I have "Library Amnesty Day". I send an email out and ask folks to look
around their offices, send books back they don't need anymore or send
the card back to the library if it's not signed out....NO QUESTIONS
ASKED. It works and I even have attorneys emailing me when is the next
Amnesty Day.
I also do the email of "do you have this book it wasn't signed out" but
that gets old and in my opinion is more annoying then productive.
For books that aren't signed out and have been missing a while, I do
what I call my threat emails "Please return this book before I waste
budget money that could be better spent elsewhere replacing it. If I
replace it and then find it in your office, you will have to pay for the
replacement out of your own pocket". This has been helpful and if
nothing else gets management to notice the problem and offer assistance.
I actually refuse to do office sweeps - the office is to big and the
library staff is to small.
Good luck, I think though we're all fighting a losing battle.
Lisa
Lisa Harrington
Librarian, Mid Atlantic Region
Holland + Knight
Holland & Knight LLP
2099 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 457-5911
_____
From: owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu] On
Behalf Of library
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 4:58 PM
To: law-lib@ucdavis.edu
Subject: "enforcing" circulation?
I have a "situation" and I hope someone can share some very helpful
advice.
We are a 75ish attorney firm. Our circulation system right now consists
of check out cards in the front pocket of the book. The patron takes
out the card, writes in their initials and drops it in a tray on the
counter. My assistant takes the card and puts it in a large red "out
file" and shelves that where the books should be. So if someone needs
the book, but the book is not there, then they just look at the card to
see who has the book.
Great plan
Of course we get about 50% of the patrons to actually follow this plan.
I have attorneys come to be completely frustrated because the book is
gone - and it is not checked out. To say nothing of my assistants
frustration when she need to update a book that is gone and not checked
out.
This happened to my library partner on Friday - 5 times. I am not
kidding. He was so frustrated. He understands that it is the patron
(attorney) who is doing this - and not me. BUT he wants the library to
figure out how to get people to check the books out.
One idea is to go through offices on Friday afternoon and shelves books
that are not property checked out. I don't see that this will make me
terribly popular - and I really don't see it making people check the
books our correctly. I think it will make people hid books in their
office better.
I am really a carrot and not a stick person. I am hoping that people
might have some helpful ideas on how I can train my patrons to check out
their books.
All comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks!!
Cynthia
Cynthia L. Brown, Esq.
Librarian
Jones Waldo Holbrook & McDonough
170 South Main Street
Suite 1500
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
801 521 3200
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