Maine Libraries Being Spread Thin Because No One Returns Books

I haven't had a library card since I was a kid.

I think maybe my wife has one. But she enjoys reading much more than I do. I love the idea of reading, but I just never quite have the time. Or, because of my fairly bizarre work schedule, I'm often too tired during the day to read. I just end up falling asleep. I get  handful of paragraphs in and my eyes just shut on their own.

On the other hand, growing up in the age before the internet as we know it, the library was an indispensable source of information for school stuff. We had a set of encyclopedias, but they were from the 50's or something, hahaha. So high school would've been an extreme challenge back then.

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The need for public libraries has never gone away.

Sure, you may not have as many kids hanging out there as the past, but people still love to read, and want to do it with a book in their hand. In the same way satellite radio was never the FM killer it was supposed to be, Kindles and audio books will never replace the experience of a book in your hands.

The problem is, according to the BDN, nobody seems to want to bring their books back to the library. To the point now, libraries all over Maine are all but begging people to return their overdue books/materials. It's costing libraries money to replace items, that could better be spent on new items.

Why aren't people bringing books back?

One reason will always be that people occasionally just move away. It happens. But often, people get so far overdue on a book, they feel a bit ashamed to return it to the library. But librarians are telling people to never be ashamed. You're doing the public more good by returning it, than holding onto it.

Besides, it's not like they're going to rip you a new one and shame you in front of everyone in the place. More than likely, they're just going to be so happy to have it back, that they'll be thanking you for returning it. So maybe it's time to get that book off the back part of the night stand behind the lamp, that you've been avoiding. You'll be a hero.

Maybe you borrowed one of these albums on vinyl from the library? Bring it back!!