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WFMW: Keeping Up With Library Books
Do you have trouble keeping up with library books? Are your fines getting large enough that you are worried the library police may show up at your door? (Don't laugh, this has actually happened). What would you say if I told you I have only once paid an overdue library fine and I am honestly still not sure how it happened. I think the library made an error, but I had no way to prove it, so I just paid what they said I owed.
Well, here is what we do. Our library is set up where we can view the list of books we have checked out by going online. So even though they give me a lovely receipt when I check my books out, that always ends up in the recycling bin. We keep up with our books via the Internet.
We go to the library the same day each week. Currently, that day is Tuesday. When we come home with our treasures, we have a place beside a bookshelf in our den where books are displayed. Katrina has a stack and Jack has a stack. We place our library bag beside their stacks. When they finish a book, it goes into the bag. I started this with them when they are young and they are good about following through with it.
Then on Tuesday morning, I will pull up each of our accounts and see if anything is due that day. If it isn't in the bag, I will see if I can renew it. If i can't renew it because someone else has a hold or we have already renewed it once, I pull it out of the kid's stack and put it into the bag and off to the library it goes.
That's what works for me! I hope it will be helpful to you! If you have tips you would like to share or if you want to read other great ideas, go check out this weeks Works For Me Wednesday at Rocks in My Dryer!
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I really need to do this! I have funded a second wing on our library with the fees and fines I regularly pay. It's ridiculous!!
Thanks for the great tip! I used to never really mind paying our fees because I figure that just means more books for us. Now, with as many as 40 books out at a time, those fees can really add up! Love the bag idea - don't know why I hadn't thought of it!!
what an excellent well organized tip thanks
What a lovely idea. Too bad in our household it doesn't work. I have tried, oh hw Ihave tried, but my kids are home all day and like to read all the time and too often they forget to bring a book down in the morning or they have a cd they are listening to, yet again. We do use the library online which helps except that sometimes a book has disappeared and we don't have time to look, and sometimes.... never mind. We are too disorganized. I like to think of he fines as a way of donating to the library. :)
this is something i really need to work on. our library books need a designated shelf.
That's great organization. We have a library backpack too. Thank you for sharing, I'll be using your bookshelf idea too.
Library books are the bane of my existence. Thanks for the tip.
I love your system. It's very similar to ours, except for the online part :)
Great ideas...I've just started using the online library renewal system- it's great!
What a wonderful tip! Especially after I just posted last week about how awesome it is to be able to renew and look up books to check out online! Thanks for sharing this tip. Ta for now dahling!
*goes to find a shelf and bag*
This is a great idea. We've recently started a Library Day at our house too, but we haven't gotten the return thing down yet. :)