The Conundrum of Overdue Library Books

One of the great virtues of Easter was a decision I was going to use it in part (as it was involving lots of long trips) to get through my latest public library overdue library books (everyone shout ‘hurrah’ in various forms of relief). Thus I have a neat tidy pile, all read and enjoyed, in work with me this morning to take back at lunchtime through the Glaswegian Deluge.

I am usually conflicted on the subject of overdues. 

Old Habits Die Hard

On the one hand I’m a librarian so it may be thought that we should be a bit better about getting things read and back on time than the rest of the population. Long experience tells me this is utterly untrue for many people, and I’m not the only one by far.

Part of my head has a particularly librarian-like justification well worked out. It goes that I may be late, but my fine money (if I’m very lucky) just might go back to the Library service itself rather than into the wider Council. If so then at least my tardiness is adding to the coffers.

However, as soon as I look at this argument in actual typeface for a second it occurs that the admin time spent on it more than cancels this out even if so. So it’s not exactly winning a towering argument contest…

I suppose therefore I should attempt to change my habitual ways on the matter.

The Mindset Is The Thing…

When I consider scheduling return dates along with everything else in my calendar and setting reminders it somehow seems a lot more ‘To Do List’ than it does Rest and Recreation. This has always been a fatal stumbling block to attempting it that way.

Yet on considering it properly I know that this isn’t always the case. There is a relevant exception. I do a CILIP Carnegie Medal Shadowing Group, and where that’s concerned I basically aim for reading a book a week and mostly succeed. They’re mostly sourced from my local Library network, are read and returned efficiently, and with enjoyment, and I get it all done within Carnegie dates. The need to plan and schedule doesn’t actually detract from the enjoyment of the material itself. In fact I like the feeling of progress having been made and being within the timescales I’ve given myself.

Therefore overall it’s a mindset issue.  My ‘Carnegie’ rule can apply equally to the rest of my Library reading (to a milder extent, I don’t need the same overall speed for) and scheduling and calendar entries are okay.

Brave New World?!

On which happy note I have just renewed my Glasgow University Library books (on the brink of going overdue without reading, no surprise there!) and will use them as an experiment on the subject.

Though it'll have to be done in tandem with the 2012 Carnegie Shortlist Reading announced at the start of this month, as that's the next priority for the reading list.