library books with patterns

[jenP]

I wanted to make DD a special stuffed horse for her birthday (to look like the horse from "A Ride on the Red Mare's Back" by Ursula LeGuin.) I got a book from the library ("Wild and Wonderful Fleece Animals" by Linda Carr.) I very carefully cut out the pattern for the horse and traced around it on my fabric. I did not put pin holes in it or mark it at all. I carefully re-folded all the pieces and put them in a nice new zip-loc bag and returned it to the pouch with all the patterns at the front of the book. I returned the book to my library. It was on loan from another library, so now a week later I have a notice that the library it was originally from wants to charge me $25.00 for cutting the pattern! I am in shock. First of all, isn't that what the patterns are there for? Second, that is twice the price of buying the whole book new from Amazon.com!
I am going to my regular library tomorrow so I will talk to our librarian. Hopefully she will be able to help me. I am just in shock and so upset. This seems so unfair. There was no note on the pouch of patterns saying not to cut them. I don't see how you could use a pattern without cutting it. This is just not the same as tearing pages out of a book, but they are treating me as if I have ruined or defaced a library book. And I was so neat and careful with it!
I only just found out and of course they are not open until tomorrow at 10. I just couldn't go to bed with this on my mind. Thank you for letting me get it off my chest, and any advice would be great!

Thanks!
Jen

[Shianne]

Did you talk to the librarian?

I am sure they frown upon patrons from cutting thing out of their library books. I know at our library they make copy machines available to make copies from patterns in the books instead of defacing a library book.

Yes, cutting things out of library books is considered defacing. I am sure that many people have checked the book out and have not cut the patterns out or were there other patterns cut out of this particular book? Can you imagine if many people cut out patterns from library books?

As for the price, I am not sure. I know that they specially order books for the library as they are sometimes double reinforced for heavy use and then they charge a processing fee. That may be the reason for the charge.