My own view is that if her membership or use of the library was linked
to her employment, as it sounds that she was, then her complaint should
be treated with decently-disguised derision.  Things may well be a
little different where a library is public or where access to a library
relates to personal membership of an association.

For someone who kept a 1-week loan for six months I think you would have
been justified in handing the matter over to a collection agency (which
worked very well for us when I was at the BMA) or thrreatening
prosecution under the Theft Act (which some public libraries do - Camden
used to employ a group of jolly but impressive ex-coppers to do this
work).  

On a related matter, I was once accused of racism by the girlfriend of a
French library assistant temp whom we dispensed with after he spent his
first week in the library harrassing various female colleagues with a
technique that might best be described as fumbling.  This came to light
when he tried it on with the wrong person and was, well, bowled middle
stumpto his considerable distress.  I was called by his girlfriend who
threatened to sue for racial harrassment on the basis that this sort of
"flirting" was an essential part of the French culture and that I was
violating his rights.  It brightened my morning no end.

Tony


Tony McSean
Director of Library Relations
Elsevier


+44 7795 960516

-----Original Message-----
From: UK medical/ health care library community / information workers
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Charlotte Boulnois
Sent: 28 May 2007 11:59
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Human rights and overdues

Hi all

We've just had a user in stating that because, after numerous attempts
to contact her, I copied an overdue letter to her boss asking the boss
to contact the person, I contravened her human rights. I must admit,
that after I took my jaw off the floor, I pointed out that we had
lettered her at both ward and home address, that the book was a weekly
loan which was 6 months overdue and she had signed our membership form
which stated that she agreed to abide by our rules and regs - one of
which is that we reserve the right to contact people's line managers in
these cases. I also told her that when we give out the membership form
she would have been asked for a line manager countersignature and why (
to cover us for just such an eventuality). Anyway she went away having
paid the fine, but it got me thinking, did she have a case ?

I looked up the convention and there is 


RIGHT TO RESPECT FOR PRIVATE AND FAMILY LIFE 1. Everyone has the right
to respect for his private and family life, his home and his
correspondence.

However further on in this article it states There shall be no
interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right
except such as is in accordance with the law and is necessary in a
democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety
or the economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of
disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the
protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

Does this mean that she contravened others' human rights by depriving
them of the right and freedom to borrow the overdue book, or that I had
the right to contravene this article as I was trying to prevent a crime
(theft of hospital property) So what does everyone think ? Did my
contacting and informing her boss of her overdue contravene her human
rights?

Charlotte



Charlotte Boulnois
Library Services Manager
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Acute Services Division (South) Central
Library Southern General Hospital
1345 Govan Rd
Glasgow
G51 4TF
Tel :- 0141 201 2163
Fax:- 0141 201 2057 



**********************************************************************
P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail or its
attachment(s) 

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are
addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the
system manager.

This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by
MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses.

www.clearswift.com
**********************************************************************
This email is from Elsevier Limited, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 1982084,
whose registered office is The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1GB, United Kingdom.