Welcome to this, our mini newsletter, Renewal!
Because HPLD items can be renewed 3 times in most cases, the format of this newsletter is one story, The Checkout, and three smaller news items, the renewals.
Nothing better than explaining the cute format you decided on three issues ago and are now stuck with, eh?
Oh, well. Onward!
Checkout: HPLD Goes Viral
Is it safe to use the term “viral” now that we’re in 2024? The phrase “going viral” was REALLY not something you wanted to use too often for a few years there.
Anyway!
You might’ve seen your friendly neighborhood HPLD show up in any number of national and international news sources in the last week or so, (over)due to an item that was returned VERY late.
How late?
30-some years!
That’s right, a patron checked out this book, Psychedelics by Bernard Aaronson, in the 1980’s, and returned it to Riverside Library & Cultural Center last week.
Riverside didn’t even exist when this book was checked out! Although, in fairness, the only HPLD branch library this could’ve gone to that would’ve been in the same spot since the late 80’s would be Centennial Park Library.
We’ve gotten quite a few questions about this item, so let’s do a quick FAQ:
Q: Is the item going back on the shelves?
A: No, it won’t be hitting the shelves, and this is for a few reasons:
- It’s not a book that’s really in demand. I mean, yes, this particular copy is now suddenly in demand, but not because of its contents, because of its fame. Which isn’t a totally invalid reason for wanting to check out a book, but we’ve got a better option (see item #2 on this list).
- We try to keep our collection very current so that we’re presenting you all with the best possible information on a variety of topics. HPLD functions less like an archive, more like a current resource. No shade on archives, they have their place and their audience, but because of space constraints and the desire to make information-seeking easier, HPLD is more on the current information vibe. THAT BEING SAID, we offer services like Prospector and Interlibrary Loan so that you can acquire more obscure, older, historical documents and items that are of interest. These services are free, fast, and really great at hooking you up with hard-to-find stuff!
- We are busily working on a new “institutional archive” that’ll hold items related to HPLD’s history, and this book is going to be a star attraction. This is a relatively new endeavor for us, stay tuned.
Q: What happens to super overdue items normally?
A: For the most part, items returned this overdue are not added back into the collection because they’ve either fallen out of interest, are outdated, or are something that’s a perennial favorite, so we’ve replaced it with a newer copy sometime in the last 30 years. Maybe replaced it a few times.
On the rare occasion we get something SUPER old back in the old book drop, usually the OUTSIDE book drop when it comes to stuff like this, we will usually look into the item a bit to make sure we’re not getting rid of an important, valuable, or super rare resource, then end up recycling them.
Q; What’s the fine on something like that?
A: It’d be something like $700-$1,400 dollars, depending on whether we went with a 5-cent fine or a 10-cent fine per day, or maybe did one for a little while, then switched to the other.
Buuuut, HPLD, like most libraries, stops charging late fees at the point where the late fee amount is higher than the cost to replace the book. It doesn’t really make sense to pay $700 for a book that we could replace for $15, right?
I mean, it’d be nice. If the funds went into a newsletter writer’s vacation piggy bank, the argument in favor of those high dollar fines could be made…
HPLD has been fine free for quite a while now. What this means is that you don’t get late fees for bringing stuff back late. However, we do still charge for items that are never returned. This has worked for us as a balance between not punishing people for late returns (most info on this practice shows it’s not effective in getting people to return things faster) and recouping the cost of items that never come back!
Q: Are you worried that all the fun around this will encourage others to emulate this behavior, returning books super late?
A: Honestly, no. A) Because the fun surrounding this is really about the fact that we all return things late, but the degree of lateness here is exceptional, so it’s about not feeling so bad about being a few days late here and there, B) It’s hilarious that this is a book on psychedelics, and the only thing that’d be funnier would be a book on time management, C) If someone checks out something today and returns it this late, I’ll be thrilled to simply have lived that long a life.
Q: How far did this spread?
A: Well, here’s a listing of some of the outlets that picked up the story:
Denver Post https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/19/late-overdue-pscyhedelics-library-book-high-plains-weld-county/
Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13227015/Book-psychedelics-returned-library-37-years-late.html
Metro: https://metro.co.uk/2024/03/22/psychedelics-book-returned-library-37-years-late-20511937/
Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/colorado-library-receives-book-37-years-due-long-strange-trip
Denver 7: https://www.denver7.com/long-strange-trip-library-book-returned-37-years-late-with-a-note
Axios: https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/03/20/overdue-book-returned-colorado-library-37-years-later
Greeley Tribune: https://www.greeleytribune.com/2024/03/07/events-taking-place-at-clearview-and-high-plains-library-districts-loveland-public-library-for-march-9-15/
KDVR: https://kdvr.com/news/local/colorado-library-book-returned-37-years-late/
Q: What has the book returner’s response been?
A: I couldn’t tell you! They’ve elected to remain anonymous so far.
But if you’re out there: We’ve all been there, and thanks for returning the book! Hopefully a lost book charge hasn’t kept you away from the library all these years, and if it has, shoot me an email (pderk@highplains.us), and we’ll see if we can’t fix the situation.
Renewal 1: HPLD Wins GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award…AGAIN!
That’s right, for the billionth year in a row, HPLD is proud to be awarded the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award.
Seriously, we’ve won this so many times that instead of sending us a plaque every year, we have a plaque with a bunch of spaces, and they send us a little metal tag to attach every year.
We’ve won this so many times that I’m becoming concerned about the weight of our plaque pulling down the entire wall it’s nailed to.
In all seriousness, what’s cool about winning this award is that it’s a demonstration that HPLD is taking budgeting very seriously, and we’re doing everything to be transparent about how much money we’ve got, how it’s spent, and what plans for the future look like.
Which matters because this is YOUR MONEY!
Can you imagine winning a budget presentation award every year for your personal budget? Maybe you should implement this in your house. Maybe it’d make budgeting a little more fun? Even if you weren’t super financially responsible this year, you could still win an award for reporting honestly and transparently just how much you spent on power tools you didn’t need, drive-thru coffee, and that gizmo that makes your kindle remote controlled so you can keep your arms under the covers and read without the hassle of lifting your arm. Seriously, it’s awesome, and I feel both deep affection for this device and revulsion at my own sloth.
Renewal 2: Dinosaur Bones Go Digital
Pretty soon, Experience Passes will be delivered digitally! That’s right, no more slogging your way through the real world in order to get your Experience Passes, now you can have them sent straight to your device, which is super convenient as you’ll need that same device to take great selfies at nearby museums and attractions.
Digital delivery begins April 1st. No foolin’.
Renewal 3: Calling All Colorado Book Collectors Under 30!
Are you under 30? Do you live in Colorado? Are you a beginning book collector?
On one hand, that’s a lot of different circles to try and cross over each other in a Venn diagram.
On the other hand, this IS a library publication, so if you’re reading it, and you’re this far in, there’s a not-bad chance you might qualify for the Kirkpatrick Prize.
Taylor Kirkpatrick started the prize when he noticed the crowd at the annual Rocky Mountain Book and Paper Fair was starting to get a little younger. Taylor wanted to encourage young people interested in books to take a deeper dive into the waters usually occupied by old guys with elbow patches.
This article from The Colorado Sun is a great, wholesome read, and some of the booksellers profiled have advice for anyone looking to get into book collecting:
Collect what you love. For some, it’s the aesthetics, the love of Victorian bindings or beautiful floral bindings. Go after it with gusto. .
It’s easy to make bonehead mistakes; first editions mistakes; replica mistakes; Book of the Month Club mistakes that replicate first editions. You can get bit. When you’re getting started go to a bricks and mortar store. A lot of people think they’re listing something correctly on eBay and they’re not and some know it’s not what they’re selling. Find a reputable bookseller.
Remember it’s not about how much a book is worth…Books are important because they build bridges to other people and cultures. They were bridges for me in meeting other people.