I'd like to comment on this. I'm acutely aware of the fact that I am not a practising public librarian so in a sense detached from the day-to-day struggles of making systems work... However I am struggling myself with some of the knotty issues of community cohesion, civil renewal and, ha, the place of public libraries in all that. And I want to ask if we can try to get away from the notion of 'membership,' because it inevitably implies exclusion. I'm really not sure that I would want to see my public library service investing heavily in a system that concretises membership, because once that is established it could be even harder to break down than the existing systems.
Is there a place for a discussion about a civil society in which borrowing from libraries is less constrained by the formalities of membership? If this has been explored elsewhere i would like to hear what the results were.
Kevin Harris
Community Development Foundation
The Neighbourhoods Weblog
http://neighbourhoods.typepad.com/neighbourhoods/
-----Original Message-----
From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries on behalf of Joan Bray
Sent: Wed 06/10/2004 13:43
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc:
Subject: Photo Identity
In Nottingham City Libraries we are looking at using a photo identity
system linked to our management system to assist with stopping users using
multiple cards. We are not necessarily looking to put photos onto the
cards although if anyone who has done this I would be interested in details.
We are looking for any product information, plus any thoughts on the value
and related issues. We have had quite a prolonged discussion of the ethics
of this at our management team - anyone else in this dilemma?
I will of course summarise any feedback for the list.
Joan Bray
Customer Services Manager
Nottingham Central Library
0115 9152833
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