With this week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic, “Bookish Pet Peeves,” the first thing that came to my mind was novels that have straightforward (boring) dual timelines – alternating contemporary and historical storylines. But then I thought about how hard it is to write a book, and I didn’t want to pick on particular authors or titles. So I switched to library pet peeves.
It would be easy enough for me, as a grumpy librarian who has to go to work soon, to come up with ten pet peeves, after 20 or so years working in public libraries – several different ones, in a variety of positions.
These don’t all come from my current place of employment, but I have seen them all. They’re in order from bad to worse.
Top Ten Things Not to Do with Loans from the Library
- Write a secret symbol or your initials in the front of a book so you remember you’ve read it
It’s always in pen, never pencil. But my grandmother used to do this, so it’s low on my list of pet peeves. - Fold down corners of pages to mark your place
For Pete’s sake, we give out free bookmarks. Take one! - Use toilet paper as a bookmark
I don’t care if it’s a clean square of toilet paper (It had better be!), it means you are probably also hitting my nerves with Pet Peeve #4 (following). - Take a library book into the bathroom
Just don’t. Please don’t. Especially not into the public restrooms in the library (where we can see you doing it.) - Eat while reading
OK, I know everybody does this. But if you must, please be careful. No one wants to open a library book and find the remnants from someone’s lunch. - Let a preschooler be in charge of the DVD or videogame
They are not old enough to get the disc off the spindle without cracking it or taking good care of it once it’s out of the case. I don’t care how cute or mature for their age they are. - Let the dog use something (anything!) from the library as a chew toy
Obvious, but still. Also, don’t just return it in the book drop as if nothing has happened. - Put in same tote as your water bottle, however leakproof the bottle purports to be
Again, seems obvious. But we Americans have faith in advertisting.