when DNFs fight back

I am a library person. Right now, 100% of the books I read come from my local library. My holds list is a source of joy and I’m so grateful that the library part of a system that will get me books from other libraries and allow me to request books that aren’t currently in any of the catalogs.

 

Over the last 2 months, I’ve had a library experience that I’ve never had before, and it threw my routine into such a tizzy. And I say that as someone who just got a puppy and lives in chaos. 

Months ago, I had gotten on the hold list for the sequel to very popular book club read from a couple of years ago. I had mildly enjoyed the first book and just like to put in holds for sequels because the list gets so long. The book finally landed with me in late July and I saved it for our family vacation in New Hampshire in early August. 

Unfortunately, I read the first chapter the day before we left and absolutely knew it was not for me. It very well may be for lots and lots of people, but it was not vibing with where I’m at in life and what I’ve been through in recent years. I remember this so clearly because I had a whole talk with the Mr. about it and that day I went and returned it early and picked up additional holds to take on vacation with us. I remember shaking my head as I put it into the hold slot at the front desk of the library annoyed that I waited so long for something I wasn’t even going to read.

Then, we went on vacation and life began life-ing, and I kept reading through the books I had picked up. My MO is when I finish a book in a series, I update my Goodreads and my Story Graph and then I go immediately and put the next book on hold. That’s when I noticed it: I had a higher number in the checkouts on the app than I had books in my library pile. When I went and looked at it, the sequel I had returned was showing as still checked out and quite close to being overdue.

Normally, I would’ve been horrified, but while I was recovering from my surgery, there was an instance where the Mr. had returned to book for me, and it got shelved before it got checked in. I assume something similar had happened. So, the next time I went to pick up my holds, I went up to the front desk and asked the very nice library and who wears amazing cardigans if he could see what had happened because I was absolutely sure I had returned the book 

I should’ve known something was wrong when he didn’t make his usual jokes or recommendations as he did his research. The sequel have been transferred from a different library and not only was it not showing as checked in at that library, it was also not showing that it had ever been dropped off at my library. It had disappeared. 

He explained in these instances that they were normally tell me to go look at home and try and find it, but I knew I had returned it. I could buy a matching copy and see if the owning library would take that, I could pay the fine for the book once the checkout was officially deemed late and I was fined, or I could have a permanent mark on my library record in protest, which may impact how my holds work in the future, as well as my checkouts.

A. Permanent. Mark. 

This is kind of where my brain exploded. 

Basically, I had to wait until the book was not only officially overdue, but passed overdue and fine-able. Then, I bought a copy of the book with the same ISBN. My library then had to send it to the library that owned the book after negotiating with them that this would take care of the lost book. Then, I had to wait for the book to arrive there and be processed. 

During this time, I could not check out books or put them on hold. It made me so sad. This felt like such a punishment! My routine was all off - i’d hear about or read about a book. I’d want to add to the list and go into the app and just get angry all over again when I wasn’t allowed to put it on hold. I’ll never take that for granted again!

Last Thursday, I did my daily check of the library app and the ban had been lifted! I quickly re-held all the books I had been keeping on so many lists in so many places. On Tuesday, I nervously went into the library to pick up my holds and one of the wonderful librarians looked at me and said “I’m so glad this is over” in such a kind way. I felt so seen and so excited when she handed me a pile of five books!

Have you ever lost a library book?