I went to the library to borrow some magazines. And I thought it was my lucky day when they had all the latest issues of Damernas värld and Amelia. I quickly grabbed two copies of each, but it was then that I noticed…
they all had little notes on them. And what did it say on the little note? That I couldn’t borrow the magazines!
I was shocked and stunned and demanded an explanation. But still trying to calm down I thought “I don’t really know the system here in Turku, maybe they keep the magazines you can borrow on another shelf”.
Approaching the lady at the info desk I put on my best smiling face.
“excuse me, but is it so that you do not lend out magazines?”
“oh well yes we do, but they have to be one year old.”
“ONE YEAR OLD?! How long have you had such a rule?”
“Well for a very very long time now.”
“But… WHY??”
“I guess it’s because they were always lent out, they were never in their shelf.”
“But… this must be the ONLY city in Finland where there is such a rule!”
Now the polite smile the info lady had been keeping up went a bit stiff and I felt it was time for me to go. Of course I couldn’t blame her for the laws that the city has.
But the logic to this! Because they were in such high demand they just decided that no-one, unless you have enough time to sit and read in the library for a couple of hours, can borrow the magazines.
My mother jokingly told me to write a letter-to-the-editor. And why not…?
jamen absolut! Riktigt dumt! Att man inte lånar ut nyaste numret är väl rätt okej- då har ju alla chansen att läsa dem på biblioteket – men sen… äh. skruttigt.
… We have the same rule in Canadian libraries. I’ve never been able to borrow a magazine!
Ah, jag vet, det är förskräckligt störigt. Första gången jag skulle låna tidningar blev jag helt paff när jag kom till utlåningsdisken och inte fick låna. Tanten vid disken visade på de störiga laparna med “utlånas ej”-texten och förklarade nåt om det hela på finska. Mystisk regel!