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Comment by pmoriarty | Hacker News Reader

I keep forgetting to return my library books, and wind up paying huge library fees, over and over again. I'm sure the library appreciates it, and I only have myself to blame, but I wish there was a better way.

I don't use any of the "extra services" like computers (except for the catalog), meeting rooms, etc. 90% of the time I just read physical books. Occasionally I get a DVD or audiobook CD.

It's nice that libraries have ebooks available these days, but I never check those out because they require me to use DRM readers. If they were plain PDF's I'd definitely use them.

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My local library lets you check out books in 3-week intervals.

They let you renew each checkout twice, for a total of 9-weeks.

They email you when a book is coming up due, so you can click to renew it.

They have a drop-off bin (like a bank's night deposit), so you can turn in your books safely if you can't get there during regular hours.

If that's not reasonable or convenient enough, then sheesh... just buy books. But if anyone's life or behavioral habits are so chaotic that buying retail books is cheaper than library borrowing, then I have to wonder how they manage to survive adulthood in general.

Huge fees? The late fees at my library are $0.10 a day...

If you check out multiple books at once, they add up quick. 20 books, a week late and you're looking @ $14 fine :)

Also, our local library system charges $1/day for CDs and DVD's....

I've made my fair share of "forced" monetary contributions to our local library, but it's money well spent.

Well if you forget to return 20 books I can't say i'm hugely sympathetic to your need for them.

Two parents, two kids, a few books each.. Fees at my local library growing up were $0.25 per item per day

Some libraries don't have late fees for kids books (when rented on child's library card), or at least much longer borrow times...

Don't return 20 books a week late!

I wonder if libraries could work out some deal, like Amazon Prime, where you're not charged late fees or get an extension.

Some libraries are beginning to abandon late fees: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2017/02/librar...

My library will send me an email just before my loans are due, giving me time to extend the loans, you should check if they offer it, I don't think they're that militant about capturing patrons email's so only those that have volunteered an email get the reminder.

(They used to send me letters, but only after I was overdue).

My wife makes regularly scheduled trips to the library and always pick up her books on the same day. This way you don't have to deal with books expiring at different times. Simply check on the day you're scheduled to go and return the books that are almost due.

It's nice that libraries have ebooks available these days, but I never check those out because they require me to use DRM readers. If they were plain PDF's I'd definitely use them.

Depending on your legal/moral stance, DRM strippers could be an option.

The newer Amazon kindle DRM hasn't been cracked yet.

At least my library only charges a nominal fee for late books — something stupid like 1-5¢/day. They don't have a profit motive and would rather you just return books on time (or get an extension) so other patrons can access the material.

If your fees really are significant you should check if your library system has a forgiveness day. In my local system there is one every year where you can return your books with no fees.

So wait, they're incentivizing people with overdue books to wait on average 6 months before returning them?

Wouldn't it make more sense to make "forgiveness day" simply a day where your late fees are, say, 95% discounted or something?

> So wait, they're incentivizing people with overdue books to wait on average 6 months before returning them?

In my public library system, at least, you can't check out new books when carrying more than $5 in fines. (I forget whether you have to return the books, or just pay the current balance.) Thus, it's not quite as simple an incentive system as that.

You're an outlier. You have both a habit - forgetting to check-in books - and a preference - for un-protected media - that combine to thwart libraries from serving you. Millennials grew up with habits that are more-compatible with the way libraries work these days.

Put the due date in your calendar...

There is a better way - put it in your calendar or something. Not a problem that needs technology.

you should check to see if your library has online services - mine lets you renew online, even if it is overdue (unless there's a waiting list).

> you should check to see if your library has online services - mine lets you renew online, even if it is overdue (unless there's a waiting list).

I can't resist mentioning my library's bizarre set-up here: if books are due on day X, but are in the drop-box at the time of opening on the next open day (for that branch, so one can game the system a bit by returning to branches that are closed on particular days), then they are counted as having been returned on time.

Once, I took advantage of this, but, just to be on the safe side, also renewed the book online. (I've had problems, usually eventually resolved, with re-shelvers forgetting to mark the books as checked in, so that fines accumulate for a day or two.) It was treated as overdue. When I asked about this, they told me that it was the intended functionality of the system.

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