I have been an avid user of the Chicago Public Library for many years. However, since the end of last summer the “in-transit” time for books between libraries has increased from seven to 10 days to seven to 10 weeks, or longer!
When I e-mailed them, I was told that they move thousands of pieces on a daily basis and it takes time. Well, they’ve always moved thousands of pieces on a daily basis, and it never took this long. My local library says that schools can’t get the books they need for their classes in a timely manner, either. New books can come quickly, but most books take so long that I end up buying them. At the moment I have one item (a CD) that has been in transit since December, and two books that I may never see. Apparently, they have laid off so many people that they can no longer do the job. Where have my library taxes gone?
Maybe the Tribune needs to do in in-depth investigation of where the library budget is really going, because it’s certainly not going to providing me with the services it used to.
— Christine Quinn, Chicago
