I currently have 53 items on my hold list at the library Can you tell I'm planning for next school year? I haven't used the library too much in the past, but I think I will utilize it quite a bit this year.
I finally made it to our library and got a card. Just seemed to forgot when we moved, but I am determined to make good use of them too.
Well, it IS national Library Week! LOL I just signed both my kids up for their own cards (so they have to pay their own late fees if they forget a book on library day) I feel kinda bad I haven't used the library much before now LOL but I plan on using it PLENTY as we homeschool next year and are a VERY limited income (unemployment) so FREE is good! LOL I won't be buying curriculum per say, I did buy a couple of unit studies I thought he'd like (for $1 each) and there are tons of free resources online and the library, well, that's free too!
I have a love/hate relationship with my library. I love that we can check out anything and read about everything, but I hate that I always return them late or loose them! It's a good thing our library doesn't have late fees...or lost fees. I just returned a book 2 days ago that I lost back in October!
We use our library all the time! In fact we have 2 in our town and use them both. Are the books you have on hold for reading or school curriculum? I hope you get to read all 53!!
Since I wrote this I have added a bunch. The 53 are science related books. I am putting together a science curriculum for my oldest son and need to figure out what books are worth buying and what are worth borrowing. I've just gone through and added some history ones, but they are for this school year. My little girl likes to yell out letters or numbers when she is in the library so I can't hang around there long. Putting things on hold makes sense. I haven't used the library much in the past, but I spend a lot of money on books that are found at the library. At the end of the school year I don't want to sell them because they are great books. Maybe using the library will save lots of money.
I consider my late fees to be my regular donation to the library's operating fund. The librarians are always so grateful when I cheerfully pull out my wallet and pay up without argument. It's usually still cheaper than buying the book!
Between the five of us in my family, we have 8 cards for four different systems! Five ar for the system we use the most (one per person; my children all got card on their 2nd birthday!), I have one for two other systems that I use occasionally, and my husband has a card for another system. One of the "secondary" systems has no fines, but accept donations. We seldom use it, because it's quite a distance from us. I got the card a while back when Rachael was taking a class at a church right up from there. Both girls will be taking a class again next year, so I'll probably put it to use again. It's an older library and has lots of the older books that other systems have gotten rid of, such as the Landmark books. Another one has a fine limit of $1, which I feel is ridiculous. I don't go there very much, either, even though it's closer. Our "primary" system allows you to read off your fines twice a year. (These are for overdue fines only; if a book is lost, you still have to pay for it!) One branch is within biking distance of our house, but I don't like it. We go to a branch that's a bit further, but the librarians are all so wonderful and know my kids by name. If anyone questioned my homeschooling in the courts, I truely believe I could get them to testify for me!
I love and hate them too. I always late returning them or something. All our libraries have late fees and lost fees. You lose it you pay for the book. Late fees are 10cent a day on books 1 dollar for movies and games. Also we can only have them for 2 weeks sometimes that is not long enough for me. I ask about teacher cards don't do them... So, many times I take them back wait for them to put it back on the shelf and then check it out again for another 2 weeks. But, that is a bother to do sometimes.
You know, Kris, we were reading "The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt By Day" for history. We got it from one of our "secondary" libraries; they didn't have it anywhere else. I went to renew it, and found out that I couldn't; someone else had a request on it. I told the guy from the library on the phone that it was for school (the Reformation), and such. He told me just to wait, and he'd get back with me. He called back about a half-hour later to tell me the book had been renewed for me!!! Well, the person who had the reserve on it was actually someone who worked at the library. He talked with her, explained that we were partly finished and were reading it for school, and she said she'd wait until we finished!
53 holds? I am soooo jealous! We used to be able to place tons of holds, but they changed the policy to save money. Now we can only place 5 holds at a time. It gets very frustrating. I can use that many holds for one class. They also raised fines to 25 cents per book per day. I don't complain about it when I do have a late fee because we really have the best system ever. A couple times when they didn't have a book I wanted, I requested they buy it and they did! We usually go to the branch closest to us every Monday. I think it's the single best use of our tax payer dollars and I happily pay that portion of our bill. They are also homeschool friendly in that if you are studying a certain topic...like Egypt. You tell them the age range of materials and they will pull a tub of books, videos, etc about Egypt! I haven't tried it, but my sister in law does it all the time.
How many cards do you have? There are five of us in the family with a card. So if you could put five holds on each card..... Also, some districts allow teachers special privledges. Some include homeschoolers in this, some don't. I'd ask!
Good to know i'm not the only one. We have 5 cards and I can never remember what is due when. Even if I keep the little slips.
Our library sends e-mail reminders. I have all of them sent to MY e-mail, except for Rachael. That has made life SO MUCH easier!!!
I love to use our library. I can place books onhold online-and I have 2 choices which are close. The only problem is that I have to wait for long periods of time as my libraries are small and all the seriously fab books go to the big branches. The only reason I don't get late fees (cuz Iused to!!) is now the youngest 2 go to storytime once a week so I give the books to Nana and she drops them. Thank goodness too-I was starting to think i should just send a blank check to the library.
It did get to over 100 holds, but it is now down to 80 something because I got a bunch of library holds today. The last city I lived in only allowed a handful of holds. I like being able to just drop in and pick up what I want.
You know-I have actually used the holds section for educational dvd's. Then I find the books that go with and they all come at once and TA-DAH, I have a mini unit. We did just that for our history lessons (ancient history this year as history isn't required...."social studies" is - NOT the same thing.)
