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Saved 12/07/10 to The Mommy Club

Lost library book. What would you do?

5

My darling 7-year-old loves going to the library. So do I, but on our last visit we ran into trouble. She couldn't check out her book selections because she (and by that I mean we, or really I) hadn't returned a book checked out months ago. "It must be lost," the librarian said. "It'll by $26 to replace." I was sure if we looked hard enough we could find it, so she gave us a three week grace period. We have torn our house apart looking to no avail. The book has disappeared in the ether.

I want my daughter to learn to respect the library and its books. So my first thought was to have her use her piggy bank money, but I don't want to bankrupt her. Her plan was the we split the bill and that she pay $6. What would you do?

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sarahinparis sarahinparis
You might also ask if you can bring in a new copy of the book. Sometimes libraries have a general book replacement policy where ALL lost books are charged the same fee, no matter how much it cost to replace the item. This means that books that costs MORE than the $26 would still only be charged the $26. Ask your librarian if its possible for you to bring in a new copy of the item. Librarians are generally very understanding (and happy you're using the library!), so it doesn't hurt to ask.
My MIL just retired this summer from a career as a librarian and she had a great attitude about books.....books are made to be shared and enjoyed, and sometimes crap happens to them! She was never concerned over kids loosing books or something happening to them like water and younger siblings and such. So long as people were up front and honest and regretful as soon as they realized the problem, she was ok with most things. Of course, if it's a brand new book and was a pricey book, you were exprected to help with replacement. Honestly, if you/yoru child checked the book out months ago, you should be held accountable! If you'd realized quickly and spoken up about it, it might not be the issue it is now.
RoaringSilence RoaringSilence
I like the idea of making her pay part of it.
lickety split lickety split
$26???? Jeez, what kind of book was that? I think I'd just pay it and tell her that next time it was on her.
amber512 amber512
I'd pay for it, but have my child do chores around the house to "pay" me back.