I recently received this email from a reader:
Hey there,
I consistently have trouble with the Clinton Hill library branch. I’m not too bothered by the poor customer service, which is on par with out Post Office, but I’m bothered that they don’t process my books when I return them. I should try returning one to Clinton Hill and one to the main branch to prove the lapse in time of return.
I usually get a $.50 late charge every time I return it there, but I currently owe $25 on a travel book that I returned in August. I’m curious to know if any other CH residents and blog readers have had any problems.
Personally, I haven’t had any problems with them. I enjoy having a library close by, and I often request books online and have them sent for free to the CH branch. The facilities are horribly dated, but otherwise I haven’t run into any annoyances. Anyone else had issues there?
(FYI, the library is located at 380 Washington Ave. bt Lafayette and Greene)
Perhaps these problems will be remedied once the library is rebuilt! Brownstoner did a post about it last month here. Though I suspect while they rebuild it’ll mean we’re without a library.
YouTube
Contact
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Flickr
5 Comments
I have had a problem there with a return before. I went in an explained, giving a (thoroughly inadequate but apparently passable) description of the kid who took my book or was at the desk when I dropped it off. I’ve been warned against using the drop box and have a friend who actually had to go to the shelves and find the book she’d returned to prove her innocence. I think if we learn the names of all the employees we can keep the charges down.
I have never had any problem with returns. But, I agree, that the service there is terrible. The book drop off has not been working for months (making my books late when I can’t drop them off during regular library hours). It is also the loudest library I have ever entered (making it impossible for me to sit for a bit and read). I’m glad that the kids are hanging out at the library rather than in the street, but the library is not a game room. It also doesn’t help that there is significantly loud conversation coming from the staff and the security guards.
Just so happens I got an email today from the library saying I owe $9.40 for a book that was due on 11/3. Is that even financially possible? Never mind the fact that I’m 99% sure I returned the book.
My problems like this went away when I stopped using the drop box. Since I almost always am getting another book, I do the return inside with a real person, and I wait for them to say, “okay.”
I don’t visit the Clinton Hill branch that often and was surprised that I had to ask for a key to use the lavatory.
Although there was a good deal of hub-bub about a proposal to rebuild the branch, and possibly add apartments above it, this is nothing more than a concept. There are no concrete plans for actually doing this.
Arg the fact that they still haven’t repaired the drop box is causing me to rack up the fines! And unless I make it in on Saturday, Monday is the only night they’re still open when I get home from work. But I think the people who work there are really nice, and I like that it’s actually a small enough collection to browse.
Post A Comment