I know there are some librarians here.

[NotUrsula]

Just wanted to comment on this. Libraries ARE able to purchase but BN and Amazon, direct from publishers, from independant bookstore whereever. BUT they usually will buy books from a library wholesaler. The books from the wholesaler may cost a bit more but they come to the library ready to put on the shelf. If the library were to buy a copy from BN or Amazon, they have to wait for the book to arrive, then they have to cover the books, re-enforce the spine, enter it into their system, bar code it and then put it on the shelf. it's a lot of man power to do that but they can cut time and work out by purchasing from the wholesaler.

Just FYI, Amazon does processing, too. They charge $.50 an item for it, though of course you do have to set up a profile in advance.

Jobbers (our name for the wholesalers) actually cannot deliver as fast as Amazon on new orders. The ability to get a book on the shelf the day that it is published requires pre-ordering; if I just order a book off the backlist it normally takes about 2 weeks from that point until it arrives.

I usually order my rush items from Amazon, because they are WAY faster than my jobber and often cheaper, too, because this is a special library and we don't buy much hardcopy any more, the volume isn't sufficient to get me a decent discount. (Jobbers normally discount the retail price anywhere from 25-50%, depending on how much money the library spends with them. The extra cost for a lost book isn't usually about paying the wholesaler for processing; it is meant as a deterrant for people who treat library collections as if they were out-of-print bookstores.)

 

[NotUrsula]

I read an article sometime in the last year that in these tough economic times some libraries are sending collection companies after people! I certainly don't think you should pay if you returned it but maybe keep an eye on your credit report?

Oh, it isn't new; we've been using collection agencies for decades. The usual rule is that there is a value threshhold that has to be met to make it worth sending the account to the agency. At most libraries $50 won't trigger that threshhold, but it isn't impossible. (Library collection agencies charge a flat fee per account and we get the rest; it is usually about $10. Most of the time just getting the letter from them causes people to pay the bill, so they are making a nice profit.)

 

[mrsklamc]

Fortunately the book in question is a recently released hardback for adults so hopefully nothing special binding wise, and $15.95 on amazon.

 

[NewCrew42]

I'm just mortified. I seem to have misplaced a library book. This has NEVER happened to me before. I thought I remembered something about library books being special editions so it's more than just the regular cost of a book to replace. Is that correct?

I have had this happen twice, except we didn't misplace the book.

The first time I was sent a bill for $50 for a book on birds that we checked out for DD's 2nd grade report on birds. I nearly flipped out. We had returned the book. I KNEW we had returned the book. So I go to our local library branch and speak to the librarian. So she suggests that we check the shelf and lo and behold, there's the book on the shelf, the library failed to check it in upon return.

The next time, we received a bill and I go to the library because I was pretty sure we had turned in this book as well. Well, we check the shelf and no book. So the library does some sort of report and places a whole system search on the book. Three weeks later, I receive a letter stating the library found the book and all late fees and book charge are cleared from my account.

I hope this works out.

As someone else suggested search high and low in your car. The things we have found under the seats!