Friday, May 01, 2009
Overdue notices, Sending
Libraries should use the threat of overdue fines to create a sense of power over their patrons. Nothing says, "I am a force to be reckoned with!" like a generic system-generated email/postcard/letter demanding 25-cents.
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3 comments:
I work in an academic library and all notices, despite the threat, are trumped by, "I'm faculty." That phrase entitles them to keep books that others want, including their students, for an unspecified time frame.
That same phrase is also used to recall items that other patrons, including students, have checked out – even if the item is not overdue.
When I worked as library director for a small liberal arts college, the biggest faculty offenders didn't utter that "I'm faculty" phrase.
No sir. They didn't utter anything about their overdue books. Just ignored me and my various messages.
Actually, the worst offender was chairman of our Board of Regents, a clergyman, whose wife was on our faculty. Yeah, absolutely NO response from him.
Maybe I should have threatened them with a fine. 25 cents might have done it.
'I'm Faculty?'. So what? I don't recall books fom other readers for anyone - not even the Vice-Chancellor himself. Cheeky blighters - they should be more organised and recall the book earlier. Anyway, they can probably afford to buy the book in the first place.
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