It's useful for stock performance in terms of the (admittedly crude) ratio of number of loans within a given time period. A book that has been repeatedly renewed (maybe because it's > 500 pages?) would appear to be performing less well than an item which had been in the hands of readers for exactly the same total duration of time but had been a 'new' issue on each occasion.
Robert
-----Original Message-----
From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Frances Hendrix
Sent: 15 August 2008 14:04
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: fines:secrets and lies or shadow boxing?
But if one borrower has an item for a long period (and I don't see a problem
with that if there isn't a waiting list), how is that indicative of
effective performance of stock?. You have of course satisfied one borrower
very much, but it is hardly an indication of the performance of the stock
is it?
Surely issue figures relate to one book to one borrower on one occasion, not
multiple occasions if it is renewed by the same person.
I do think this all needs to be bottomed out, but I can see the risks if
everyone now decides to come clean on why charge fines, and why massage
issue figures. We need libraries to be 'judged' by a set of standards NOT
related to the simple issue of books. remember the Laser work done by PwC on
Output measures, much more sophisticated and worth doing.
Now we are bandying figures and comments about without the help of hard
evidence (and I don't mean the now suspect issue figures).
f, well make a guess!
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: "Day Robert" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 9:25 AM
Subject: Re: fines:secrets and lies or shadow boxing?
It's only misleading if the initial assumption is that issue figures do NOT
contain renewals and given that all authorities report performance data to
the same body subject to the same criteria I don't believe this to be the
case. Is any authority really claiming that renewals are new issues to a
different borrower?
I think you can make a good case that it shouldn't happen and that renewals
should count separately from issues or, in some other way, be able to
calculate issues to unique borrowers. On the other hand, regardless of
whether it be an issue or renewal it means that the item in question is in
use and thus when looking at the effective performance of a stock item both
need to be taken into account. Historically I imagine there was also a case
to be made that renewals occupied as much staff time as a new issue and thus
needed to be recorded similarly - this is much less so now with the facility
for customers to either use the web OPAC and/or use automatd telephone
renewal systems.
Finally, I have to ask since it's been puzzling me but just what is the
lower case 'f' all about?
Regards
Robert Day
Cambridgeshire Libraries, UK
-----Original Message-----
From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Frances Hendrix
Sent: 15 August 2008 08:58
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: fines:secrets and lies or shadow boxing?
Well if a renewal by the same person is counted as a new issue to a
different borrower, that is misleading. There has been an indication of this
in the responses. off line there have been far more worrying trends
mentioned that inflate or massage the figures of use etc which have been
happening for many many years, and quite honestly astonishes and disappoints
me. I know we live in a number crunching world (but these practices seemt o
pre date that),where performance tick box data is the norm, but I just
thought libraries were different and better.
It would appear my 'thought out of the blue' was correct.
I look forward to reading your thoughts and comments in the Guardian.
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: Thursday, August 14, 2008 9:17 PM
Subject: Re: fines:secrets and lies or shadow boxing?
> Frances Hendrix wrote:
>> Just had a thought.
>> Have the statistics on lending been skewed for years? If every renewal
>> of a book (maybe even to avoid fines), has been counted by public
>> libraries as a new loan and a new borrower, hasn't it been a case of
>> misleading information?
>>
> Please could you explain why you think it's misleading?
>
> --
> - --
> 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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