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MaryM
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| Posted: Nov 03 2011 at 1:15am | IP Logged
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Wasn't sure where to share this, but since picture books are a BIG part of my library check outs, I had to share my devastating news here - as of yesterday - with no previous notice indicating a change was coming, our large library system has cut the limit of books you can have checked out per card from 300 to 100.
   
Those of you who have read previous library posts of mine know that having just 100 books checked out at a time would be a rarity for me and real sacrifice, as I average closer to 200 (and have on one occasion reached the 300). So now I will have to resort to the tried and true tricks of others - use everyones cards to the max...etc...
I only discovered this when trying to check out books today and was denied....  Here I have talked up our system for years. It has been fabulous and one that was perennially in the top libraries in the country. But services and such have been sliding for several years. This past year has seen several big changes that really limit what I can get and how I can get it. Anyway, just had to share with those I know who can feel my pain.
Please help me through my trauma....
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: Nov 03 2011 at 1:23am | IP Logged
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 Yes....remember when we went through this about 3 years ago????
What I think is so funny about it is that they obviously didn't think it would effect very many people, since they didn't advertise it AT ALL!  Which makes the point of why on earth would they CARE if a dozen or so people in all of Denver have 250 books out ????
Sigh....now you'll just have to "work the system" with 3-5 library cards instead of your easy-squeezy one card. Which, is stupid too....you're not going to STOP checking out 200 books....you're just going to use other cards. Silly.
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Suzanne in ID
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SeaStar
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Mary, I will join you in a moment of silence for this sad moment.
While I have a mediocre library system and continually feel that pain, I have always taken comfort from knowing that great systems were still out there for others to enjoy.
Now even my vicarious enjoyment has been taken away .
And it is even worse because you just know that Benjamin Franklin, founder of our library system, would never have had under a hundred books checked out. Never.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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JennGM
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| Posted: Nov 03 2011 at 7:35am | IP Logged
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I am shocked. And feel your pain, deeply. I think we have a higher limit than you.
What is the point? Is it that the libraries aren't budgeting enough for new books, so that they need to keep more on the shelves? Are there really that many people who check out more than 100 at a time? (Well, I know 3, including you and me and a local mom.)
Does it limit per family/household? I think our library does that.
So what's the plan of action, Mary? After the shock wears off, are you going to become the queen of thrifting books? find all the bargains and start your own library?
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Jennifer G. Miller
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Nov 03 2011 at 7:37am | IP Logged
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Our library used to let patrons print five pages for free per visit...a real boon to the many job-seekers that use the library system.
Not any longer.
Sigh.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Nov 03 2011 at 7:48am | IP Logged
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Oh my, Mary. I know how devastating this will be for you!
And, I don't really understand the need for the limit either. Can you ask someone about the reasoning? Can you ask to be grandfathered in on the old policy? Do either of your older boys still maintain residency in Colorado? Sounds like they may need a library card now!!!!
Sorry my friend! I know that this really is a very big deal for you...and frankly, I don't like to imagine you with anything less than 200 books wheeling out of the library!!!
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Jen Mackintosh
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JennGM
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| Posted: Nov 03 2011 at 8:15am | IP Logged
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And Mary, I just read November is Picture Book Month. What are you going to do?????????
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Jennifer G. Miller
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SuzanneG
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Mary is not going to have LESS library books in her house!!! She is just going to have to use more than ONE LIBRARY CARD to get them! That's why it's so silly.
The limit is PER CARD.
We used to have a 200 item/card limit, so I only had to use MY library card. Now, we have a 100 item limit, so I have to use 2 cards.
But actually it's the HOLD LIMIT that kills me....I can only request 25 books per card....so I end up using 3 or 4 cards.
So, we still have the same number of books, it's just more of a hassle. And, the librarians think it's a stupid policy....it makes more work for them too! More cards=more work.
No one can explain it....libraries actually get more funding when people check out more books, so why on earth would they limit????
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Suzanne in ID
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JennGM
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I can only reserve 8 (EIGHT!!!!!) books at a time, and we only have 2 cards, so can you feel my pain? My only work around is to keep requesting as soon as they are filled -- so I might have 24 requests by the end of a week. Not ideal, but works okay.
It's really hard for themes, like we were doing Days of the Dead books, which I only own one, and I had to reserve in two or three waves to get them all.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Mimip
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| Posted: Nov 03 2011 at 9:36am | IP Logged
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AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay deep breath!!!!!!!!!
I guess you are going to join me in the "juggling the library card" insanity!!!!
WE don't have a limit on the reserving side, thank God, but do have a 100 item limit.
I feel you. 
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Mimi
Wife of 16 years to Tom, Mom of DD'00, DD'02, '04(in heaven) DS'05, DS'08 and DS '12
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Donna Marie
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JennGM wrote:
So what's the plan of action, Mary? After the shock wears off, are you going to become the queen of thrifting books? find all the bargains and start your own library? |
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I nominate Jenn to instruct us as to how to build our own underground picture book library!
All in Favor?!! 
WE have SO much to learn from you Jenn!
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Donna Marie from NJ
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Donna Marie
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Our family had imposed upon us a 50 book limit FOR OUR FAMILY. I was so
And then we skipped town and used the county system under my mom's name...so there is only one card (they know about it and are the ones that suggested it) And that card limit is at 50.
Everyone here except the baby is reading...scratch that...she is behind me reading a book (oh those precocious 14mo kids!)  Do you KNOW how many books 11 people read in a week? 
The town library took the kids cards away from them...
Boy, the kids were upset!
..it all started when we forgot VIDEO TAPES while we were remodeling and LEFT THE HOUSE for 2 MONTHS. Someone was supposed to return them but they got left behind a headboard in the living room. They forgave the fine and put us in literary prison! 
So what did I do?
I took my great book taste a mile away to our brandy new county library! 
I like the county library. Those librarians are NICE...they like books. (They like ME)
Our town library would put some of the books out for sale that I JUST brought back after being checked out because few people were checking them out (where is that emoticon hitting its head on the wall icon?)
Anyhoo... If I have to be literarily censored, I would rather choose my own censorship! Right?! Right.
Aaaah...I need to vent that about every 3 months...thank you for indulging me!
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Donna Marie from NJ
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Marie
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| Posted: Nov 03 2011 at 10:03am | IP Logged
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Our limit is 50! It is hard and they look at me like I'm crazy when I try to take out more than that!
:)
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ShannonJ
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Oh my! I so wish we didn't have such a pitifully small library system. When checking out books for the change of seasons I had them pull books from 5 different libraries just to get a piddly 20 books!
My daughter was absolutely shocked when we visited the library for the first time since moving. "Mom! This library is TINY!" Alas, she is right. I think if we checked out 300 books we would take huge chunk out of the children's section.
Of course, this has given me an excellent reason to increase my book budget!
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MaryM
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Thank you for all your support and understanding at the difficult time...
SuzanneG wrote:
Yes....remember when we went through this about 3 years ago????
What I think is so funny about it is that they obviously didn't think it would effect very many people, since they didn't advertise it AT ALL! Which makes the point of why on earth would they CARE if a dozen or so people in all of Denver have 250 books out ????
Sigh....now you'll just have to "work the system" with 3-5 library cards instead of your easy-squeezy one card. Which, is stupid too....you're not going to STOP checking out 200 books....you're just going to use other cards. Silly. |
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Yes, I remember it Suzanne - and you are right - I doubt it does affect a lot of people and because there are "ways to get around it" I'll still have that many books at my house which won't serve there stated purpose for doing this, which btw is stated here.
Quote:
| 11/2/2011 12:26:52 PM Please be advised: Effective November 1, 2011 the overall checkout limit has been reduced to 100 items to improve equal access to limited library resources. |
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Notice the date of the notice is one day AFTER the change went into affect - how is that for advance notice....?
The local librarians commiserated with me and don't agree with it. The reference librarian did give the check-out librarian permission to override the system yesterday so I could check out the hold I had on the shelf since I am considerably over the "limit" currently. Now I have to return HALF of my current checked out materials so that I can check out any of the other holds that come in. Just had requested all kinds of migration and bird books again...
So getting back to the " improve equal access to limited library resources" excuse. Yes, they have been cutting their collection numbers in recent years, which seems dumb. Even if times are tough and you can't get lots of new resources, by getting rid of old stuff you limit what is available. What I usually have checked out is not popular - much of it sits on the shelf anyway - how is that limiting equal access if I have something others aren't asking for. And since I can get around the system, it really doesn't do anything. If materials are requested by other patrons I can't renew them anyway so they go back into the system pretty quickly.
And yes, I have already thought about my older sons - am going to have the oldest send me his card as he can't use it in Seattle... [;)
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Mary M. in Denver
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MaryM
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ShannonJ wrote:
| I think if we checked out 300 books we would take huge chunk out of the children's section. |
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Yes, your home would probably be considered another branch....
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Mary M. in Denver
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Nov 03 2011 at 11:46am | IP Logged
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My library limit, per card, is twenty-five books.
I know... pathetic! it kills me, having come from a system with no limit *at all* and free ILL. I miss those days
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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SeaStar wrote:
My library limit, per card, is twenty-five books.
I know... pathetic! it kills me, having come from a system with no limit *at all* and free ILL. I miss those days |
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Holy smokes 25!!!! That is crazy??? Is it a small library system?
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Mimi
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MichelleW
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When our library system did this, I am embarrassed to admit, that I tried to haggle with them:
" but I have 5 people in my family, can't we just set our family limit to 500 and make life easier for everyone? you know that all the books I check out are getting used and that I return them and I pay my occasional fines on time. Please make a special exception..."
It worked for a little while, but now I am back on a book diet. Trying to stay under 100 books total at any one time is so so so hard!
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SeaStar
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Mimip wrote:
SeaStar wrote:
My library limit, per card, is twenty-five books.
I know... pathetic! it kills me, having come from a system with no limit *at all* and free ILL. I miss those days |
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Holy smokes 25!!!! That is crazy??? Is it a small library system? |
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No! Not really. There is a very large main library and several healthy-sized branches. I can't fathom why they have this rule- makes my life as a library addict extremely difficult.
Still, thankful to have the library at all. I do try to buy a lot of books- through thrift stores, used book sales, PBS, etc- just because I get frustrated not being able to have what I want when I need it.
With multiple cards come multiple headaches, though. It's hard to stay on top of all the due dates. Grrr....
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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4Real Forums : Picture Book Discoveries
Topic: Can you feel my pain???
