant stink! I was livid when I found it in the children's novels for two reasons - the first was my fine, and the second was that it is NOT a suitable children's book.

The librarians get so lovey dovey when they are up for a vote. They have amnesty and are willing to waive fines.

amother

Pewter

Tue, Dec 22 2015, 11:22 pm

spring13 wrote:

That would be a lot of libraries to contact. Do you really think all the librarians will go looking for the book?

MagentaYenta

Tue, Dec 22 2015, 11:30 pm

amother wrote:

That would be a lot of libraries to contact. Do you really think all the librarians will go looking for the book?

My library lost a book I returned, it was many years ago before they started using RFID chips (as opposed to electromagnetic chips). After 90 days when it didn't show up I just sent them a check. Life is so much easier with ebooks.

Last edited by MagentaYenta on Tue, Dec 22 2015, 11:38 pm; edited 1 time in total

spring13

Tue, Dec 22 2015, 11:35 pm

amother wrote:

That would be a lot of libraries to contact. Do you really think all the librarians will go looking for the book?

Scour your branch first. When the librarians there say they'll put a "search" on the book, I assume they mean that they'll contact the system to be on the lookout for it.

ETA: some libraries have an option to mark a book "claimed returned" in a patron's record, and will allow a certain number of such claims before they start insisting that you pay for missing items. They'd probably have told you this if it was a possibility, but you might as well ask about it.

Last edited by spring13 on Tue, Dec 22 2015, 11:59 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Seagreen

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 8:26 am

spring13 wrote:

I only use one library so it's not possible that I returned it elsewhere. And I return all of my books at the same time (regardless of whether or not I read them all) so I know I returned all.

First time I used the Dropbox. Last for me.

amother

Puce

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 8:35 am

I could have written the op. This happens to me very often at my library (a different one than yours). 90% of the time I find the missing book in the library, shelved, and I bring it to the desk to be checked in again properly. A few books I haven't been able to find but I know I returned them.

So what do I do now? The library has a history of not checking in books in properly and I know I brought it back. I'm not paying for books that they lost!

amother

Pewter

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 8:38 am

amother wrote:

Return the books too the desk and get a receipt.

amother

Puce

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 8:56 am

amother wrote:

Return the books too the desk and get a receipt.

What about the books that are currently missing? Last time I couldn't find missing books they eventually turned up in the library mis-shelved months later. The only reason they turned up is because someone found the books and wanted to check them out.
But its been months already, and these books are less popular, and the library is nagging me to pay for them this time.

Notsobusy

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 9:01 am

It happened to me quite a few times already. In my library they will go look for it on the shelves. But that only helps if it's been shelved correctly.

One time I figure I'll save them time and look for it myself, when I brought it to the librarian she told me not to do that again. She said they have no way of knowing if I walked in with it, or if I really found it on the shelf. I guess I could have made them check the security cameras, but it's easier to let them look for the book.

luppamom

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 9:02 am

I would try search the shelves thoroughly, but politely try to get out of paying for the book right away. Sometimes, they will find it and scan it and it will clear from your record. Something like this happened to mother recently. Once you pay for it, will they really notify you that they found it and give you back your money?