The Horse and the Library….
There’s a saying about a horse tied to a post. If you tie the horse there enough times, eventually you can untie the rope and just let it dangle. The horse still won’t walk away. It’s been conditioned. The rope doesn’t even need to be attached anymore.
I’m the horse.
A few years ago, the Chicago Public Library eliminated late fees. Don’t return a book? Nothing happens.
In the last few years, they’ve also done away with the security feature in books. No more demagnetizing the book, so you can walk out without setting off the alarm. They still have a security guard sitting by the door, but I’m not sure why.
Today I went to pick up two books I had on hold. I pulled them off the shelf and went to the self-checkout computer. I try to never go to the front desk because they are some of the most…uh…interesting people in the city. Most still wear masks, and I’m not sure how to put this nicely, but they’re all weird. Not quirky weird. Just weird. Like still wearing masks and smelling vaguely like cat food (or piss)
As I was checking out, it dawned on me that the rope wasn’t tied to the hitch.
Why was I bothering?
They don’t have security features on the books, and it doesn’t matter if I return them on time (or ever), so why didn’t I just take the books off the shelf and leave? Why “check” them out?
I know it might help the library keep tabs on the books, but they don’t care if I don’t return them, and they don’t care if I walk out without checking them out. If they are going to treat it basically like Big Free Library, so bet it. Take a book, leave a book.