I've had a few members who ordered from me say they don't want ex-Library books... Why is that? At my local Library I can get almost new condition paperbacks or hardcovers for 10 cents that only have a small stamp inside. Since I'm new, I'm trying to get a feel for what others expect & want. Thanks for the understanding. :)

Example: http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gx1eR3nS

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gx1eROMA

People don't like the look of ex-library books, I am guessing.  The plastic is a turn off. 

Hmmm... Mine have no plastic. They're just regular PB or HC books.

I don't mind ex-library books but some people may not want them because they have stickers or writing on them (depends on the library). Some people do not want any writing on their books so they would not want library books.

I think most people assume the ex-library books have the plastic.  I know that most of the ones that I have seen do.

Thw way I look at it,if the book is readable and its one I really want then who cares what the outside looks like!

I just got an ex-library book that is one of those old library rebinds, where the cover has absolutely no resemblance to the original cover.  I don't mind getting the same book you see in stores with the stickers or the plastic over the dust jacket or whatever, but getting the same pages in a totally different cover kind of ticks me off.

There are a few books that I would not like to recieve if they are former library books.  All of them have been or will be gifts for my nieces and nephew.  Their parents know that they are coming from a used book club trade so they don't mind a little wear.  It would also be pretty disapointing for the kids to open a pacakge and have their present look like the ones they get from the library. 

I figure that I can get the kids a bunch of books for Xmas or birthdays and still be able to afford another present & a savings bond as well.  (They are already bored by Savings Bonds.)

A book from a library is probably going to be dirtier than one from a home.  It's just the nature of the beast.  I am sure they are out there but I personally don't know of any libraies that dust their books.  I do, however, know of one that "washes" their children's books by wiping them down with something like a baby wipe.  They are a very small library so when the book is checked in it's also cleaned.

PS:  I'm a librarian.

LOL Ange... my mom actually volunteers at the local library and one of her jobs is to dust books.

I know i just read a book from my library that had a stamp across the top of the page every 50 or so pages, and a couple of times it obscured the writing. A couple bad experiences with that and i probably wouldn't want to order an ex-library book either.

I haven't received any (ex-library books) yet, myself. I am trying really hard not to put RC's on my books, but i am new yet, still haven't reached my one year mark. So who knows what i'll want (or not want) in the future.

This isn't the best solution, but it is the one I am using.  I have in my RCs to please PM me ahead of time if book is a library or bookcrossing book (so I can find out the condition/#stamps/writing, etc.).  I include my PBS name/Nickname in the RC so people don't need to accept before PM'g me, and I promise to respond back to PMs quickly in the RC so people know they won't have to wait too long and will be able to complete marking the transaction.

It's the best I could come up with, because I'm willing to take some library/bookcrossing books, but not all.  Still, I've read a lot of forum posts where people do not want to take an extra step and PM other member, so I am risking automatic refusal from those folks and from the members who automatically refuse any transaction with RCs.

I put a lot of ex-library books on my BL.  When I first started I'd PM the requestor letting them know it was X-lib, but none seemed to care, so I stopped doing it.  I've only had one person be upset by the x-lib, but she admitted it was her problem, as she didn't have that as a RC. 

I've never received any X-lib books, but if I requested a book and it was in as good a condition as the X-libs I send out I'd be most happy to get it.  It take the stickers off the covers, but can't do anything about the stamps inside the cover or the label there.  Personally, I'd like books with the plastic covers.  It saves getting the dust jackets torn. 

Pat

I've dusted, cleaned, mended Books, CDS, DVDs and Audio books..LOL  But it is not common practice any more.

I also think some do not want xlibrary books due to allergies, I have come across many books that REEEK of smoke (and it was not due to ANY of the wildfires in the area :)  to the point where I have removed them from circulation.  Some do not like all the spine labels/stickers and stamps in the book, which is/was my job to do.

People have various reasons for wanting or not wanting different things, and the reasons people don't want ex-library books are probably as varied as the people with those conditions. I think, more than anything, what people want is for you to honor their requestor conditions, whatever the reason might be for them, and as long as you do that, there shouldn't be any problems.

Of all the requestor's conditions I've seen out there, the "no ex-library books" is the one that I've had to turn down the most often, since (like you) I get a lot of books for my shelf from my library's Friends of the Library sale. I have often had almost brand-new ex-library books that I have had to decline orders for because of that condition; I don't question why, I just click the "Book does not meet requestor's conditions" button and move on. The book moves off my shelf eventually. :)

Cheryl