What A Guy Has To Go Through (To Get A Library Card)
Since I’ve been learning many new things at work, I figured that I would go and get a book from the library so I can catch up on some things. The book that I want happens to be in a library in southern Chicago, but they have interlibrary loaning set up, so that is a plus.
On Wednesday evening, I went to the Hinsdale Library to get a library card so I could put out a request for the book. I give the librarian my driver’s license and she looks at it for a few seconds and then hands it back to me. She says that it must have my current address (which of course it doesn’t, since it is an OHIO driver’s licence). She asks if I have a piece of first class mail addressed to me. Of course I don’t since I saw no reason to bring mail with me to the library. When she discovers that I live in Westmont, she tells me that I have to go to the Westmont Library to get a library card, even though it is good throughout ChicagoLand. I left, broken hearted since I had no shiny, new, library card.
Today, I went to the Westmont Library. I hand the librarian a large envelope that I had received from my parents a few weeks ago. She asks for picture ID to go with it, and I happily oblige. Then she informs me that the mail has to be something official, like an electricity bill or apartment lease. I tell her that the librarian in Hinsdale told me that I could just send a letter to myself and that would be good enough. She then tells me that different libraries have different policies for giving out library cards. Really, what is the point of having universal library cards if each library has its own guidelines on distributing them? Anyway, she goes and asks a supervisor about my situation, then goes to the phone and gives someone a call. She hangs up and tells me that I really need a bill or something. However, she took down my name, address, and phone number so that the library can contact me when a decision comes down form the higher-ups. Really, does it need to be this hard to get a library card?
