So goodbye until tomorrow/ Goodbye until my feet touch the floor/ And I will be waiting/ I will be waiting

DCPL Card Privilege Expires in 30 Days

Thus, ominously, read the email subject line. My first reaction, quite naturally, was to sort of panic a bit. What could I have possibly done to lose DCPL library privileges? Was this about the time I took advantage of their new "we don't fine you till your books are 30 days overdue" policy and kept a book nearly three weeks late? Surely not, though. That's their own policy after all. Or about the various times where I put a book on hold but just failed to make it to the library on time for it? Yes, that's obnoxious of me, but this, without warning, seems too extreme.

Eventually, I worked up the nerve to open it. "Our records indicate that your DC library card will expire in 30 days. Library card accounts expire every three years. To re-activate or renew your account simply visit any of the library's 26 locations and present picture ID and an official document with your current address such as a bill, lease, bank statement, or a driver's license (which would cover both picture and address requirements)."

All right, fine, that's not so bad. Still, it's annoying. Still, let's put it off for several weeks.

Over the course of those weeks, I began to dread the encounter. Of course my ID doesn't have my current address, so I had to find a utilities bill. But what if they reject it? To be safe, I brought a utilities bill, bank statement, and letter from my landlord with my address (rent adjustment notification).

As Drew can attest, I whined the whole walk to the library. Why? Why must I go through this? What if they reject all of my forms of ID? What will I do then???

 And then, I'll have to deal with the librarian! I always use the self-checkout. What if they yell at me for not updating my address in their system (which means that every time I put books on hold I have to change the default library to the one closer to my current location, yes I know that I could have changed it JUST ONCE rather than dealing with this hassle on the regular, no, I don't know what's wrong with me).

Finally, I go into the library, hand the librarian my card, ID, and utility bill, takes less than 5min. So anti-climatic.

ALSO! I definitely have had the library card for more than three years; nearly six, in fact, but not exactly, so what gives, DCPL?