The Stoopid is rampant

[Elspeth]

I was at a University library and just got permission from our Comptroller. I had the authourity to waive fines anyway, I just thought it would be fun to get some good out of it.

Now I hear they have an amnesty week. :(

Should I ask what that is?

I like your idea very much. It's got me thinking about something I might be able to do here. We have a lot of families who have been hit badly by the mortgage mess.

[LibraryLady]

They just forgive the fines if people will return books. On a college campus that is a big problem. We had 100s of books missing.

Our biggest problem was the faculty! They had books checked out for 10-15 YEARS. I had a program where they could keep the books indefinitely but we had to see the book every July. I would send student workers to their offices to help track them down. They would have to use dollies to transport the books.
I heard some of the most incredible excuses imaginable.:D

[CLibertarian]

They just forgive the fines if people will return books. On a college campus that is a big problem. We had 100s of books missing.

Our biggest problem was the faculty! They had books checked out for 10-15 YEARS. I had a program where they could keep the books indefinitely but we had to see the book every July. I would send student workers to their offices to help track them down. They would have to use dollies to transport the books.
I heard some of the most incredible excuses imaginable.:D

Professors to seem to be the least realistic people on the planet with a huge belief that they are entitled because, they are just too special to have rules apply to them.

[Elspeth]

They just forgive the fines if people will return books. On a college campus that is a big problem. We had 100s of books missing.

Our biggest problem was the faculty! They had books checked out for 10-15 YEARS. I had a program where they could keep the books indefinitely but we had to see the book every July. I would send student workers to their offices to help track them down. They would have to use dollies to transport the books.
I heard some of the most incredible excuses imaginable.:D

Boy did that ring a bell. There is one prof in my department who took out 100 books this year, which is the limit at the school where I am. They were mostly sitting around waiting to be read. :) Meanwhile, grad students couldn't get them for their research and I had to explain to them why not.

[Elspeth]

Professors to seem to be the least realistic people on the planet with a huge belief that they are entitled because, they are just too special to have rules apply to them.

To be fair--and profs drive me crazy too--their job requires reading in a way that other jobs do not. Professors need books the way that the admins need their computers and that the construction folks need hard hats. I would not expect to have to bring my own computer to work and professors should not be expected to bring their own books, journals, etc.

BTW, you would not believe how much academic books and journals cost.:eek: There was one book I saw--100 pages only. Hardback. The book was over $100! It was an obscure subject that only a prof would care about, so I guess it was expensive because not many copies were made and the writer had to get some kind of return on it.

[LibraryLady]

Boy did that ring a bell. There is one prof in my department who took out 100 books this year, which is the limit at the school where I am. They were mostly sitting around waiting to be read. :) Meanwhile, grad students couldn't get them for their research and I had to explain to them why not.

We had a program where if a student requested the book and a faculty member had it, we would call and ask if we could come get it. Nine times out of ten the professor was agreeable.

[Elspeth]

We had a program where if a student requested the book and a faculty member had it, we would call and ask if we could come get it. Nine times out of ten the professor was agreeable.

Well that good at least. It sounds like your library should run that canned goods stint once a year. :) (And ours too!)

[CLibertarian]

To be fair--and profs drive me crazy too--their job requires reading in a way that other jobs do not. Professors need books the way that the admins need their computers and that the construction folks need hard hats. I would not expect to have to bring my own computer to work and professors should not be expected to bring their own books, journals, etc.

BTW, you would not believe how much academic books and journals cost.:eek: There was one book I saw--100 pages only. Hardback. The book was over $100! It was an obscure subject that only a prof would care about, so I guess it was expensive because not many copies were made and the writer had to get some kind of return on it.

I have no sympathy for them. Most of my textbooks cost more than that 20 years ago. In any professional position, an employer can require that up to 10% of your income be spent on work related expenses. Again, they think that they are special.

[Constitutionally Speaking]

Excuse me, but I think this post deserves to be applauded rather than ridiculed.

oktoberain didn't say, "food banks are hurting, so the government needs to step in and spend more money on welfare." She didn't say, "the poor are having trouble making ends meet, because of evil Republicans." She didn't even say, "food prices are going up, and it's all Bu$$$shitler's fault!!!1!"

She's asking for voluntary donations to help those who are having trouble. She's asking people who are comfortable to aid those who are not. That's a downright conservative attitude to take. That's the sort of thing we should be encouraging.

Brandy, I don't know if you're reading this, but thanks to your post, I just made a contribution of $500 to Northwest Harvest. I've been having a very good year, and I thank you for reminding me to share my good fortune.

The sentiment is fine, I applaud that the OP wants to help. But if someone is surviving on cat food, they are making extremely stupid choices. There are far better and far cheaper ways to feed yourself.

[Teatime]

I personally know of a woman just a couple of mobile homes down who's eating canned cat food and rice. There's an elderly woman down the street who's living on canned green beans and white rice.

As for the elderly woman, maybe she should check "Meals on Wheels" ??? She might be eligible.