Cushman LIbrary

I returned a library book via interlibrary loan (see book description below). It was on a day when the system was down and things were chaotic. Book to be checked in were piled everywhere in the library. After I returned it, the book apparently was lost or stolen. It never made its way back to the home library. The home library, Cushman library, kindly looked for it and told me that if it was not found we could explore other options, including my purchasing a slightly worn replacement. When the book continued to be on my son's card as not returned, I purchased a replacement copy, virtually identical to the one that was lost, in terms of condition (very good condition) and type (hard cover). I arranged to have it sent over to the library via my local Longmeadow, MA library, and I am told it was received by Cushman library, but I have not heard anything back from the Cushman library, despite 3 email inquiries and a phone call to them, and a book fine [redacted] was recently placed on my son's account, [redacted]'s, card. He cannot check out any books until this fine is removed, and as an avid reader, this consequence is a serious punishment, unearned. I need Cushman to remove this fine from my son's card. I am very confused why they fail to respond to me despite 3 emails over several weeks time. Title:[redacted]Product_Or_Service: Title: [redacted]Desired SettlementRemove [redacted] fine from [redacted]'s library card.Business Response Several weeks ago Ms. [redacted] called Cushman Library, where I am Library Director, to ask us if we would check the shelves for a book that her son had borrowed from our library via Inter-Library Loan, which she felt sure they had returned at their home library during the day that [redacted] was down. The item was not here so she asked if there was an alternative to paying the replacement cost for the book, which is a standardized fee of [redacted] per C/WMARS, our resource sharing network. I told her that she could purchase a replacement for the book, as long as it was in "comparable condition." I never used the phrase "slightly worn." When the book that she purchased as a replacement arrived, we found that it was an older copy that was "withdrawn" from another library, which is not an appropriate replacement for our book that was lost. I called Ms. [redacted]'s number that day and left a message stating that we had received the book that she sent but that it was not an acceptable replacement for our lost book, and I asked her to call me so that we could discuss it. I did not hear from her again until I answered the phone on [redacted] when I happened to be here preparing for our monthly book discussion group. She was clearly very upset that her son's borrowing privileges were being affected by this item remaining on his account. When I explained that I had been waiting for her to return my call, she said that all she heard of my message was that we had received the book, and that the end of my message "must have been cut off." I explained to her that replacing an item with a former library copy is not appropriate, as it is previously marked up (and the item she sent was also more worn than our copy was). She said that she didn't know it was a former library copy when she purchased it (online book sellers are supposed to divulge that information to potential buyers). She claimed to have sent me several e-mails with no response and, while we were still on the phone together, I checked the library's e-mail account, and there are no e-mails from Ms. [redacted] present. After our phone call, I checked every nook and cranny of our e-mail account and there are no e-mails from Ms. [redacted] present, but I will give her the benefit of the doubt. She also said that she called, but I checked our answering machine and there are no messages from her. I find it unfortunate that, instead of calling during our open hours, which she did when she made her initial contact, Ms. [redacted] called on a Sunday, when we aren't even open and I just happened to be here, and only after she sent angry e-mails to the [redacted] and [redacted] and filed this complaint with Revdex.com. Had she called and spoken with me, this matter would have been resolved weeks ago, and a lot time and energy could have been saved. As it is, she went through a period of time growing in frustration, and I was left waiting for a response to my call regarding the replacement she sent. By the time we spoke, Ms. [redacted] was clearly very upset and frustrated and, in the hope of defusing the situation and not causing Ms. [redacted] to have hard feelings toward library use, I told her that I would accept the book that she purchased as a replacement. I also told her that, in the future, if she ever has to purchase another book to replace a lost library book that she should keep in mind that books withdrawn from another library are not acceptable replacements. I sincerely hope that this unfortunate series of events is now closed, and that Ms. [redacted] and her son continue to enjoy using the library. Thank you for your time.

I returned a library book via interlibrary loan (see book description below). It was on a day when the system was down and things were chaotic. Book to be checked in were piled everywhere in the library. After I returned it, the book apparently was lost or stolen. It never made its way back to the home library. The home library, Cushman library, kindly looked for it and told me that if it was not found we could explore other options, including my purchasing a slightly worn replacement. When the book continued to be on my son's card as not returned, I purchased a replacement copy, virtually identical to the one that was lost, in terms of condition (very good condition) and type (hard cover). I arranged to have it sent over to the library via my local Longmeadow, MA library, and I am told it was received by Cushman library, but I have not heard anything back from the Cushman library, despite 3 email inquiries and a phone call to them, and a book fine [redacted] was recently placed on my son's account, [redacted]'s, card. He cannot check out any books until this fine is removed, and as an avid reader, this consequence is a serious punishment, unearned. I need Cushman to remove this fine from my son's card. I am very confused why they fail to respond to me despite 3 emails over several weeks time. Title:[redacted]Product_Or_Service: Title: [redacted]Desired SettlementRemove [redacted] fine from [redacted]'s library card.Business Response Several weeks ago Ms. [redacted] called Cushman Library, where I am Library Director, to ask us if we would check the shelves for a book that her son had borrowed from our library via Inter-Library Loan, which she felt sure they had returned at their home library during the day that [redacted] was down. The item was not here so she asked if there was an alternative to paying the replacement cost for the book, which is a standardized fee of [redacted] per C/WMARS, our resource sharing network. I told her that she could purchase a replacement for the book, as long as it was in "comparable condition." I never used the phrase "slightly worn." When the book that she purchased as a replacement arrived, we found that it was an older copy that was "withdrawn" from another library, which is not an appropriate replacement for our book that was lost. I called Ms. [redacted]'s number that day and left a message stating that we had received the book that she sent but that it was not an acceptable replacement for our lost book, and I asked her to call me so that we could discuss it. I did not hear from her again until I answered the phone on [redacted] when I happened to be here preparing for our monthly book discussion group. She was clearly very upset that her son's borrowing privileges were being affected by this item remaining on his account. When I explained that I had been waiting for her to return my call, she said that all she heard of my message was that we had received the book, and that the end of my message "must have been cut off." I explained to her that replacing an item with a former library copy is not appropriate, as it is previously marked up (and the item she sent was also more worn than our copy was). She said that she didn't know it was a former library copy when she purchased it (online book sellers are supposed to divulge that information to potential buyers). She claimed to have sent me several e-mails with no response and, while we were still on the phone together, I checked the library's e-mail account, and there are no e-mails from Ms. [redacted] present. After our phone call, I checked every nook and cranny of our e-mail account and there are no e-mails from Ms. [redacted] present, but I will give her the benefit of the doubt. She also said that she called, but I checked our answering machine and there are no messages from her. I find it unfortunate that, instead of calling during our open hours, which she did when she made her initial contact, Ms. [redacted] called on a Sunday, when we aren't even open and I just happened to be here, and only after she sent angry e-mails to the [redacted] and [redacted] and filed this complaint with Revdex.com. Had she called and spoken with me, this matter would have been resolved weeks ago, and a lot time and energy could have been saved. As it is, she went through a period of time growing in frustration, and I was left waiting for a response to my call regarding the replacement she sent. By the time we spoke, Ms. [redacted] was clearly very upset and frustrated and, in the hope of defusing the situation and not causing Ms. [redacted] to have hard feelings toward library use, I told her that I would accept the book that she purchased as a replacement. I also told her that, in the future, if she ever has to purchase another book to replace a lost library book that she should keep in mind that books withdrawn from another library are not acceptable replacements. I sincerely hope that this unfortunate series of events is now closed, and that Ms. [redacted] and her son continue to enjoy using the library. Thank you for your time.