Does your library have a # limit on books you can check out?

[eclipse]

My library system recently instituted a 40 books per family out at a time limit. NOOOOOOOO!!!! I had to put some things back today . Between fiction for myself and my kids (and my husband) and the non-fiction educational type stuff we use for homeschooling, it's really not hard to go over the limit.

Fortunately, I've found another library system I can also use - I need to go apply for a card, but one of their branches is within a mile of the branch of the library system we use. I don't know if they have a limit, but I did find out that they allow more renewals. If they have a limit, I can check out from both systems (Though I do need a system to keep straight which books came from which library!).

So, does your library have a limit? As a homeschooler, do you find it hard to stay within it?

[fruitfulmomma]

25 per card at one district and 100 per card at the other. My school aged kids have their own cards at both. We sometimes max out one card but not all of them.

Our problem is not getting them returned and then getting fines on 50 or so books. Ouch.

[kittie313]

Our library limit is 100 books per card. 3 of my dd's and I all have cards, and I have hit the limit on my card before so I just flip to the next card on my ring to continue for the last 20 or so books. lol We also are given 4 weeks for checkout plus one renewal for another 4 weeks with the books, so I plan for 6 weeks of books at a time when I go (and yes I take my wheeled suitcase that I use when I'm flying for my dad's company or for a pleasure trip). I also tend to plan at least 1/2 of my library pickup at home through the online catalog system to allow me the ability to reserve a bunch of books to pick up at checkout and then I go leisurely picking out interesting literature for fun reading (the planned ahead books are related to our schooling always)

[vbactivist]

I don't know of any limit. I would be surprised if they had one. WE are allowed 3 weeks with two renewals of 3 weeks each. I only live about 2 miles from my library so I am in there at least once a week, usually more. We also have a great inter-library loan program.

[Love_My_Babies]

Our library has no limit on check outs or holds. Another system that we sometimes frequent has a 25 hold limit and 50 check out limit.

I personally don't have any renewal limits because I work 10 hours a week at our library. So, I renew my own stuff, void my own fines, and pick out books for myself before our book resale starts. The director doesn't mind, so it is all good.

[EllieJelly]

Ours is a 25 book limit and that's sufficient for us. My oldest has her own too which we rarely use actually because I like to get email reminders of when our books are due and that's linked to my card. I can't imagine having 100 library books out at a time! How do you keep track of them all and when they are due?

[luv-my-boys]

Yes ours does, our library used to have a "teachers card" that had more perks like waiving the request book fee/extended check outs but for some reason they did away with it (I presume some abused it)

But I do love to browse for our books online (usually at odd hrs of the day) and request books to pick up at my local branch as its more convenient. I just hate that they charge .50 per book/.75 per movie as our branch is super tiny like literally you could talk from the front door and someone at the other end of the building could hear you without shouting, thats how small it is. So they rarely have anything in stock and the "main" library is hell-no parking, long lines, disgoranized (due to volume of books coming in/out) so yeah I guess my .50 buys me some peace.

[mama_y_sol]

No limit on number of books checked out, thank goodness. There is a limit on the number of holds you can have at one time- 30.

Sticking to 40 PER FAMILY? theres no way we could do that. 40 a person sounds reasonable, but certainly not per family. We usually have about 50 or 60 books out at one time.

[eclipse]

Originally Posted by mama_y_sol

No limit on number of books checked out, thank goodness. There is a limit on the number of holds you can have at one time- 30.

Sticking to 40 PER FAMILY? theres no way we could do that. 40 a person sounds reasonable, but certainly not per family. We usually have about 50 or 60 books out at one time.

I know, right? I think my husband actually has his card registered as a separate family, since he got his at a different time than we got ours, but he can't find his card right now, so we're stuck with the 40. My other solution was going to be to ask my brother to get a card and just let me use it.

There's also now a limit on the number of books per author or subject, and it's low - something like 6 or 8 per subject/author. I'm not sure how that's enforced, but the computer cut off allowing me to check out more when I hit 40 today. There's also a total monetary limit - everything you have checked out can't be worth more than $X. I can't remember the amount, but I would imagine that could be a problem if you're checking out software/audio books/text books/DVDs, etc.

[ocelotmom]

Originally Posted by fruitfulmomma

Our problem is not getting them returned and then getting fines on 50 or so books. Ouch.

Yeah. I can't imagine letting us get near a high limit (though I admit I may look back at that and laugh at some point) because I'm horrible about remembering to renew books before the due date.

[eclipse]

My library sends out email reminders a few days before your books are due, with a list of exactly what is due - then you can either renew or, if there are no renewals left, take them back.

[itsnikki]

...I don't know! I know I've checked out 20-30 books before (novels and how-to books-- I read REALLY fast) with no problems. We have a great system, there's 3 or 4 counties here that are all linked under the same system. So chances are... if the one we go to doesn't have it then another will. There's no fees to request either. I love our library.

[Grace and Granola]

50 books per card.

I recently just found out, and you might want to check on this too....that our two library systems will return each others' books. So we have a huge city system and a separate "county" system which I frequent both. But I wasn't using one of the libraries very much because of how you have to sort/separate the different locations. Then I found out that returns can be made to either system and they will return them to the other library!

[mimaja]

I *think* our limit is 100 per card and currently we have 2 cards in our family. But we do have a 10 per card on AV materials and 10 per card on seasonal books except Christmas ones. I've hit the AV limit more than once but never the books. We often have 60-70 books out at a time

Re: keeping them all straight, I check out our on-line system every week and just renew ones that need to be, or make a list and go around the house gathering ones that can't be renewed or we don't want anymore.

[earthmama369]

Technically, yes. 99 books per card, because their computer system is only set for two-digit numbers. But each member of a family can have their own card, so a family of four could take out 396 books at one time, if they really wanted to.

[elizawill]

yes, we have a 10 book limit per card & 2 week limit for reading them. i hate it. i have to take my husband and both kids with me every time to maximize our book take-out of 40. we all have to stand there with 10 books each at check-out, lol. we live in a very small town though (think mayberry...literally), so if we were able to take out more, i suppose the library would be empty. it's very small. we also have library cards for the next town over, which is still a small town but much bigger than ours (they have a blockbuster & walmart, lol) & plus it's in a different county. their limit is 10 books also...but the choices there are waaaaay better, and i can reserve the books online there, which i love!

[4Blessings]

I'm not sure if we have a total book limit ( I've never reached it if we do) but we have a fine limit. Once your fines get to $10 your account gets locked and you cannot check anything else out, make online requests, or renew online.
We are at the library at least once per week and I try to keep my books renewed when needed but the fines sure add up quick if you forget and have lot and lots of materials checked out Tends to happen to me on the weekend when I'm trying to request things online for the next week's work. Argh!!!

[Dillpicklechip]

Yes, we have a 40 book limit, although I've never actually reached that before. We can keep books out for 3 weeks, and renew them twice, for a total of 9 weeks.

[dantesmama]

Our library (county-wide system) has a limit of 50 items per card, and up to two 3-week renewals. At the moment I have 47 items out - we usually cut it pretty close! When my oldest turns 5 in October, I'm going to get him his own card though. We live literally around the block from our library so we're there at least once a week. I'm pretty anal about checking my account online (as well as browsing the online catalog ) several times a week too, so we rarely have fines. I love our library - it's small but friendly and it's neat taking my kids to storyhour at the same library I went to storyhour at as a child.

[Tizzy]

For our "local" library system, they have a 10 book/2 movie max. It's a very small network and honestly I never use it.
We are charged $96/year to use the neighboring county's library system, but our township subsidizes all but $22 of it. WORTH EVERY PENNY! Once again, it's a small library (our local branch) so there is a 20 book/4 movie maximum. 3 weeks and two renewals for books, 3 days and one renewal for movies. But if we go in person or call in, they'll happily extend any material. Plus they have a really fast Canada-wide inter-library loan program. For example, I wanted Immaculate Deception, it came within a week.

I also retain a card from the large city library where we used to live, if there's something I need right away, I'll go there. They never ask for proof of address, just what your address is...so I continue to give them my in-laws. I never keep any books past their due date for that library.