Sorry seems to be the hardest word...

[dyddgu]

Occasionally readers actually apologise for bringing their books in overdue, with fines on &c. My normal reaction to people apologising for things is to say "no problem" or "don't worry about it". But that seems wrong in this case - after all, it isn't OK to bring books in overdue, that's why we charge fines

Comments

[midnightmelody]

From my own experience, I will inevitably end up with books which are a day or so overdue at any library. What happens then depends entirely on how library staff usually handle it. If I think I'll get told off in any way, I'll sit on the books for much longer than if I won't be. The library staff aren't to blame for telling me off, because I did something wrong, but they do influence my behaviour hugely.

I guess it depends on what proportion of your readers are genuinely sorry and understand that it affects other readers - because those ones already feel guilty, so it's better to acknowledge that they've done a good thing in bringing them back (albeit late) than to scare them.

[dyddgu]

I get a lot of readers who sit on the books, thinking I/we will tell them off; similarly, dump-and-runs happen for that reason too, I reckon. But I've never heard any one of us here tell someone off for bringing back lates; they get overdue emails once a week, then a stern-ish letter when the fines get astronomical, but that's about it. It's perplexing.
I've only ever given what I might think of as a row twice, and both of those times were for utterly outrageous infractions that actuallly had nothing to do with lates.
*is puzzled*

[midnightmelody]

That's really interesting! I wonder what's going on in their heads.

[dyddgu]

Possibly the same ostrich thing I do given half a chance, to be fair ;-)

[dyddgu]

I'd say it's 50:50 sickness/other reason : just wanting the books for longer and forgetting to renew them. Generally I find when someone's been ill or got another reason for being late, they tell me the whole story :-)

[dyddgu]

Oh, absolutely, I'd rather that than the ones who yell at me for charging them 10p.

[dyddgu]

*weeps*
My most blazing rows have been not with the people who owe c.£100+, but the ones who owe 10p. I never understood that.

[ex_mizzadam]

over due books was the rest of my statement

[dyddgu]

There are a lot of times when people come in expecting a fine and there isn't one. I generally offer to take their cash myself at that point ;-)