Chesapeake Public Library

This review is mainly for the children’s department at this branch. We are Suffolk residents but I pay a membership fee to use Chesapeake libraries (Suffolk residents do not need to pay a fee to take out books, but you are limited to the amount (maybe 6?) and you cannot request books). My children are involved in the activities at this branch. My younger sons enjoy the Tween Book Club and my oldest is part of TAG (Teen Advisory Group).
One of the reasons we love this branch so much has to do with Miss Debbie. She is a fantastic mentor for these teens. She has so much energy and enthusiasm. We are so grateful for all she does for these kids.
This is not the biggest branch, but it is the one we frequent the most. When I walk through the doors, I feel happy.

First of all, I love the library, any library. There is no better place to kill a morning or an afternoon. There are tons of newspapers, magazines, and books, of course, that you wouldn’t have access to otherwise. If you are looking for something to do, go to the library. I would even suggest that you go to this library. There is one story that I would like to share with you first. Please read it to the end.
I went to the Chesapeake Public Library on Cedar Road today. For those of you in the know, it’s the central library of the City of Chesapeake. These main branch locations usually have items that cannot be found in their other branches. I am on Unilocal and I do review my share of restaurants, so I was there to take out a few cookbooks. When I went to the self checkout station, it said, «You have two overdue books». I returned them books to the Russell Memorial branch before they were due; this was around October 9. I went to information to discuss it with the clerk. That’s when the runaround began.
It seems the Russell Memorial branch is going through a remodel. I asked politely, «What does that have to do with the books I returned?» She responded that all the book had been boxed up so that the remodel could be done. Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems that all of the books were boxed and put in storage or, at least, out of the way of the remodel. And, you guessed it, they boxed up my returns without checking them in first. I don’t know this for a fact, but this is what I suspect.
This review is not a real review; it’s a ‘check your account if you returned anything to Russell Memorial recently’.
I digress…
I asked the clerk if she would call Russell to inquire about those two books. She spoke with someone for a few minutes, then I spoke with her. The representation on the other end told me that she would renew those books under my account and that I should do a follow-​up later. Yep, those were her words, paraphrased, of course. My response? «I don’t want books on my account that are not in my possession. If you boxed them up before you checked them in, that’s not my problem.» She gave me the runaway for a few minutes, using some dramatic pauses, and staccato octaves. It’s didn’t phase me. Finally, she asked to speak with the clerk at Central. She said a few things to her, then hung up. I, of course, asked her what she said because it was obvious that she wasn’t going to do anything about those books, other than renew them, and just got me off the phone, so that she could hang up.
The clerk at the Central Library reiterated what the Russell representative said on the phone. I told her that I was not going to accept that because I didn’t have the two so-​called overdue books in my possession. I found out that patrons at the Russell branch were actually leaving book on the sidewalk because the drop box was FULL. I guess that means that there are many more of you with overdue books that have been boxed and stored.
Ultimately, someone else at the Central Library took care of my problem. She removed the two book from my account and put them in lost or misplaced status. She said when the Russell branch reopens that someone would look for them. Of course, they will find them when they replace the books on the shelves.
What the story here? If you used the Russell branch and left books around or after October 9, you might have overdue books (or other items) that are NOT in your possession. Check on them. I would like to suggest that you inquire at the Central and not Russell branch.
Anyway, more of a huge frustration and not so much an inconvenience. I love the library, even Russell, and will continue to enjoy the sites, sounds, and the smell of books wherever, whenever.