I think you make good points Gary, but a little contradictory in some
respects.We do have return dates now, but you seem to suggest borrowers have
exhausted the stock? Is this because the stock is less rich, or maybe
because there is more competition for what we offer, and more alternatives?
Readers will read at their own pace, and will return for more even if their
time 'hasn't run out'.
But all of these arguments are very short on factual information. Maybe more
stock was issued years ago because we had more users, they read more and the
stock was better and there was less call on their lives and books were few
and far between out side the library? There were fewer book shops, books
were not as cheap, none in the supermarkets as we didn't have supermarkets,
and so on.
Would be good, as several people have now suggested, to have some real work
done on this area. For instance why did the fines collected ever get to be
regarded as the library income. has any one ever done any cost analysis, and
what are the users attitudes and reactions to all this?
we may never know
f
Frances Hendrix
Martin House Farm, Hilltop Lane, Whittle le Woods, Chorley, Lancs PR6 7QR,
UK
tel: 01257 274 833. fax: 01257 266 488
email: [log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Garry Gale" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Frances Hendrix" <[log in to unmask]>
Cc: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2008 5:27 PM
Subject: RE: Fines etc
Is there not a very real danger that users will 'get out of the habit'
of borrowing/using libraries if we create a culture whereby borrowers
can hang on to an item for longer and longer periods. Also the resultant
decline in issues could lead, albeit erroneously, to the impression that
the popularity of our services is in decline, with all the implications
and consequences that can create.
The process of borrowing and returning items can be equated to a piece
of elastic between us and the user ...I don't HAVE to re visit a museum
... Return to a swimming bath ...If I borrow an item of stock I, in
effect, have to return it...which gives us the opportunity to keep
connecting and re-connecting with the borrower. It's a very valuable
asset to our overall service.
I have a horrible suspicion that we issued much more stock many years
ago when (because?) there were more restrictions on quantity and loan
periods than at present. (Two 'tickets, unless you were a student four,
and 2 week loans) It seems incredibly quaint ..I know.
Possibly too many users are now exhausting our collections in the short
term, because their usage is, in effect, overtaking our ability to hold
their interest with enough new titles or more concerted stock
circulation.
Garry
-----Original Message-----
From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Frances Hendrix
Sent: 13 August 2008 17:08
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Fines etc
you obviously don't know me do you Loz!
f
Frances Hendrix
Martin House Farm, Hilltop Lane, Whittle le Woods, Chorley, Lancs PR6
7QR, UK
tel: 01257 274 833. fax: 01257 266 488
email: [log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Loz Pycock" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 4:56 PM
Subject: Re: Fines etc
> Frances Hendrix wrote:
>> People live very hectic chaotic, busy lives. My policy would be lend
>> books not in demand without a due date, remind after sat 2 months by
>> email, text or phone to remind the customer they still have the book,
>> or remind when the book is in demand by someone else and it is the
>> only copy. Lets be friends with our customers, do things with a
>> smile, help them to run their busy lives, lets change the philosophy,
>> the terminology, the style and the whole culture, it is long overdue.
>>
> You want to nanny them basically. You want to hold their hand every
> step of the way and if even that is too complicated for them you want
> to assure them that "the nasty librarian didn't mean it" and wipe off
their fines.
> People have rights but they also have responsibilities, and if they
> can't get their act together to ensure that they either return items
> in time or renew them I don't think it's unreasonable to charge them
> for it. That said, I am a bit of a softy who it's fairly easy to get
> to let you off your fines.
>
> --
> - --
> Loz
>
> "Dora The Explorer tastes like brain damage." -
> http://www.shortpacked.com/d/20070803.html
> "I support gay marriage because I believe they have a right to be just
> as miserable as the rest of us." - Kinky Friedman
>
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