Library Books

For a life-long book lover and writer, I am terrible when it comes to library books. In 1992 (I was 9) I checked out a pile of books from the library a mere 4 blocks from my house (and this was 1992 so a kid could walk 4 blocks without their parents getting arrested for child endangerment) and I didn't return them for 6 years. I remember it was a handful of Boxcar Children mysteries and a collection of ghost stories.

 For 6 years these books sat on my shelf, not lost, perfectly safe. Finally in high school, when it became my own responsibility to buy my books and not my mother's, I returned the books (with some weird looks from the librarian) and got my card re-instated. But I couldn't hold on to that card to save my life and eventually the refused to give me a new one and they had to look me up in the computer every time I came in.

 Don't even get me started on the library policy at the university I went to. You could keep books all fucking semester, so there was no rush or reminder that they needed to go back. I would find the books in the middle of the summer from early on the semester before. I had to pay fines before they would let me graduate.

 As soon as I moved to Columbus I got a library card and made one trip, but it was kind of far away and Columbus traffic makes me nervous. Long story short, I was eventually sent a letter from a collection agency. I paid it, and I haven't been back since. Okay, full disclosure: Akron library has sent me to collections once or twice too. I'm thinking if I ever get a library card again it should probably be only to borrow ebooks. :/ I'm a terrible person. Forgive me. (And think of all the money I've given the library all these years to buy new books.)