FAQs
(Frequently Asked Questions)
If you are unable to find an answer to your question here, or want to pose one that you think will be of general interest, e-mail your question to library@town.northborough.ma.us
If you don’t have fines, why did I have to pay one?
Why do you have a service charge for late books? I thought you were the Northborough Free Library?
Can I do some of my library transactions online?
Why don’t you have videos when the video stores do?
Do you have a list of the videos you own?
Our Trustees in the 1970s went to a no-fine system so that people would not have a punitive image of the library. At that time, all the record-keeping was done by hand and was labor intensive. Even with automation, the circulation desk staff would have to spend time making change, writing receipts, etc. Also, some studies have shown that people will actually hold onto books longer or keep the book if they think they have a big fine. By state law, we cannot keep the fine money. It is returned to the Town’s general fund.
One of two things probably happened. One is that you actually paid a service charge, which is assessed when books are returned more than a month late (see below). That is different than paying a certain amount for each day something is overdue. The other possibility is that you owed money to another library for something returned late. Even if you never went to another library directly, if you requested a book we didn’t own, we had to borrow it from another library. The same thing happens with books we own but which are checked out. We will get you the next copy that becomes available, and that might be from another library (unless you specify Northborough copy only). Other libraries have overdue fines which we can collect.
“Free” in this case is a historic term. Prior to the establishment of tax-supported public libraries, people had to pay an annual membership fee to belong to a library. Normal use of the library does not require payment. However, it is reasonable for the library to recoup its costs when someone has either lost or damaged a book, or kept it a month past the due date. To keep your use of the library “free,” be sure to return all borrowed items on time.
Yes, you can do a number of things on line
with your library card. Go to the library catalog at http://cmars.cwmars.org/search~S40 or use the
Town's website with the library button to go to the catalog. On that first screen of
the catalog there is a button that says "Log In." The next screen will ask
you for some information, including your library card number. On your first visit
you will leave the PIN box blank, but go to the next screen to create a PIN, which
you will then use with your library card for all future transactions. Once you have
successfully logged on you can renew your books if they are not already overdue or do not
have restrictions on them. The screen gives you the option of renewing all or renewing selected items.
To place books on hold go to the library
catalog. If you’re not logged on, you will be prompted for your information later.
If you're already logged on, there is a button to go to the library catalog screen.
Type in the title of the book (or author, keyword, etc.). The thing to remember is that you may have to keep clicking on a title from the list on your screen until you have narrowed your search down to one item. At that point there will be a button on the far right of the row of buttons across the top of the screen that says "Request." Click on that and follow directions. Remember to specify the location where you want to pick up the item (usually Northborough). For books in western region use the "C/W MARS Union Catalog" button.
Videocassettes are expensive when they are first released – close to $100 in retail. (Look up a brand new video on www.amazon.com and see!) Video stores will buy them because they can recoup their costs in rental charges. After several months the price drops and retail outlets will have them available for consumer purchase. That’s the same time they become affordable for the library. If we paid the initial full price we would not be able to buy very many. And imagine your shock if you were billed for a lost or damaged video that cost $50 to $100!
DVDs are released at consumer prices sooner than videocassettes, so we can buy them as soon as they are available. They cost more than cassettes over time, but there is no big price break for waiting.
The list would be too long to maintain. If there’s a particular title you want, you can look it up by title in the catalog. Here’s a trick for finding our complete listing:
From the initial catalog screen, click on “Keyword.”
In the top white box type in 2 asterisks: **
In the material type box use the drop down menu to select Video (VHS) or Video (DVD).
Then click the search button.
You will then get a display of what we own with the most recent date first.
.