Report Lost or Stolen Library Card; InterLibrary Loan Connects Readers with Books Throughout US
January 11, 2013 —
What’s the first thing we’re told to do if we lose our wallet or suspect it’s been stolen? Cancel credit and debit cards, alert the bank, maybe change some computer passwords and file a police report.
Would you think to report your library card as stolen, too? No? You’re not alone.
Many people don’t think about it until weeks or months later, when they get a notice from the library that they owe a hefty sum on an “overdue” balance – for book titles, CDs and DVDs they’ve never seen.
Recently, a young woman resolved a $300 overdue fine balance for items that someone else apparently checked out on her library card after her wallet was stolen. She was able to show us a copy of the police report she had filed right after the theft.
That helped her, but it didn’t help the library. Her delay in reporting the stolen card gave the thief lots of time to check out his heart’s desire, but it cost the library district and taxpayers because the items were never returned.
Want to save yourself some grief and protect the library books, music and movies you love? Give your library card the same treatment you would a credit card: Carry it, protect it, don’t let others use it and if you lose it, report it.
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It’s fun to see who we are by the habits we practice – our traditions, the foods we eat and, yes, the books we read. It’s anyone’s guess what this next revelation says about us as readers, but it’s interesting to consider.
Through the Interlibrary Loan department, the Springfield-Greene County Library District lends books to readers across the country, and our patrons also borrow books from other U.S. libraries if we don’t carry them.
Can you guess the most popular genre people borrow from our collection? It’s “manga,” the Japanese comic books geared to youth and adults. They’re artsy and entertaining, and cover a wide variety of themes. After manga, others borrow fiction romance/erotica, followed by the religious/spiritual genre and then true crime.
What do we borrow most from other libraries across the state and country? In order of popularity: Romance novels and mystery, manga, then health/fitness, followed by knitting/craft hobbies.
What’s on your night stand?