Tom: Hi! I’m looking for a book called "The Hate U Give". There was a film based on it.
Clara: Are you a member?
Tom: Do I have to be?
Clara: No, you can read books here, but membership is free and you can borrow up to ten books at a time.
Tom: How long can I keep them for?
Clara: You can keep them for a month. If you want them any longer, you can renew them online or by phone.
Tom: What happens if I haven’t returned them by the due date?
Clara: Well, you should bring them back on time and there’s a drop-off box that’s open 24/7. But there is a fine of £1 a day per overdue book.
Tom: That’s reasonable. What about the book I asked for? I know some people consider it controversial.
Clara: Let me check our catalogue. Oh, look, here it is: "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas. Shall I sign you up?
Tom: OK, let’s do it. I’ll have a browse to see what else you have. Where can I find the young adult fiction section?
Clara: It’s on aisle nine, at the back on the left. Welcome to our library!
NOW LET’S REVIEW THE VOCABULARY!
To borrow is to take something with you for a short time, before returning it.
‘To lend’, on the other hand, is to give something to someone for a short time, before it is returned to you. The two verbs are often mixed up!
The ‘due date’ is the date on which the books must be returned; in other words, the date on which they are ‘due’.
To drop something off means to take something to a particular place. Here, the library has a box so members can drop off the books outside of opening times.
24/7 refers to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which essentially means any time.
A fine is a sum of money that must be paid when you break the rules.
Overdue means ‘late’.
To sign up is to join, to register, to become a member.
To browse is to take a casual look. Browse can also be used as a noun, as in to have a browse’.
An ‘aisle’ in a library is a passage between the rows of bookshelves.