I Just Learned About "Wardrobing"

This morning while watching the news, I learned a new word. The word is wardrobing. The dictionary said it's the "practice of purchasing an item, using it, then returning it to the store for a refund - most often done with expensive clothing." Retailers, the news said, are trying to combat this problem, because wardrobing is a fraud.
It may be a new word to people, but I heard about this practice many years ago. It seemed to be mostly associated with young women whose salaries did not give them enough money to purchase a new dress each time they went to a wedding or special event.
Once again, I connected this bit of information to our library. Usually when I read or hear about something interesting, I wonder how it might relate to our library. Sure enough, I could do it with wardrobing.
Have you ever gone to a bookstore and found a book that you felt you just couldn't leave without? But you knew you didn't have the money to purchase it. And you tried to figure out how you could get a copy, because you just have to have it! Well, I have the answer to that.
Think of it this way...people are wardrobing when they come to the library and check out books, videos, DVDs, and audio books. But instead of having to pay cash for those items, they show their library cards. They walk away with something they really want and can return it after they've finished with it.
The best part is...this is not considered fraud! It's all legal and a great way to save money. You don't have to feel guilty about what you're doing, because using all the resources your library has to offer is one of the greatest benefits you have in your life.
Believe me, I could practice wardrobing at our library for the rest of my life! Just remember, your library card is better than cash when you want that book from the bookstore you can't afford.

Maybe We Should Have A "Granny Brigade" In Moultrie

My AARP magazine came the other day. (Yep! I'm old enough to get one.) A tiny little article at the bottom of one page caught my eye. It said: "Grandmothers Rule!" Cool, I thought. (A saying that really makes me old, huh?) Anyhow, the article was talking about how the mayor of Salinas, California, decided to create a "granny brigade" to fight gang violence in his city. He said they were a working-class community with a lot of single parents and the reality was that a lot of time the grandmothers were running the home. So, he met with 30 Salinas grandmothers to ask them to visit area juvenile detention facilities. But that wasn't what caught my eye! He also asked the grandmothers to help ensure that all first-graders obtain library cards! WOW! What insight, I thought. So, maybe we should have a "granny brigade" here in Moultrie. A group of 30 or so grandmothers who would be willing to make sure that every kid in the first grade had a library card. After all, this is National Library Card Month. Do I have any volunteers? (Source: AARP Magazine, Sept./Oct. 2007)

Do You Have The Smartest Card?

September has been designated by the American Library Association as National Library Card Month. The Moultrie-Colquitt County Library wants to make sure that you are among the two-thirds of Americans that carry the smartest card of all -- a library card. A recent study by the ALA showed that families use libraries to spend time together. Forty-four percent of survey respondents report taking their children to the library for this reason. And do you know that public libraries today acquire the bulk of their funding from local property taxes? As a result, the local economy plays a major role in your library's budgetary success or failure. Local taxes help pay for your library card. So, now is the time for anyone who does not have a library card to get one. To show you how important a library card is, the ALA has come up with 52 ways to use your library card for each week of the year. Here's just a sample:

• Get a book from the Intra-Library Loan service
• Update your MySpace page
• Research new job opportunities
• Find a list of childcare centers in your area
• Learn about local candidates for office
• Learn how to use a database or computerized catalog
• Check out your favorite novel
• Pick up a DVD
• Get homework help
• Find a new recipe
• Connect with other people in the community
• Research your term paper
• Use the library's resources to start a small business
• Read a newspaper from another country

And we're here! Just waiting for you to come in and ask for YOUR library card. We are the Moultrie-Colquitt County Public Library System and we are here to serve you. (Source: American Library Association http://www.ala.org)