Can I eat in the public library?
It depends on the library. Some allow "tidy" food that won't leave crumbs, some will allow anything, some allow no food and no drinks. It's not because librarians hate food or want to make you miserable, it's because food can cause all kinds of problems--crumbs attract insects, food smells can bother other patrons, drinks can spill and ruin a book or computer--you get the picture. When you get to the library, look on or near the front door. If you see a "no food or drink" sign, then leave it outside or keep it in your backpack. If there's no sign, be polite and ask before you break out that Subway sandwich. Librarians really appreciate when patrons are considerate of other people, and you never know when you might have a question you need a librarian to answer.
How would you return a book if the library is renovating?
Usually libraries have different plans for when they are renovating so it’s best to just call your local branch. Typically they have an alternate plan for patrons to return library materials if you cannot use the drop box that is library specific.
What will happen if you are banned from the public library?
Ban usually means ban - you can't go there, be there, visit there, and certainly not allowed to check out books [you'd have to be there to get/return said books]. Public or not, if you've been banned it's usually for good reason and it's not illegal for them to make that determination for the safety and welfare of the library and its members. If you have questions regarding the policies of a particular library, you'd really have to ask them. Sometimes it depends on the offense - and I'm sure someone will explain the parameters to you, if they haven't already.
How often do you return your library books late?
In the last few years, never. But when my kids were young…I used to allow my kids up to 10 books each at the library. 10 books X 3 kids = 30 books plus whatever I'd check out. This was okay for quite a while. Until that fateful visit to the library.We had turned in our books first thing. Then we got ready to check out. The librarian takes my card, paused and said: “You have some fines". Ok. Not terribly unusual. How much? “$125”, he replied. WHAT!!! Yep. $125.We were struggling financially and that was a lot of money for us back in the 90s. The librarian and I worked out a deal for me to make payments. If not, then we couldn't use the library. The thought of not being able to access the library was horrible. So, every month for quite a few months, I would make sure to make payments on that fine.Of course, Mom’s generous book limit was curtailed quite a bit and I devised a way to keep track of the library's books separate from our own books. We survived just fine, but walking into the library and discovering that huge fine has definitely had an impact on my library policy.
How much does it cost to build a library?
If you mean turning a room of your house into a library, it would not be a very expensive project. You'd want some elegant-looking bookshelves, good adjustable lighting and some comfortable chairs. A rack of some kind to hold newspapers, magazines and other periodicals would be nice too. You'd want it to be a quiet environment. Depending on what furniture you choose, and how handy you are, I'd think the whole thing could be done for under $5,000, and maybe a lot less. I'm not including the cost of the books. If you're talking about building a public library for your community, that's a different kettle of fish.
Do you return library books Before, on, or after the due date?
On time, for the most part. Even if I get late in returning, it is not by more than 1 day. I’m not sure whether I’m supposed to consider renewing books in my answer, but I tend to renew the issued books A LOT, simply because I usually issue more books than I can read at any given point of time. I do, however, make sure to renew them on the due date.
What would happen if I never return a book from a library?
At our library, we would send you several overdue notices. You would accrue daily fines for the book. Eventually, our Director has a day when she marks all the books that are overdue over a certain period of time (I don't know what it is-perhaps a year?) And she'll mark the books “Patron Lost” in the system. The next time you come in, your account would show a “fine” for the amount the book is worth - so you can replace it.Now, in our library, all you have to do to clear that fine is to replace the book. Even buying a “like new” copy on Amazon and bringing it in will suffice. I know other libraries have different rules as to fines and replacement policies, but these are ours. Also, we do not charge overdue fines if you are replacing the book.
I've noticed the decline in Public libraries from like 5 years ago,even some closing. Today there are less people. Years agos you would see many people using a computer or reading a book. What can we do to make the public libraries popular again?
The question is “I've noticed the decline in Public libraries from like 5 years ago., even some closing. Today there are less people. Years agos you would see many people using a computer or reading a book. What can we do to make the public libraries popular again?”I haven’t noticed this. My public library (https:/aadl.org) publishes annual reports with things like door-counts, etc.AADL Annual Report 2015-2016Annual Report 2016-2017(Nothing more recent, but there’s more reports going back to the mid 2000s.)My local public library works hard at being more than a place to checkout and read books or work a computer. Some are high mindedly community oriented (like providing meeting spaces and presentation spaces.) Some are more basically community oriented - like hosting excellent cafes.Some of it is governance - my public library (actually called a district library) has it’s own taxing authority & millage. It doesn’t compete for funds within a city government (or county or state government.) It’s board of trustees is elected, not appointed. It appeals directly to the voters for funding.Another part is community support - Ann Arbor knows it has a gem of a public library system and is generally supportive of it (although not always.) The library runs frequent book sales - mostly from books donated to the library. And the local meeting spaces and presentation spaces help create community too.It also used to be part of the public school system - although changes in Michigan law resulted in them being split about 10–15 years ago. But that heritage of being part of the public school system still affects the how the library is perceived and used.My local library sees utilization increasing - enough to be expanding and renovating the main library and the branches. But that desire to expand and renovate is also moderated by the governance and funding model - it has to plan carefully and make good cases for the tax funds it collects.Yes, Ann Arbor is a progressive and Democratic stronghold - but there are (real) conservative voices who remind us to be practical (as opposed to fake conservative voices who want to control other people’s lives, steal from the poor and give to the rich.)
What problems can eBooks cause for libraries?
Although readership of ebooks via tablets or dedicated ereaders (Kindle and Nook) continues to rise (now about 50% of readers), adoption of ebooks by libraries still faces challenges. For libraries, issues have been with publishers and copyright. In the beginning, publishers were reluctant to provide ebooks to libraries because “they are not in the business of giving them away.” However, library patrons have been squeaky wheels, and the ability to borrow ebooks is surging. Most public libraries use Overdrive as the portal through which ebooks are managed and delivered. The challenge is, how many copies of the ebook should be made available to avoid huge waiting lists for borrowing rights to popular ebooks? Is there research available to show that borrowers eventually become buyers? That’s a fertile area for continuing research. It would be a great subject for a paper.Check out the American Library Association for more information.Once again, your library card remains the key to the kingdom.