(78) I hate library fines
My college has the worst library fine system ever.
Case in point. I have an overdue book. I receive an email about it. I read the email, take notice, and delete it. I renew the book online, the fines end, so in total I have $2.00 due. So far, all sweet and dandy, right?
Not quite. The fine is from my college's main graduate library. I mistakenly think it comes from a different graduate library. I make my way to this second library, two bucks ready at hand to pay, and find that no, I have nothing due here, which makes sense. But get this: according to their computer, which is linked to a campus-wide library accounts system, I've already paid my $2.00, an act of which I distinctly do not remember doing. Apparently, I am home free.
However. Two days ago I checked my billing account and saw that there was a $2.00 fine from the graduate library system -- obviously their way of forcing me to pay. I check my account again, immediately -- the $2.00 is still there. I am confused. If, according to the libraries, I have already paid my fine, why am I being charged again? Was this a system error? Did I actually pay? Or is this all a hypnotically induced dream?
In the end, things clear up. I call up the main grad library and find out that their way of handling things is this: you are only allowed to pay the fine for an overdue book at the library itself at the time of return or renewal of the book. If you don't do this, you have to go to the cashier's office and pay it there. They transfer this amount of money not by removing the fine from your library account and depositing it onto the cashier account, but by marking the library fine as paid .
They are stupid assholes.
But unfortunately enough, I can't beat the system, so I make my second trip of the day down to south campus's cashier office building. Oh, the joy of walking.
Case in point. I have an overdue book. I receive an email about it. I read the email, take notice, and delete it. I renew the book online, the fines end, so in total I have $2.00 due. So far, all sweet and dandy, right?
Not quite. The fine is from my college's main graduate library. I mistakenly think it comes from a different graduate library. I make my way to this second library, two bucks ready at hand to pay, and find that no, I have nothing due here, which makes sense. But get this: according to their computer, which is linked to a campus-wide library accounts system, I've already paid my $2.00, an act of which I distinctly do not remember doing. Apparently, I am home free.
However. Two days ago I checked my billing account and saw that there was a $2.00 fine from the graduate library system -- obviously their way of forcing me to pay. I check my account again, immediately -- the $2.00 is still there. I am confused. If, according to the libraries, I have already paid my fine, why am I being charged again? Was this a system error? Did I actually pay? Or is this all a hypnotically induced dream?
In the end, things clear up. I call up the main grad library and find out that their way of handling things is this: you are only allowed to pay the fine for an overdue book at the library itself at the time of return or renewal of the book. If you don't do this, you have to go to the cashier's office and pay it there. They transfer this amount of money not by removing the fine from your library account and depositing it onto the cashier account, but by marking the library fine as paid .
They are stupid assholes.
But unfortunately enough, I can't beat the system, so I make my second trip of the day down to south campus's cashier office building. Oh, the joy of walking.