Hello Amy,

I'm sure librarians everywhere understand and feel your pain on this one - we have had similar problems for many years and have only recently found a solution.  Just by typing these words I appreciate I may have jinxed ours and in 5 minutes' time I'll be out replacing them all!

We have shared the regular problems of staplers going missing, being broken, or just wearing out very quickly.  It doesn't seem to matter how expensive/ hardwearing they are, they all lasted a few weeks at best before coughing up a tangle of staples and expiring or vanishing.  Here they are fixed down through attaching to PC security cables that have a simple metal loop at each end to attach to table legs at one end and the stapler at the other.  Some staplers have loops so these can be attached, but more often we were getting Facilities to drill a hole in the stapler to attach a small screw.  It wasn't an ideal fix, but as the staplers only lasted weeks at best, it did the job.  I did try using chains from Homebase, but these proved to be no match for a determined student. 

We found a supplier of cheap, reliable staplers that have now been going for over 6 weeks, are easily unjammed if someone's hit them a bit hard, and take 26/6 staples for normal stapling.  The supplier is... Poundland.  The staplers look quite flimsy but this turned out to be a boon as students are being more careful with them. Documents up to 10 sheets are fine - we also have a big heavy-duty stapler for thicker documents, but generally if neither of those suit students are using the hole punches.  To fix them to the security cables I bought some luggage combination locks with the thinnest loops we could find; with a bit of care these fit through the hinge at the back of the stapler.  They've been doing several hundred documents a week each judging by how often we have to refill them, and no-one has tried to steal them as it's obvious they wouldn't be worth anything on any underground stationery market!  Asda staplers (£2 and much chunkier) are also good for the money, plus the hinge at the back has more space to fit a security chain or other attachment through.

Can't say it would work for everyone, but so far the cheap option seems to be working for us.

Kind regards,
Angela

Angela Wright
Librarian: Birmingham Campus
The University of Law
T: +44 (0) 1483216012

Birmingham Campus
133 Great Hampton Street
Birmingham B18 6AQ
www.birminghamlibrary.net

-----Original Message-----
From: A general library and information science list for news and discussion. [mailto:[log in to unmask]UK] On Behalf Of Amy Jackson
Sent: 18 April 2018 13:20
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Staplers in the library

Good afternoon everyone,

I’m just wondering whether any other libraries own and maintain a stapler/ supply of staplers for use by customers? We are an academic library with a large student body and find ourselves very frequently replacing removed/broken staplers. Has anyone cracked this? Can anyone share any tips for efficiently and effectively providing staplers for use by customers?

Many thanks,


Amy Jackson MCLIP
Enquiries Support Librarian

University of the West of England
Coldharbour Lane
Bristol
BS16 1QY

0117 32  87610

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