My Library SUCKS

I'm having a large issue with my little town's library. Over the past three years that we live here, we have gone less and less.

- The story time for young children is in no way designed with young children in mind.

- They refuse to post any fliers that I, or any other conservative, bring in. These are to inform the community about *community* events! But they have to go through the head librarian, a super liberal. So they never - I mean I have literally never seen one - get onto the bulletin board.

- The head librarian is an ass. (Yeah I said it.) He makes snarky remarks to parents, and that discourages community involvement at events. (We pay for these with our taxes, we don't need your attitude.)

- The "children's librarian" made my daughter cry, teasing her, and so we never returned to summer reading program. We didn't even try this year.

And the final straw?

I go to get two books today, and I was informed I owed $27 in fees ($5 of billing charge). I was 12 days late. I admit it. $27?! And I was not allowed to check books out until it's paid. I offered to pay 1/4 of the fee (it's all the cash I had on me), if I could check out books today. That wasn't good enough.

What the hell is this fee for? No one called to remind me my books were due. Nothing came in the mail. I was 12 days late, because I was severely ill. But instead of setting up some kind of payment plan on the fees (no clue what they go for, because I typically have to order books from other libraries - ours is so old, and the selection is severly lacking) I just got AGAIN a shitty attitude and a pay or leave situation from the lady behind the counter.

You would think we want a warm, welcoming library with a family and child centered enviornment; with people working there that are friendly and make you feel happy to go there instead of dreadful.The fees are punitive, and there's no leeway. Don't we want the poor to have access to books for themselves and their children?

Apparently not. And it's such a shame, because we LOVED our library in Seattle. It is so depressing to me. I'm a voracious reader, and I want my children to love the library. I'm really angry, but also, I'm really sad.