Can't take books out of the library?

[kac0426]

On every cruise I've ever been on, there has been a library that operated under the honor system. You could check out books with the assumption that you would return them before leaving the ship. I imagine most people abide by this honor system. I know I do.

 

On a recent HAL cruise (my first on HAL), I went to the library on the first day and took 2 books with me back to my cabin. A few days later, when looking through these books, I noticed a huge sticker on the inside cover that said they were not to be removed from the library. I've never known a library that wouldn't let you take the books with you. Who wants to only be able to read a book within the walls of a library? Most people I know want to take it with them to the pool deck, for example.

 

Is this a HAL policy on all ships? Do people follow it, or do they still take the books with them?

 

 

I did return the books before coming home, of course.

[kazu]

On every cruise I've ever been on, there has been a library that operated under the honor system. You could check out books with the assumption that you would return them before leaving the ship. I imagine most people abide by this honor system. I know I do.

 

On a recent HAL cruise (my first on HAL), I went to the library on the first day and took 2 books with me back to my cabin. A few days later, when looking through these books, I noticed a huge sticker on the inside cover that said they were not to be removed from the library. I've never known a library that wouldn't let you take the books with you. Who wants to only be able to read a book within the walls of a library? Most people I know want to take it with them to the pool deck, for example.

 

Is this a HAL policy on all ships? Do people follow it, or do they still take the books with them?

 

 

I did return the books before coming home, of course.

 

You can take all the books out of the library except for the Reference Books. Same rules as your library at home.

 

The Reference books on HAL are usually all the travel books. They want them left in the library so others can use them during the cruise.

 

Those are the only books I have seen the sticker on.

 

I erroneously took one (no libararian) on our last cruise and when I got back to the cabin, I saw the sticker. I immediately returned it.

 

Fiction, Non Fiction all the other books are yours to take to your cabin and return at your leisure.

[OCruisers]

There are reference books we can't check out at our library at home. Same on the ship.

All other books are fine to take with you. :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

You didn't mention what type of books you took from the library.

Until about a year ago, HAL did have librarians -- part time. You could sign out most books.

Many years ago HAL had full time librarians from 8 AM until 10 PM.

[kazu]

You didn't mention what type of books you took from the library.

Until about a year ago, HAL did have librarians -- part time. You could sign out most books.

Many years ago HAL had full time librarians from 8 AM until 10 PM.

 

No librarian on the Rotterdam, KK. But no biggie.

 

The books were in pretty good order and you just take them. No need to sign out now.

 

the only bad thing is that the reference / travel books can just be "taken" and someone could keep them for the entire cruise depriving other passengers of their use. In the old days, the librarian made sure that didn't happen.

[Scrapnana]

Sorry to go off on a tangent but...

 

Anyone know who has to restock the shelves now that there are no longer librarians?

[kazu]

Sorry to go off on a tangent but...

 

Anyone know who has to restock the shelves now that there are no longer librarians?

A crew member was doing it on the Rotterdam.

[ski ww]

On the Eurodam over New Years, no librarian either. Every once in awhile a staff member reorganized the books. The shelves were kept looking neat & tidy, although for the seize of the ship the library was smaller.

Allan

[Krazy Kruizers]

And sadly no new books are being added to the existing libraries.

When we were on the Westerdam spring of 2016, we talked to the librarian. She worked an hour in the morning, an hour after lunch and sometimes an hour in the evening. She was assigned to help the CD and other duties. She was the one who told us that no new books were being ordered and that her job would soon be gone completely.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Travel book's aren't permitted.

[janmcn]

No librarians or other staff seen on the Zuiderdam or Oosterdam...just take and return books yourself. However, the lack of books now makes it a relatively moot point...few books you want to take out. Yes, "reference books" are not allowed to be taken from the library, but alas, not many of them, either.

:(

[Tampa Girl]

And sadly no new books are being added to the existing libraries.

When we were on the Westerdam spring of 2016, we talked to the librarian. She worked an hour in the morning, an hour after lunch and sometimes an hour in the evening. She was assigned to help the CD and other duties. She was the one who told us that no new books were being ordered and that her job would soon be gone completely.

 

When we were on the Oosterdam in November, we were told by a ship's officer that they were ordering new books because of the hue and cry about the diminished libraries. That has since been repeated by a couple of posters who have been on recent cruises. However, these books do not appear to have materialized, so who knows!

 

I really don't understand HAL's position on diminishing the libraries. Hiring someone for a couple of hours a day to restock a library is not going to break anyone's bank. Someone mentioned in a former thread that having a librarian on board requires additional cabin space. Yes, but so do musicians and other entertainers, and ships have always accommodated these individuals in the past. I guess HAL's supreme power thinks his passengers should be able to amuse themselves with travel books and sales pitches. Time will tell.

[billbunger]

The way of the world today is electronic. The cruise lines see this and look at the bottom line, paying someone to clean up a mess of books that cruisers leave is not cost effective and neither are books. Bring you tablets, kindels etc, if you like books bring your own, this is the way of the future.

[Hlitner]

DW and I enjoy libraries, but must acknowledge that times are changing. Maintaining onboard libraries does require labor and money...especially if a cruise line makes an effort to keep a decent collection of up-to-date books, magazines, etc. But the new reality is that fewer folks are physically visiting libraries. We used to pack over 15 pounds of books when we went on long cruises. Now, we simply bring our Kindles where we can store several thousand books...on a device that weighs a fraction of a pound. My Kindle works perfectly in the sun, shade, and even in the dark. Before we go on a trip I can connect my Kindle to any of several libraries and download the latest books (to read on my trip). DW and I also have our own "library" that I have downloaded which consists of more then 10,000 books..all contained on a few DVDs. These can quickly be moved onto our Kindle (or Smartphones, iPad, etc) when necessary.

 

Despite all of this technology, we will miss the HAL libraries....especially on the Prinsendam (the best library of the line).

 

Hank

[sammiedawg]

Do people think librarians are needed to shelve books? Any crew person with knowledge of the alphabet can do it. Were the so called librarians really librarians? I mostly saw them provide technical help to passengers on how to log in, some guests had never used a computer.

[navybankerteacher]

The removal of librarians - even if only part time and untrained - is just a visible cost cutting measure. Yes, such steps do help to hold down fares, as do adjustments to menus, etc. it probably won't be too long before dining room stewards are dropped in favor of cafeteria service, followed by removal of cabin stewards - after all, most of us can make our own beds and clean our own houses.

[Reagan0712]

If recall correctly, last summer there was nothing but reference books in the Koningsdam library.

[OlsSalt]

There is something about physically scanning and browsing a book shelf and the old card catalogs that often brought unexpected discovery that can never be replicated with electronic substitutes.

 

At least the books are still labeled on their spine as to general categories, and this is what I assume the staff person does when resolving them. Not necessarily alphabetical, but at least generally topical.

[cruisemom42]

There is something about physically scanning and browsing a book shelf and the old card catalogs that often brought unexpected discovery that can never be replicated with electronic substitutes.

 

 

Not sure I've ever heard someone wax nostalgic about the old card catalogs (and I come from a family of librarians and have two of them reporting to me where I work)! :D

 

Bookstores used to be the place I loved to haunt, but brick and mortar ones have mostly vanished, at least, the ones worth going to.

 

However, I've found that joy of locating a new book I want to read IS transferable: it's a new way of hunting (searching) and selective reading, but I've come to enjoy it just as much -- not least because the selection I have to choose form is "virtually" unlimited.

[OlsSalt]

.....

 

However, I've found that joy of locating a new book I want to read IS transferable: it's a new way of hunting (searching) and selective reading, but I've come to enjoy it just as much -- not least because the selection I have to choose form is "virtually" unlimited.

 

That is the problem for me .. the array today is virtually unlimited. The old drinking from the fire-house analogy. When there is unlimited choice, the answer can become no choice simply because we still have to operate within temporal limits. Give me a few hundred books and I will probably find some I like. Give me three million books to choose from and I will drown.

 

But I am old, and my brain has become sclerotic. Even the smell of the old, well-thumbed card catalog excited discovery for me.

[bluegiraffe]

There was a librarian on the Amsterdam at the beginning of this month. She was there probably 4-6 hours per day. And the library was pretty busy. Perhaps both of those things are due to the Amsterdam tending to have longer cruises? We filled our Kindles before we left and still ran out of things to read on a 20 day cruise. The library came in handy!

[kazu]

There was a librarian on the Amsterdam at the beginning of this month. She was there probably 4-6 hours per day. And the library was pretty busy. Perhaps both of those things are due to the Amsterdam tending to have longer cruises? We filled our Kindles before we left and still ran out of things to read on a 20 day cruise. The library came in handy!

I suspect it may be because of the World Cruise being on that ship?

 

Our cruise was 30 days on the Rotterdam (which is the other flagship) and there was no librarian.

 

But we certainly still had access to the library ;)

[Barrheadlass]

Do people think librarians are needed to shelve books? Any crew person with knowledge of the alphabet can do it. Were the so called librarians really librarians? I mostly saw them provide technical help to passengers on how to log in, some guests had never used a computer.

 

I've been on a bunch of HAL cruises, am a retired professional librarian...and to answer your question...no, the "librarians" were not professional librarians. And yes, anyone who can alphabetize can shelve...

[hexdragon]

Bring you tablets, kindels etc, if you like books bring your own, this is the way of the future.

From the headlines I have been seeing, you might not be able to bring your Kindle, or at least your laptop... Besides, if the publishers are going to charge me almost the same price for the Kindle version as they do a physical book, I'm getting the book.

 

Here is a suggestion, bring a book with you and if you finish it before the end of your cruise, donate it to the library...

[cruisemom42]

From the headlines I have been seeing, you might not be able to bring your Kindle, or at least your laptop... Besides, if the publishers are going to charge me almost the same price for the Kindle version as they do a physical book, I'm getting the book.

 

Here is a suggestion, bring a book with you and if you finish it before the end of your cruise, donate it to the library...

 

You can bring your Kindle or laptop. But there is a possibility that IF you are flying to the US from Europe, you might not be able to have it in the cabin. At any rate, the discussion on that has been tabled for the moment.

 

I have four bookcases at home filled to overflowing with books. :eek: I think e-books are great.

 

I also can read them wherever I go. I have a number of classical reference books that I've gotten for free or $1 or less. Nothing beats sitting on a bench in the sun at Hadrian's villa reading some excerpts from Yourcenar's exquisite "Memoirs of Hadrian", or driving through Tunisia on a bus through the landscape where the final Punic Wars played out and reading Appian's account of them. If I were to try to cart all these references with me every time I travel, I'd have no room for anything else.

 

Regarding cost, aren't most libraries now equipped to let you borrow eBooks rather than buying them? I rarely spend money on a book that's a casual read.