Hi all
Please sign your posts when you leave a message on the BL Blog. If you don't sign it we don't know who wrote it
Also, when I set it up I just had everyone sign in as the administrator - Unshelved - but now I realise that you can have your own gmail account/blog and watch and contribute to the BL blog as yourself
If you did any of the Library 2.0 training you will have a gmail account and a blog spot to use, otherwise it's very simple to set one up
Please call me if you want to do this and I will give you a hand (time and customers willing)
Cheers
Kristen
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Lost items
Speaking of lost items (see damaged items for more info), I've been doing a few quick calculations today on the lost item issue.
Over the past year there has been 3000-3500 items lost at any one time. Feb this year the number has topped 4000. 2000 of these items are from 2008 alone.
This means that every month in 2008 167 items were borrowed and never returned.
At an average of $20 each that means we are losing $3340 worth of stock each month.
What happens if these rates continue?
Over the past six months we have spent approx $30 000 on between 2000-2500 items each month. If the trend continues, 10% of our spending will be gone by the end of next month. The equivalent of 6% of our incoming stock will be lost.
I just wanted to bring this to your attention to think about for the next meeting. Perhaps we can come up with a plan for decreasing these numbers.
Heather
Over the past year there has been 3000-3500 items lost at any one time. Feb this year the number has topped 4000. 2000 of these items are from 2008 alone.
This means that every month in 2008 167 items were borrowed and never returned.
At an average of $20 each that means we are losing $3340 worth of stock each month.
What happens if these rates continue?
Over the past six months we have spent approx $30 000 on between 2000-2500 items each month. If the trend continues, 10% of our spending will be gone by the end of next month. The equivalent of 6% of our incoming stock will be lost.
I just wanted to bring this to your attention to think about for the next meeting. Perhaps we can come up with a plan for decreasing these numbers.
Heather
Monday, March 2, 2009
Damaged items
Hi everyone,
I really want to get this ball rolling on the damaged issue. I have had two callers this week about damaged items and it's only 9.30am Tuesday!
I've written up a draft procedure for your viewing. There are some comments I have already recieved from support services staff at the bottom:
Damaged items procedure
Circulation staff
1. Check in and hit F9 (item maintenance) change status to damaged through exception pull down list
2. Check blue area of bottom of the screen for last borrower- note name and borrower number
3. Double click name to get to Member Maintenance screen, collect borrower's phone number if possible. If not, collect address.
4. Record all details including your name and the date on a 'Problem item' slip to be kept with the item
5. Refer to branch librarian or supervisor
Branch librarian/supervisor
1. Bring damage to borrower's attention
• At circulation desk if they are still in the library
• Over the phone on the day of return or
• By mail
2. Inform borrower of damage fee ($10 plus processing??) and that an invoice for fines payment will be forwarded to them (if posting letter include invoice?)
Note: if supervisor or BL deems that the circumstances warrant special consideration they may use discretion in either waiving any charge or arranging for part payments to be made until the account has been paid in full.
In such cases clear documentation is to be recorded- BL or supervisors must insert a clear note on the borrower's record indicating decision made and initial it.
3. Send details to Megan in Support Services for invoice to be generated.
Details must include
• Borrowers number
• Item D number
• Description of damage
• Recommended fee?? - this would have to be explained to staff or Megan can work it out
• Branch item is being held
OR
Branch lib/supervisor generate their own invoice based on the template Megan currently uses.
4. Retain item in designated place for further analysis/backup or until fines are paid
5. Upon payment of fines delete item from the collection and mark invoice as paid- retain on file for 6 months??
Responses to common enquiries:
Fines incurred are for the damage to library materials plus associated processing cost.
Damaged items remain property of the library and do not become property of the borrower upon payment of fines incurred.
N.B. Same or similar items offered as replacement will not be accepted.
COMMENTS:
Fine tuning will need to be sorted as to who prints and posts the letters. Megan says she is fine to do this- perhaps the info could be emailed to her. Otherwise, could it be worked out that BL or supervisor could do it... The fees would have to be recorded on the borrowers card too.
The price I have in here is just a space filler, we can work that out properly. Someone up here mentioned that if it were say $10 with $5 processing and $1.50 GST, then the borrower would only need to pay off $6.50 before being able to borrow again. We need to decide if the fee will be a deterrant or a punishment.
That's it for now,
I look forward to hearing from you.
Heather
I really want to get this ball rolling on the damaged issue. I have had two callers this week about damaged items and it's only 9.30am Tuesday!
I've written up a draft procedure for your viewing. There are some comments I have already recieved from support services staff at the bottom:
Damaged items procedure
Circulation staff
1. Check in and hit F9 (item maintenance) change status to damaged through exception pull down list
2. Check blue area of bottom of the screen for last borrower- note name and borrower number
3. Double click name to get to Member Maintenance screen, collect borrower's phone number if possible. If not, collect address.
4. Record all details including your name and the date on a 'Problem item' slip to be kept with the item
5. Refer to branch librarian or supervisor
Branch librarian/supervisor
1. Bring damage to borrower's attention
• At circulation desk if they are still in the library
• Over the phone on the day of return or
• By mail
2. Inform borrower of damage fee ($10 plus processing??) and that an invoice for fines payment will be forwarded to them (if posting letter include invoice?)
Note: if supervisor or BL deems that the circumstances warrant special consideration they may use discretion in either waiving any charge or arranging for part payments to be made until the account has been paid in full.
In such cases clear documentation is to be recorded- BL or supervisors must insert a clear note on the borrower's record indicating decision made and initial it.
3. Send details to Megan in Support Services for invoice to be generated.
Details must include
• Borrowers number
• Item D number
• Description of damage
• Recommended fee?? - this would have to be explained to staff or Megan can work it out
• Branch item is being held
OR
Branch lib/supervisor generate their own invoice based on the template Megan currently uses.
4. Retain item in designated place for further analysis/backup or until fines are paid
5. Upon payment of fines delete item from the collection and mark invoice as paid- retain on file for 6 months??
Responses to common enquiries:
Fines incurred are for the damage to library materials plus associated processing cost.
Damaged items remain property of the library and do not become property of the borrower upon payment of fines incurred.
N.B. Same or similar items offered as replacement will not be accepted.
COMMENTS:
Fine tuning will need to be sorted as to who prints and posts the letters. Megan says she is fine to do this- perhaps the info could be emailed to her. Otherwise, could it be worked out that BL or supervisor could do it... The fees would have to be recorded on the borrowers card too.
The price I have in here is just a space filler, we can work that out properly. Someone up here mentioned that if it were say $10 with $5 processing and $1.50 GST, then the borrower would only need to pay off $6.50 before being able to borrow again. We need to decide if the fee will be a deterrant or a punishment.
That's it for now,
I look forward to hearing from you.
Heather
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