Many thanks to everyone who responded and so swiftly.
I had 10 responses from authorities who have self-service reservations:
5 authorities wrap books
5 authorities don't wrap books - of these 2 used to, but it was becomming too time consuming.
Those that do wrap tend to cover books using A4 paper and an elastic band and write the customer's name on the spine or on a slip of paper.
3 of those who don't wrap books, use other ways to anonymise: Books spine down, books spine to the back of the shelf, library number rather than customer name.
3 authorities (one wrap, 2 non-wrap) have had complaints (but only from one or two customers). In these cases, books reserved by customers who have complained are kept under the counter.
From the responses I got, it seems that the anonymity issue may be more of a staff concern than a customer concern.
Madeleine
Madeleine Bentley
Senior Adult Services Development Librarian
Reading Central Library
Abbey Square
Reading
RG1 3BQ
[log in to unmask]
0118 9015946
www.readingfestivalofcrimewriting.org.uk
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