My Library Lends e-readers, rathern than e-books - Page 2

odiakkoh · 05-02-2011, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abookreader

I must say, I looked at the link to your library and these replacement fines are really really high. Do you happen to know the justification for it?

My library fines you around double what the book is worth if you lose/damage it. Probably the same idea. More likely to return it in one piece if you have to pay more than retail if you dont.

queentess · 05-02-2011, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

According to the library, I had some CDs long overdue and we kept going round in circles saying that I returned them and them saying I didn't. But I finally gave in and went to pay what the library said I owed. When they went to look up the account, they could not find it and I didn't have to pay. I was then able to get a new library card.

Yeah, I had multiple issues with one of my local libraries. I ended up logging official "find it" forms, and they had to search the whole library system for the books I knew I'd returned. They found all but one, and ended up dropping the fine on that one, giving me the benefit of the doubt because of all the other ones they'd found. I got in the habit of waiting in line and asking them to check in the books while I watched. Didn't have any more issues after that, but the ladies working didn't seem to like that.

And it got old, waiting in line twice (or carrying a heavy load of books around with me while browsing), so I've now switched to a different local library. They didn't check in one of my books on Friday, but I caught this one right away and they found it before it was sent out to another library... I've never worked in a library, but seriously, how hard is it to take a whole pile of books and check them in????

Tome Keeper · 05-02-2011, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by queentess

I've never worked in a library, but seriously, how hard is it to take a whole pile of books and check them in????

Sometimes the system freezes, sometimes they are scanning them under the wrong menu and sometimes the scanner doesn't catch one of them (an even bigger problem with RFID), of course sometimes it's just plan lazyness/not knowing what they are doing.

When I worked in a library we converted to a new system AND RFID and were forever having to call people back to the desk because their books hadn't gone through or someone else's book had been added to their pile or their books had been issued to the wrong account. It was a nightmare.

SeaBookGuy · 05-02-2011, 04:51 PM

I haven't had an employee check out a library book for me in a very long time. Inter-Library Loan books require them to do so as we have to pay the $5 fee at the time; I always have them check those books back in while I watch as those would be a royal pain to sort out otherwise.
At the Central Library downtown, there are three places to load the returned items onto a conveyor belt where the RFID tags are read by the computer as "returned", and the items are then sorted into the appropriate next destination by the computer also. I have had the scanner not catch a book right away (still on my account later that day), but those are always sorted out within a day or two.

bhartman36 · 05-03-2011, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abookreader

I must say, I looked at the link to your library and these replacement fines are really really high. Do you happen to know the justification for it?

I didn't really ask. I assume that the penalty for replacement is high to prevent someone from absconding with the reader. It's easier to prevent people from being careless or greedy if they know the price is higher than if they just bought the reader themselves outright, right?

tubemonkey · 05-03-2011, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhartman36

I didn't really ask. I assume that the penalty for replacement is high to prevent someone from absconding with the reader. It's easier to prevent people from being careless or greedy if they know the price is higher than if they just bought the reader themselves outright, right?

Why? I rather buy a new ereader than to pay the same price for a "stolen used" ereader.

Anke Wehner · 05-03-2011, 07:19 AM

I haven't looked at how much markup there is over sales price, but, generally speaking, charging more for a replacement than the item costs new makes sense to me. Replacement, plus work-time spent ordering and prepping it.

bhartman36 · 05-03-2011, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Why? I rather buy a new ereader than to pay the same price for a "stolen used" ereader.

That's the point, though. I'm guessing most people would rather just buy a new one than have to pay so much for a used one. So either the person borrowing it would take really good care of it, or they wouldn't borrow it at all.

tubemonkey · 05-03-2011, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhartman36

That's the point, though. I'm guessing most people would rather just buy a new one than have to pay so much for a used one. So either the person borrowing it would take really good care of it, or they wouldn't borrow it at all.

My point is that even if they priced it at retail value, people would still rather buy a new one.

odiakkoh · 05-03-2011, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

My point is that even if they priced it at retail value, people would still rather buy a new one.

Then dont borrow it or borrow it and give it back in good condition so you dont have to pay the replacement fee. Pretty simple.

tubemonkey · 05-03-2011, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odiakkoh

Then dont borrow it or borrow it and give it back in good condition so you dont have to pay the replacement fee. Pretty simple.

That has no relevance to my argument.

tomsem · 05-03-2011, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by covingtoncat73

Anyway, they rent the readers but not the eBooks? That seems a little ridiculus. It would make sense if they had done away with paperbooks and offered eBooks but wanted to still serve patrons w/o their own readers but, IMHO, we are a long way for where a library could/should do that.

Only 3 of the Big 6 participate with Overdrive and even those that participate don't offer their entire ebook catalog. So lending ereaders with preloaded content is a way they can offer a better selection of books for patrons. Plus, they can technically lend the ebook out to more than one reader (e.g. Kindle allows 5 simultaneous uses). A lot cheaper than physical copies, even factoring in the cost of the ereader (which can be had for less than $100 now).

asjogren · 05-03-2011, 01:45 PM

Lending eReaders preloaded with eBooks is a *good* decision for the Publishers who WILL NOT sell eBooks to Public Libraries.

Get 5 Kindles (perhaps even used), tie them to one account. Load them up with MacMillan eBooks. And lend 5 copies for every one purchased from Amazon.

odiakkoh · 05-03-2011, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

That has no relevance to my argument.

Then i dont understand what point youre trying to convey.

dixieknits · 05-04-2011, 12:18 PM

My library and the next county up from me offer the "book-in-a-box" or Play-Away books. It's a small cassette player built in to a box, the size of an old cassette tape more or less. The user inserts his own AAA battery and headphones and the control are on the back. I like them alot. Each provides, speed control, volume, stop and place memory. Our library is starting to get a very large collection.

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05-02-2011, 04:51 PM	#19
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,029 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	I haven't had an employee check out a library book for me in a very long time. Inter-Library Loan books require them to do so as we have to pay the $5 fee at the time; I always have them check those books back in while I watch as those would be a royal pain to sort out otherwise. At the Central Library downtown, there are three places to load the returned items onto a conveyor belt where the RFID tags are read by the computer as "returned", and the items are then sorted into the appropriate next destination by the computer also. I have had the scanner not catch a book right away (still on my account later that day), but those are always sorted out within a day or two.

05-03-2011, 07:19 AM	#22
Anke Wehner Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 177956 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Germany Device: PRS-650	I haven't looked at how much markup there is over sales price, but, generally speaking, charging more for a replacement than the item costs new makes sense to me. Replacement, plus work-time spent ordering and prepping it.

05-03-2011, 01:45 PM	#28
asjogren Addict Posts: 266 Karma: 1378 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Seattle / San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico Device: Kindle & WiFi Nook & PocketBook IQ	Lending eReaders preloaded with eBooks is a good decision for the Publishers who WILL NOT sell eBooks to Public Libraries. Get 5 Kindles (perhaps even used), tie them to one account. Load them up with MacMillan eBooks. And lend 5 copies for every one purchased from Amazon.

05-04-2011, 12:18 PM	#30
dixieknits Addict Posts: 283 Karma: 1011418 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kindle 3, Nook Color	My library and the next county up from me offer the "book-in-a-box" or Play-Away books. It's a small cassette player built in to a box, the size of an old cassette tape more or less. The user inserts his own AAA battery and headphones and the control are on the back. I like them alot. Each provides, speed control, volume, stop and place memory. Our library is starting to get a very large collection.