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For the uninitiated Aussie here, how does the electoral college work? I find watching the US election from afar a little fascinating!
Watch this:https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W9H3gvn...
It explains it better than I can do over a message
Karin wrote: "The other is the electoral college...."What is "electoral college"?
.... Thanks for the link, Jen! This was on page 2 after I posted! :-)
....Oh, that sounds like us each voting for our representative (MP), and the leader of the party with the most MPs becomes prime minister.
Same in Australia. We vote for our local member, and the party decides who their leader is. A few times in recent history the leader has been overthrown mid-term.
Jenni Elyse wrote: "Karin wrote: "One of the biggest political things I had to get used to down here was the set date for virtually all elections.The other is the electoral college. "I hate the electoral college. I ..."
Here they always vote Democrat, and regardless of who I'm voting for, I still don't feel like my vote counts.
Karin wrote: "Jenni Elyse wrote: "Karin wrote: "One of the biggest political things I had to get used to down here was the set date for virtually all elections.The other is the electoral college. "I hate the e..."
I'm in Alberta. I was in shock when the party I voted for won last year! In all my years here, my vote has never counted (or so it's always felt). It always felt like a losing battle.
LibraryCin wrote: "Karin wrote: "Jenni Elyse wrote: "Karin wrote: "One of the biggest political things I had to get used to down here was the set date for virtually all elections.The other is the electoral college. "..."But if your MP gets in, at least it counts, or has that never happened?
That never happened for me till last year!
Article talking about the political discourse on Facebook and all the unfriending going on as a result . . .guess I'm not alone!http://bigstory.ap.org/article/8e7be1...
So in the FLASH sale where we recommended books to the moderators LADYSLOTT wrote: "Good call, my home town, a store I used to visit on my lunch hours when I worked at The Playboy Club just 2 blocks away. What? You worked at the Playboy Club? Tell all ....
I noticed that too BC. Inquiring minds want to know...
Book Concierge wrote: "What? You worked at the Playboy Club? Tell all .... ..."I worked there for a number of years until it closed, in 1983 (I think that was the year). No I was not a Bunny, I was in upper management - Ass't Comptroller and responsible for helping to get the club fully computerized and training the employees in learning how to use computers, which were new to the workforce back then. I also did a spell at the LA club in 1981 and yes I did have contact on a regular basis with Hugh Hefner- but only on the phone. He was actually very nice. I loved working for the Playboy Organization, it was fun, they had great benefits and I met a lot of famous people while there. I was very sad when it closed. And I have to say I had a lot of respect for the bunnies - many of them were among the smartest people I have met. Many were putting themselves through college or saving up to start other careers. I would probably still be there if it was still operating, but I moved on and worked at Grand Central Oyster Bar for a few years after that. I worked in restaurants and nightclubs in some capacity for over 20 years before moving on to accounting - again specializing in computer training and installations.
I just received notification that my library card expires in 30 days. I am horrified by this thought. I wonder why they didn't say anything when I used it today. I would have gladly renewed it then.
Sara, a month or so ago, my library card just stopped working! I was horrified because I use it online all the time for audio and to place books on hold. I called them in a panic and they said I had to come into the library to renew. It was kind of a pain and then all they did was have me verify my email!
I had an overdue item once and the library locked me out of the audio/eBook system. I too phoned in a panic! It was one of the worst days of my life!
My library will lock me out if I have over $10 in fines, and in order to do the yearly "renew" you've got to pay all current fines so you're back to $0. I didn't even realize you had to renew your library card till this past year!! I guess it's probably standard now but I don't remember going through this when I was in high school. I'll sit pretty on my current $3 in fines for not picking my hold books up in time... Oops!
Joi wrote: "My library will lock me out if I have over $10 in fines, and in order to do the yearly "renew" you've got to pay all current fines so you're back to $0. I didn't even realize you had to renew your ..."I'd be in trouble if my library fined me for not picking up my hold books. We are only fined if books are not returned in time, although we do have the same $10 lockout. I make liberal use of my ability to renew online. I even pay my fines online.
Yeah, I do a lot on line. I think our fine lock out is $20. I don't think I've ever been that high. I don't mind racking up some fines since the money goes back into the library
Our fine lockout is $5 but we are only fined for overdue items. I can't imagine fines for not picking up hold items Joi. How long fo you have to pick them up?
Sara wrote: "Our fine lockout is $5 but we are only fined for overdue items. I can't imagine fines for not picking up hold items Joi. How long fo you have to pick them up?"They give you 10 days, otherwise they pull them back into inventory and fine you. 10 days really is ample time. However I have all my holds shipped to the library closest to my home, which is not the main branch- so it has limited hours (sometimes only being open 12-4pm), and both my days off it's closed. I think it's entirely or at minimum mostly volunteer based, so I understand it won't be open like the main branch.
I think I get into trouble since I try and be 'strategic' with my holds. I have 10 days to pick them up, so I'll try and wait until I finish my book to pick new ones up.
It was only a year or two ago before the Public Library here did away with an annual fee for having a card. I was horrified when I first moved here, and especially since I was a student, I refused to get a card! Of course, I later did get one, as it was "only" $12/year, so about the cost of one book-ish. Since they did away with the annual fee, I don't believe our cards need to be renewed.
We do have a fee if we don't pick up a hold, though. That was a recent thing added in. We have 7 days to pick up our holds.
We actually have a fee for putting a physical book on hold -- I think it's now .75.
My library lets us put as many books on hold as we want without a fee. We also don't have a renewal fee, but we do have to renew our cards each year. The only fee we have is if the book is late, but it's only $0.10/day. My card also allows me access to my city's library, but also the adjacent city's library. And, we also have access to Overdrive so we can check out ebooks.I realize how lucky I am to have access to my library and the adjacent city's libraries. They're both quite large. My friend lives two cities away and her city doesn't have a library nor can she access either of these two libraries. I feel really bad for her.
When my husband and I move, I want to make sure the library in our new city is accessible, stocked, and has awesome programs like my current one does. Otherwise, I won't move, lol.
I also have my holds sent to the closest branch because I am never in the city where the main branch is located. We also have limited hours but because I set my own schedule it isn't an issue. But we only have 3 days to pick up holds. Our fines are $0.10 a day for books and $0.50 a day for AV items. Jenni Elyse, a close library branch is also a pre-req for me wherever we move. We currently live in the suburbs south of Pittsburgh and are discussing moving to the northern suburbs in a year as that is where most of our friends live and the hockey organization our boys play in is located. I made a point of scouting out one of the librarys when my eldest was doing a lacrosse camp this summer. The only downfall is that my weekly knit group meets out this way and so is my job (though I split time between the studio and working from home).
My library system allows 7 days to pick up a hold - and if you fail to do so, you are fined. (Don't know what the fine is, though.)We also have the usual late-fee fine ($0.20 per day), and a heftier "damaged or lost" fine (which is basically replacement cost).
If your fines total $10 you are locked out - SYSTEM wide (not just my town, but any of the towns/cities in the county-wide federated system).
We have to renew every other year - in person - show ID w/ address (to prove I'm still a resident). I just renewed a couple of weeks ago when I was in the library to pick up my holds, so I'm good till July 31, 2018.
We pay a lot of library fines. But we go once/week and my 8 year old checks out about 20 books each time. I try to check online but I always seem to miss. I don't mind since it goes to the library and we get a lot of use out of it. Our entire state is connected, so I can get a book from any of the 192 libraries in Connecticut for free and they'll bring it to my branch. Or I can visit any of those branches and check out books. They had a challenge to visit the most libraries in the state in a certain amount of time and I had a friend that went to all of them!
That's a great service Jen! We can only use libraries in our local council, of which there are five, and we have to pay to get a title transferred. We have to pay to put books on hold, $2 a book of my memory serves me correctly. I suppose it's to stop people from putting them on hold and never collecting them. It's prohibitory for some readers.
I'm fortunate that my library charges no fees - no overdue fines, no charges for holds in any way, no charges for ILL. The unfortunate part is their digital offerings are limited, copies are few, and the check out period is only 2 weeks. That's not enough time for me to listen to a long audio book, and someone likely has put a hold on it so no immediate renewals.I can, however, pay $75 a year for a state library card that gives me access to any public library in the state. The library for our capital allows their card to be used for digital materials and they have an excellent selection. Early on, I tried to calculate how many books I would check out in a year to see if I thought it was worth the money. I came to realize, however, that the card paid for itself in unpurchased Daily Deals. If the library has copies, I pass the deals by.
I have three library cards. I have a card for my local branch, Oceanside NY which allows me access to ILL for all 51 branches of Nassau County. The card is free, overdue fines are 25 cents per day, there are no fees for reserving a book. You can reserve a book online from any of the libraries participating in ILL and they email you a pick up notice when the book arrives at your home library. You have three days to pick up the book and then it goes back into circulation. Because I live in New York State I also have a library card for the New York Public Library which is the second largest library system in the country. I use that mostly for Overdrive downloads, the nearest physical library for me is about 20 minutes away.
Because I own a home in Palm Beach County I also have a library card for when I am down there and I also have access to Overdrive books from them. there are nor fines for holds and I have no idea what the fines for overdue books are since I've never returned one late.
Ladyslott wrote: "I have no idea what the fines for overdue books are since I've never returned one late. ,..."Ha ... I also have never had a late fee .... the only reason I know what they are is that I am on the library board, and we just passed a resolution changing some of our fee structures.
Glad to know I'm not the only who constantly has library fees. I, like most people here don't mind them. The price of my library fees would probably cost the same as one new fancy hardbound at Barnes and Noble. I can't believe some library's have a fee JUST to hold a book. I understand the fines if you don't pick it up (that's me!), but just to hold it? That would definitely prevent me from using the library at all....
I also use the Overdrive e-library system a TON. Love it. I was even able to use my Oregon overdrive when I was living abroad out of the country, very handy when buying books abroad is 3-5 times MSRP.
I love the local library- it's been good to me. 5$ fine limit. No hold price, but they may fine you if you fail to pick it up. My library connects to a huge system throughout greater Boston, so the books do come. They have a book club, lectures, music, children's stuff and various activities, and I am there a lot! I check out kids series and movies. It's good!
Like Linda and BC, I've never had a library fine. I do know our public library has a daily charge for overdue books, but I have no idea what it is!
Wow -- I can't imagine never having an overdue book. I don't try to, but sometimes I just forget because I get overly ambitious and check out too many at one time
I can't imagine not having had a fine at a library either. I've lost a couple of books before (when I was very young), but I've always paid my fines for late books or lost books.
I can't imagine never having an overdue book either! It doesn't help that there are a few different loan periods for books (kids are different than adult fiction, are different from DVDs, are different from new releases). I tried to only go to the library on a certain day of the week for a while but that stopped working. This thread reminded me that I should use my Yale access too, the ebook selection is very odd (classics and then very popular fiction). The actual library isn't very convenient for my every day life so I don't use it often for physical books, but their checkout period is 6 months unless it gets recalled by another patron, which I think can happen after 3 weeks and gives access to all the Ivy League school libraries.
I can't go back to the library.... My fines are a lot. I had two people's passwords for ebook downloads but one of their cards expired. Since they're deceased, I don't think I can renew it. So I have one ebook only library card and I'm just hoping for a Chicago Public Library forgiveness program..... I'd give them the books back, lol.
Mary wrote: "I can't go back to the library.... My fines are a lot. I had two people's passwords for ebook downloads but one of their cards expired. Since they're deceased, I don't think I can renew it. So I ha..."Lol, and this is why I end up buying a lot of books. I just don't think I read fast enough to use the library.
Here our library cards don't expire and are free, but every so often they'll check your info to see if it's current. No fines for not picking up holds (well, I virtually always pick up my holds, but I don't think there is one). 5 cents a day for late books to a maximum of $2 (but you pay the original cost of a book if you lose a book), $1 a day late fee for DVDs. There used to be quite a find for putting DVDs in the outdoor book return (I never did that) but now they have a new one with a special slot for DVDs and audiobooks, which I have yet to us (hooray!).I can put books on hold for free and can get books from our virtual catalogue for free. We have it really good here for library stuff, but only 5 books allowed on virtual catalogue at a time and no renewal (fair enough). I can also get a card (and have one again) in the state capitol for free. Holds are free and they do automatic renewals for you if there is no hold on the book (what a surprise when that happened to me!)
I switched to mostly to ebooks for the fines too. Impossible to be late! But my 8 year old will literally check out 20 books every time we go and I definitely can't afford that! Thankfully she's only lost 2 so far. Although we are currently looking for 2 that are due today....
I've been in this community a year now and still haven't made it to the library to get my card. I seriously need to get that done. Can you even say you're a resident if you don't have a library card? Lol
Anita wrote: "Lol, and this is why I end up buying a lot of books. I just don't think I read fast enough to use the library. ..."I return a lot of books unread because I just don't have time to get to them right then. But, I just put them back on the hold list and hopefully I have time when they come around again.
I typically only put books I really want to read on hold at the library to increase the chances I will make time for it. I still buy books that I think will take me a long time to read.
Jennifer wrote: "I switched to mostly to ebooks for the fines too. Impossible to be late! But my 8 year old will literally check out 20 books every time we go and I definitely can't afford that! Thankfully she's on..."I had 2 kids picture-book-age at the same time. Yowza! When you miss the due date, those fines can add up fast!
I hate the electoral college. I feel like there's no point in voting because the electoral college will do what they want no matter what their constituents say. I live in a state that is mostly Republican, so our state electoral college always votes for the Republican nominee. I'm more moderate, but for the past few elections, I've leaned more towards the Democratic side. This election, I definitely want the Dems to win because I don't want Trump as our next president. My state will still probably vote him in and it sickens me that my vote won't mean a thing.