Polls for Our Souls discussion

Am I the only one who thinks libraries go a little too overboard with damage fines? Like if just 6 pages out of a 400+ page book are water damaged, you're asked to pay the full cost of the book plus circulation fees? The book is still COMPLETELY readable, but you still have to pay full damage? EVEN when you have a bunch of other copies of the exact same book?

omg
i hate damaging books
i literally hate people who do it
this is unacceptable

oh and the fee isnt that bad
its like 0.50 SGD for a missing page

I hate damaging books too, but accidents happen and so long as it's not terrible—like more than 5 or 6 pages—then why do you have to pay expensive fines?

i guess its because the library had to pay a lot fir the books

And the fee might not be bad at your library, but at mine you have to pay the full price of the book PLUS circulation fees, so your overall fine is like 25 dollars.

It likely depends on the library. Some have more expensive fines, others have less. Also, of course accidents happen, but its still the responsibility of the person who checked out the book, and it's the library's job to keep track of the books and take care of them.

And sometimes you weren't even the one who damaged the book. The person who did probably returned it without anybody finding out, but when you returned it, you get a letter billing you for something you didn't do and you have to go to the desk to try and convince them of the truth and they give you this look that has 'I don't believe you' written all over it.

I once checked out The Little Friend by Donna Tartt and it was damaged already, so I had to go and show them at the desk so they didn't fine me, but apparently I was the only person who checked out the book in a while so the blame was on me.

I just think libraries need to thoroughly inspect books to make sure they're not damaged before someone else has to pay the fines. I mean, the fines are expensive, and I've never damaged a book in all my life save for one romance novel that got into a mishap with wet carpet.

My library lets minor damage slide, and they inspect materials as they come back.

I have gotten several books wet accidentally, and I paid for them because it was my fault, and I own up to it because I'm an adult.

My library is literally so chill. The fees are never that bad unless you forget to return a book for several months

My library never really looks at their books when they are returened, once there was a page missing in a book I checked out!

*coughs* my library says you have to pay a fine for late books but they never make me do it .-. And the damage fees are so dumb- like how would you know I damaged the book? Not the person before me.

✨ Just the bookworm ✨ wrote: "*coughs* my library says you have to pay a fine for late books but they never make me do it .-. And the damage fees are so dumb- like how would you know I damaged the book? Not the person before me."

exactly

If I want to check out a damaged book at the library I literally notify the librarian that the book is already damaged so they won't fine me

BRO THERE'S LITERALLY A CHEESE STAIN ON MY BOOK AND I WAS LIKE :OOOO PPL, TREASURE THESE BOOKS WITH YOUR HEART! AND PPL WHO DOG-EAR BOOKS- GRRRRRRRRRRRRR

I've never had to pay a fine for a damaged book

Sure, late fees, but those are reasonable

I have only ever had to pay late fees twice.

I have friends (library staff) who were in the Los Angeles Library Fire (read Susan Orleans' book "The Library" for the whole story). I am sadly experienced as far as fires go and so I think fines or chip-ins and understanding of the library when a problem arrises are part of the entire idea. And Fund Raisers. And book sales. Public Libraries are underfunded and underused...unless you are in a college town or a very literate community. And they are free and open worlds to anyone who walks through the door. I hold them sacred and I cannot imagine a world without books. Read Fahrenheit 451. It made my blood run cold.