I had a quick question, I know it's not required to let someone know that the book you are sending is a library discard because I received one without a PM or anything. Its in great shape just has a barcode attached to the front cover and a couple stamps on the top edge. I was wondering would you be upset if it was sent on to you without a PM. I just had someone request it and I wanted to know if I should just send it on or if I should let them know it is coming that way.

Ex-library books are postable so unless the requestor has an RC regarding them there is no reason to pm them. Go ahead and mail it.

I don't PM about postable books.  So go ahead and send it. If they make a complaint you can just say "there was no RC asking not to be sent ex-library books". Chances are anyone who has an issue with ex-library books will have an RC about them.

If you do PM then you have to worry about who cancels the request and what do you do if they don't respond to the PM by the mail by date.

I send out a lot of ex-library books and only once did I have someone comment about it.  She didn't really want an ex-library book, but didn't have an RC on it, and admitted it was her fault.  I've found that most ex-library books (except paperbacks) are in as good or better shape than those that aren't ex-library. 

When I first joined PBS I'd PM people about ex-library books, but then found I didn't need to and so don't any more. Pat

Don't PM, just send the book.  If they requestor doesn't want library discards, then they need to have an RC about them.

I've gotten library discards.  I wasn't disappointed, I read the book and passed it on to someone else and didn't even think about PMing the requestor about it.

I just packaged it to send out tomorrow. I was somewhat disappointed when I got it, I think that's why I thought maybe I should PM. But it was actually in great shape. Almost like it was never read, just had the barcode in the front corner and the stamp on the top.

As long as a book falls within the rules, no one should get upset if they receive it. If it doesn't fall within the rules, it shouldn't have been posted. That's the beauty of the rules. Very few of them have any "gray" areas. They are pretty much for the most part, black and white. Either it is postable or it isn't. Cuts down on the PMs and the questions and the wondering. Black and white, plain and simple. I love the rules! I wish everybody loved the rules.

Like others, I would (and often do--I peruse FOL sales and a lot of my books are ex-lib.) send without PM. And it would not bother me in the least to get one without a PM.

Unless they specify in an RC that they don't want them, PM'ing can cause a lot of problems--and that really applies to any quirky little thing. If the book is postable, a PM is not needed, period.

For example, if she doesn't want it, which of you cancels? If you do, you lose your place in FIFO. If she does, she loses her place in the WLline if it's wishlisted, and if she tries to order the book again if it's in the system, she will keep getting your book to request until someone else orders it. If she had an RC, you could decline and the book would be available for the next person who wanted it, and you wouldn't be stuck in an endless loop. And then, what if she doesn't answer your PM before you need to send the book? Do you send, or cancel? It just opens up a bunch of cans of worms.

Cheryl