jacobblanck2000
21296
928
12
Mar 18, 2026 9:36 PM
jacobblanck2000
21296
928
12
somebackup
My library has everything. Video Games. Movies. Audio books. TV shows. Books. Hell they even have activity spaces
klean9
My wife worked at a library. She would often pay or “forgive “ peoples fines.
Ultratoxic
"Listen kid, the author of that book uses every penny she gets to attack and dehumanize transgender people. You should steal ALL their books of yours going to read them"
bekkayya
this would have more weight if harry potter wasnt distributed as widely as the bible. even book donation sites throw them out. "and then everybody in the library clapped, and we're told to shsssh"
ilovetraveler
I luckily live in a place with a great public library system and they instituted a no fine system which is honestly a great idea.
kimwimgoddess
Librarians are superheros.
albakSPrince
my favorite teacher would ask anyone who claimed something went wrong with their homework to give a quick verbal recap for full credit. a few did, most took the penalty and turned it in late. This librarian could have asked the boy for a report, seeing the excitement in a kids face when they can share something they have learned is priceless!
Chaapai
GenX and my friends and I lived in the local public library in Yakima, WA as a kid in the 70s. In the card catalogs. Searching for books.
shadolance
I still have a copy of the Super Mario Movie from Blockbuster that I couldn't return because it shut down. At least, I didn't take it to a different store. If that was a thing my late fee is going to bankrupt me.
Davidnfilms
"The thief doesn't read, and the reader doesn't steal"
69Voltage
Both the kid and the librarian rock
anyamountofcheesebro
They both rock as much as the book sucks
StNickCage
So he still got the book thrown at him...
TexxasTerror
I recently went to my local library for the first time in....a couple decades (ish). Realized the treasure that I dismissed for so long. I've been back a lot lately. I highly recommend getting into your local library! The people you'll meet there are pretty awesome!
Roqinn
The libraries where I live don't have late fees.
minipancho94
This is the shit i want my tax dollars going to, though hopefully the librarian can direct then to less shitty authors in the future.....
zylokun
I have never once known a librarian I wouldn't stand with and defend. Read on book nerds
SecurityBadger
My library no longer charges late fees.
Racealistic
Why would someone steal a book from a library? Aren't libraries free in the US? Here you just get a library card which is also free and read away. No one should have to pay for reading.
madnessfromthesea
People steal from them all the time, from idiots who don't know better, to those that think the books belong on their shelves only, to those that seek to resell parts or whole books.
brcpo9
And those who don't want other people in their community to read certain books.
Skeevethegreat
It is free, but if you borrow a book, there is a return date. Missing that date means late fees.
apricot2jam
If you are interested in supporting a struggling library, DM me!
akambe
xo66nt
If he was late Im sure he would have been invoiced way before three years. If he stole it, there wouldnt be late charges.
LiminallyInsane
Wait, are you suggesting people would tell lies on the internet?
(Yeah, this one sounds off to me, too.)
MyCatsAreTypingThis
I worked at a library when I was younger. Thankfully, libraries aren't as vicious as other businesses, at least mine wasn't. If a book wasn't returned the fines would auto-accumulate in the system and could get ridiculous, but mostly weren't paid unless it was habitual. We might send one notice in the mail, but weren't aggressive with collections. So this story is absolutely possible. I suspect the kid intentionally didn't return it and the library just didn't try real hard to collect.
mkwai
For comparison, my uni had faulty detectors, and I'm ADHD, so I left with a book I forgot to check out. When I came back the following day to fix it, they had me wait 45 minutes while they were "sorting things", and I graciously complied. Actually, they had called the cops.
mkwai
Be sure I remember this every time they ask for donations.
brcpo9
Did the cops blow them off? There's no mens rea, if it was accidental and you returned to make it right.
mkwai
The penalty was that they forbid me from going to the library for a year. The cops were only there to escort me out. They didn't explain the whole thing, and I think the cops were just happy to act tough.
brcpo9
Ridiculous. Yeah, I'd remind them of that every time they contact you.
mkwai
They also went after the student union and shut down its finances when it became a bit combative (still can't believe they were legally allowed to do that), so that's usually the line I go after.
Blahfortgonburg
Does anyone live in reality anymore? Fines cannot be more than the book itself. Was the book signed? This did not happen.
WardSharlow
Talk about confidently incorrect. Fines can be waaaaaaaaaaay more than the book itself. Maybe now it's a little more mellow, but I've definitely had library fines in the hundreds of dollars before. Normally you can beg your way out if a lot of it. But, it's not uncommon to find out that the fine for a lost book is the full price of the book plus additional fines to cover library binding. A hardcover Harry Potter is probably 25 or 30 bucks.
DrBlackJack
If it's a hardcover it could easily be more than $30 or more to replace, depending on where you live.
Blahfortgonburg
You're right sorry, I forgot people live on the moon.
DrBlackJack
Do you know...anything about regional sales with books? Cus I've published several books, and I can tell you that with a $30 starting price (which is where Harry Potter and the sorcerers stone hardcover starts out) different regions can double or even triple the price depending on how close a printing facility is. There are litteral regions in the world I don't publish in just because no one there could afford my books.
Now admittedly I measure my sales in the thousands, not
DrBlackJack
millions, so it might be different for somone with the reach of JK, but even then you're dealing with regional fees and duties that native publishers aren't hit by, which greatly changes the price of books.
I'm curious what your expertise in publishing is based on? Maybe you work at one of the big publishing houses? Or are you, perhaps, one of those people who just assumes that their experience is universally applicable because you lack greater context?
TurnsOut42WasASlightMiscalculation
Even a paperback would likely be more than $10. And libraries generally only stock hardcover, since they hold up to use longer
IhopeUgetwhatUvoted4
My city got rid of late fees. Libraries are for reading.
nero4ty2
Ours got rid of them for books but still does it for movies and library of things…things
rowzdowr
Same in my city. Honestly, moving here from a small Midwestern town, I was kind of thrown when I came in with a late book and tried to pay, and they were just like, "oh, we went ahead and renewed it for you."
You do have to pay if you lose a book, though.
Nalianna
How do they punish poor people then? /s
vicvalour
They should have late fees, to entice people to bring them back, cause other people are waiting for it, but the late fee is waived when they bring it back
IhopeUgetwhatUvoted4
Could someone start a book store stealing from the library? Sure. Is it more likely everyone returns the books with a few exceptions like this story? Books aren't expensive and my city did away with fees over 5 years ago.
AONSAB
You can only borrow a limited number of books at once. Can't take more until you return the others. There, problem solved. (I'm pretty sure most libraries operate this way anyway)
wejustdontknow
That's not the issue. The library can certainly buy more books. It costs more to track that debt than to buy a new copy. The cost of the books is actually not a huge deal. More importantly, the late book puts a barrier up for people to use the library. That person will avoid using the library because of the fine. That's a bigger issue to libraries than the missing book.
ChetTheRocketStedman
Worked for FLP(Philly). Kids had no late fees as long as the item was returned. But also for lost stuff children’s librarians would happily waive fines in exchange for a couple volunteer hours. They genuinely just want the kids to return and use the library. Not to fear being admonished
imaginaryPeppers
My city has no fines for children either, which is so cool. We also have a children's library that just happens to be the closest one, and I can't tell you how much I love it. The people there are always happy to tell my kids about the books.
somethingstupidandclever
In college i loved the library. DT cincinnati library was huge and had everything. Id check out the maximum amount of dvds regularly. I think 10 at a time. Checked out ten. None of them played so i returned them all the next day and went on vacation all summer. Went to get more and was told i owed late fees that turned into lost and replacement fees. I owed like 300 for lost and another 300 in late fees. I tried to say i returned them. They kicked me out when i asked to do a shelf check. >
somethingstupidandclever
This turned into me unknowingly being banned after i went in to ask for help proving i had returned the dvds. I was escorted out by the police. Mind you, i was and am bashful and also autistic. I never raised my voice or did anything but ask for help. Then i was arrested (detained?) for showing up again to see if i could resolve the issue. It ended up screwing up my credit and making it so i could never get a library card again. So dear dreadlock white lady at cincy dt public library... Fuck you
FenrirsDaughter
When I worked for the Buffalo and Erie county public library, we would allow children to take a dollar off their accumulated fines per hour participating in the summer reading challenge. Late fees were $0.25 a day for books, and a dollar a day for movies and music. But as long as the items were returned, each item's fine would top out at I think. $5.
azgrak1
Here in Tampa there are no late fees. Had one I knew was way overdue and tried to pay. It wouldn’t have been a lot but it was a nice surprise.
DocFunkenstein
Librarians are (generally) some of the best people I've ever met, right up there with nurses. Takes a certain type of person to devote themselves to those types of jobs.
sharK11
the librarian in that show paradise is a murderer and identity thieve.
DocFunkenstein
Gasp! Not a fictional character in a fictional show! Oh my word, I'm going to have to completely change my world view due to what you clearly think is a fucking documentary!!1111elevenity
phoenix0path
Right? Some people are so weird.
IWasGoingToMakeEspresso
My dad is a librarian and he is not a good person, but je’s always been an outlier.
emupop
Which is why they are the worst kind of bullies when they use authority for evil. Long story short, I was banned from a library because I asked for financial leniency or to find a non monetary solution and one librarian's pride would not budge because I didn't use the proper language she expected (no profanity, just a lack of formalities as I've always talked to librarians like friends, ie "Work with me, here."). I wouldn't bend the knee and she punished me because she could. In a LIBRARY.
DocFunkenstein
Translation: "I was being an entitled douche and it backfired, so now I'm going to badmouth them, proving just what an entitled little cunt I really am."
Got it.
snatchingbabies
Behind the Bastards had the wonderful idea of disarming and stripping immunity from the police but giving all the weapons and priviledges to librarians. Itll create some new problems, but lets roll those dice XD
SternLecturePlumbing
Growing up poor I spent a lot of time in the library because it had air conditioning in the summer. I would read the Garfield comics and play around on the computers. Got really good at typing. I ran into the old librarian last year. I thought about going up to her and telling her about my career success and how a poor kid like me ended up a provider. thanks to mini factors, including the local library
ViscousCousCous
I read your comment to my mom (also a librarian) and now she's telling all her friends that people still love books. You made her week! Thank you!
randomwalrus
Yeah, nerds. They call it the Dewey Decimal system, but it ain't got shit to do with math. Sneaky nerds, always up to no good tricks.
ReallyOG
OOK!
whatspaulplayingtoday
look, man, i just work here
Ac1dBurn72
I always said that if I were independently wealthy, I'd either own a book store, of pre-owned books (read - a dragon hoard of old book... Imagine the smell of all the books...) or become a librarian.
The issue? I'm not independently wealthy, and I look like a pro wrestler ordered from Temu.
1yamia1
"...and I look like a pro wrestler ordered from Temu."
You'd fit in perfectly then! Librarians come in all shapes a sizes. The kids you'll be reading to during story hour would LOVE your look.
Ac1dBurn72
I would hope! But I'm a big bald bearded man with tattoos and RBF. But I wouldn't wanna make ANYONE feel uncomfortable, ever. (I get told I look like Triple H at least twice a week. And have people ask to take pictures with my frequenly.)
Well. Unless they were bullies of any type. I don't like bullies, they can be uncomfortable.
1yamia1
Yup. You confirmed it. The kids would love you.
grandfalloon
At least one bad-tempered librarian looks like an orangutan, so don't sweat it.
Quixus
He's pretty well mannered unless you claim he is a monkey.
cosonfused
if you're Independently wealthy, why not both?
Ac1dBurn72
Well. I think it would mainly be that I'd want to carve out time for my partner and daughter. But if it was part time, and I hired lots of workers, that could work!
I'd want to create a safe space for everyone.