• Book returned to Chicago library after 78 years
    22 replies, posted
[url]http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/31/us-usa-library-brite-idUSBRE87U1BD20120831[/url] [quote=Reuters]A Chicago-area woman wanted to return an overdue copy of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" to the Chicago Public Library, but first she wanted to be sure she wouldn't go to jail. That's because the book, a rare limited edition of the Oscar Wilde novel, was checked out in 1934. Harlean Hoffman Vision found it in her late mother's possessions, with a Chicago Public Library stamp. The library is conducting a rare three-week amnesty program for overdue items, and Vision figured this was her chance to return the book, said Ruth Lednicer, the library's marketing director. The books was returned Thursday. "She kept saying, 'You're not going to arrest me?' and we said, 'No, we're so happy you brought it back'," said Lednicer. Vision didn't know the library caps late fines at $10 on books -- without the cap and the amnesty, total fines on "Dorian Gray" would have amounted to $6,000. The last amnesty was held 20 years ago, and resulted in the return of 77,000 items.[/quote]
too bad The Picture of Dorian Gray is a terrible book
I want to know how much the late fee was. oh wait it says
I have a book that someone in my family took out of my school in the 1960's when my school was only a girls school.
Amnesty for books? I had no idea that was even a thing. :v:
[QUOTE=elevator13;37515788]too bad The Picture of Dorian Gray is a terrible book[/QUOTE] Too bad you're a bad poster.
Snip why do I even bother?
Death penalty for whoever harboured the overdue book!
[IMG]http://puu.sh/11v61[/IMG] "Let me tell you something, funny boy... You know that little stamp? The one that says New York Public Library? Well, that may not mean anything to you, but that means a lot to me. One whole helluva lot. Sure, go ahead, laugh if you want to. I've seen your type before -- flashy, making the scene, flaunting convention. Yeah, I know what you're thinking... Why's this guy making such a big stink about old library books? Let me give you a hint, junior. Maybe we can live without libraries, people like you and me.... Maybe. Sure, we're too old to change the world. What about that kid, sitting down, opening a book right now in a branch of the local library and finding pictures of pee-pees and wee-wees in The Cat in the Hat and The Five Chinese Brothers. Doesn't he deserve better? Look, if you think this is about overdue fines and missing books, you'd better think again. This is about that kid's right to read a book without getting his mind warped. Or maybe that turns you on, Seinfeld... Maybe that's how you get your kicks... You and your goodtime buddies... I've got a flash for you, joy boy. Partytime is over."
[QUOTE]The last amnesty was held 20 years ago, and resulted in the return of 77,000 items.[/QUOTE] Holy shit, they should do that more often then.
[QUOTE=mac338;37517318]Holy shit, they should do that more often then.[/QUOTE] Yeah except marginalizing the punishment does less good overall
[QUOTE=Greenen72;37517380]Yeah except marginalizing the punishment does less good overall[/QUOTE] I get the problem with it but the prize is so important for the survival of the library anyway. A library without books is no fun.
I wonder if it just had a slip of paper in with due dates and such or whether it had a stamp on since if it was just a slip of paper that could be removed I don't think I'd be in such a hurry to give back a rare book.
I have plenty of books from a library I haven't returned in 10 years. Good thing I moved to a different country years ago.
I still have a shitty poetry-collection book I borrowed in elementary school in the early '90s for some school-project. Or rather, my parents have it somewhere, I didn't take it with me when I moved out. :v:
[I]The Picture of Dorian Gray[/I]. We read that in my Multi-Cultural Literature class. Well, we read part of it. Or at least I did. The teacher realized nobody was reading it and everyone was doing really poorly on the quizzes, and just gave up on the book. He was a pretty cool teacher.
[QUOTE=mac338;37517541]I get the problem with it but the prize is so important for the survival of the library anyway. A library without books is no fun.[/QUOTE] and a library without money is better [editline]3rd September 2012[/editline] and people with the attitude of "well I'm a week overdue so i guess i can hold onto this book until the end of the year"
[QUOTE=Greenen72;37521930]and a library without money is better [editline]3rd September 2012[/editline] and people with the attitude of "well I'm a week overdue so i guess i can hold onto this book until the end of the year"[/QUOTE] I suppose that's the problem with having a cap on late fees. Once you reach the cap you're in no rush to bring it back. Then again without a cap once the fees get ridiculous you're just going to not bother ever bringing it back. Lose-lose situation.
[QUOTE=DrLuckyLuke;37516652]Too bad you're a bad poster.[/QUOTE] "he has a different opinion therefore he's a bad poster"
I have a library book from my elementary school, middle school, and high school that I never turned in. I don't know how I got away with that.
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