Managing Library Resources
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At any given time in our house we can have at least 100 library resources in our possession. Since our kids are voracious readers, the older ones can easily go through 7 books a week as well as flip through numerous other books for their schoolwork. One hundred books can be quite the load to manage, as you can imagine, and I’ve paid my fair share in library late fees and replacement costs.
We’re working to reduce this however. The library is offered as a “free service” and I, for one would like to keep it that way.
Here are some ways that we keep track of our library stuff — and hopefully avoid fines.
One library card
We maintain one library account for the entire family. In this way, I can better track our checkouts online, and it simplifies things immensely. My kids don’t experience that rite of passage in getting their own library cards, but everybody seems to be okay with that.
Our library offers both a keychain card and a wallet card for each account, so FishPapa and I each have one. He can pick up our holds on the way home from work without my needing to remember to give him the card.
One storage location
We have a large bookcase on the schoolroom wall that houses the library books. If a book isn’t actively being read, it should be shelved here. This doesn’t always happen, but we’re working on it. I know some families use bins or baskets, but we needed something out of FishChick2’s reach, so a high shelf works for us.
Likewise, we keep a bin on a shelf above the TV for library DVDs. Unfortunately, our DVD checkouts have not been free due to lost or broken disks, so we are considering eliminating the whole DVD checkout thing in exchange for Netflix streaming.
A notebook to track returns
This summer our library system converted to a new checkout system which had quite a few bugs in it. While I’m sure we didn’t handle checkouts perfectly, there were several occasions when I was sure we had returned a resource, but they could not find it. And while most of the librarians are quite polite and understanding, I’ve encountered more than one Library Ninja.
So, to keep track of what I was returning, I started a library notebook. I list the library resources returned and write down the date we returned it and which location we took it to. While it’s still my word against the library’s, this is much better than a recollection of putting it in the library bag. It takes some time to get things ready for the library trip, but we haven’t had a resource go AWOL since we started this method.
What do you do to keep library fines at bay?
Check out Works for Me Wednesday for more ideas to improving your life.
I don’t have near as many library books to keep track of as you do, but I do go to a couple different libraries which can be difficult to keep track of. I put the date in my Google calendar for when library books are due, and that helps. I also have a library bag where I keep all the receipts that the library gives every time we check something out. That way, I can make sure I have all the books that are due when it comes time to take a trip to the library. Also, one of the libraries emails me every time a due date is coming up. I love that service!
I keep track of everything online. & The key tag is taped to my monitor so I know the #. We only have one card for the family & we have a limit of 50 things; I think only 15 can be DVD/CD—which we might put an end too since they are routinely late. ):
I have a small laundry basket by the front door to hold everything.
We use libraryelf.com to keep track of when everything is due. I can link multiple cards to my account and then receive a reminder e-mail prior to the item’s due date. It makes thinking of what books/videos are due when so much easier! Best part is it’s free!!
@Sara, We also use Library elf. They now charge us an annual fee of $20, but it is still well worth it. I link mine and my five children’s cards and can check all the cards anytime. They also email and/or text reminders. It has saved me a ton in fines and my sanity, lol. Our library system only allows 20 books per card, so there is no way for me to have just one family card.
Janet
Also, during different months our library offers forgiveness of fines for donating canned food for a local food bank. I use my coupon deals to forgive any fines incurred.
Our library doesn’t have late fees on kids cards, so our kids get their own cards. But CDs & DVDs can’t be checked out on those cards. I currently have a missing CD that they want $35 to replace. I MUST find it! I swore I returned it but I checked the shelf. Bummer.
Unfortunately I owe a few bucks in fines right now. No good excuse, just a case of lazy brain.
Is it weird that I’m jealous of your handwriting? 🙂
Well, you got me on this one. I just can’t do it. I gave up on the library years ago, except on very rare occasions. I just couldn’t stand to return good books! Instead, years ago, we started buying our own copies of things. Now, granted, that doesn’t work for everything, but by frequenting our “Friends of the Library” book store and keeping a good list of “wants”, we now have a really wonderful home library with over 4500 volumes!! We spent the summer organizing and cataloging everything on LibraryThing.com so that we can now find what we need and return it more easily. When we were using the public library, we also had to keep everything in one place to make sure we returned it. Now, my main issue is making sure other people return what they borrow from our library. 🙂
we can only have one card for the family since we do not have a library in our town, and we have the use of a library in a close town. This is the way its set up.
We try and keep the kids books in the same spot, and I usually one have one library book out at a time, that I would be reading.
We also can check on line to see when things are due back, and what we have.
So far no charges for us!
Yippie!
Awesome tips! We keep ours in one location and only use one card for the whole family, but I had never thought about the return notebook.
We currently have a book listed as checked out that we don’t have in the house. I know I’ve turned it in and just keep rechecking it out hoping maybe they’ll find it.
We also currently have one checked out (that I picked up at the holds drive thru) that’s not listed on our account. They’ve also just done some major renovation to their checkout system and I suspect that is to blame.
Having a notebook would be great for times like these. I’m definitely going to start doing this.
Thanks!
@Laura, I’m in library school right now and I work in my university library. It’s entirely possible that the book you returned just got reshelved without being checked back in. I won’t go into specifics but they could have processed it without checking it back in. I would suggest you personally go look for that book (if your library system is small enough that you could do that) and/or contact them directly about it so they can send their employees on a search. You may have already done either of those things but if you haven’t, it may be a way for you to get out of a fine! 🙂
@Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef, Thank you for your ideas. I actually did go in this evening and got it squared away. They were very helpful and actually did all the leg work themselves. The lady that was helping me called a little while later and let me know she did find the book on their shelves!! All is well and there’s no fine for it being “late.” I do know that we’re all human and anyone could have let a book slip through without it getting checked back in. I worked at Blockbuster many years ago and completely understand how something of that nature happens!!
Great article! We have a shelf for our books, too—actually it’s on top of the bookcase, out of reach of the baby, just like you. When the books are done they go back in the library bag.
Our library allows only 15 children’s books per card, so I’m actually thinking of getting my four-year-old his own! I’d rather keep a family account, though.
My tip: I have my library’s site bookmarked on the toolbar of my browser. Right-click on the bookmark and go into properties. Then type in your library card numbers. Keeping the numbers right there allows me to log in without having my library card right there, and to hijack my husband’s account too!
@Mrs. Mordecai, I love your tip about keeping your library account # handy. I never realized I could do that in the properties. Thanks!
I love the idea of keeping all the library materials in one location! My son tends to read all over the house, so I always have to search for books.
Luckily, our library prints a receipt when we check out books. It goes straight on the fridge until the books are returned. And if we return just a few from the list, they get crossed out. It’s saved us from so many late fees!