[ILL-L] ILL overdue abusers

[Diane Wiedemann]

My pet peeve is libraries who have items overdue & don't respond to
anything.  I send an overdue notice, then I recall the item, then I send
a bill.  By this time the item is seriously overdue.  No response. 
Finally I call them.  I know we all have problem patrons but a simple
response will always get my cooperation.  No response means I'm being
ignored, even if you are working on getting the item back.  Please just
respond and say that you're aware of the problem & you're working on it.
 I'll be happy to work with you.

>>> "Klump, Holly" <hklump at rivier.edu> 11/30/2007 4:03:02 PM >>>
I'm new to ILL so I'm honestly not sure of our actual policies, if
there ARE any.  I will have to check on that!  I am noticing a few
patrons who are notoriously late on bringing books back.  One of which
is faculty.
 
I had a patron where a book was recalled and she ignored my first email
and phone call.  I finally emailed her with that same idea, Cindy..."If
we don't return books on time other libraries will not want to lend to
us anymore....etc" and that finally got the book back.
 
I think its also important to email the lending library when a book is
way overdue or recalled.  That let the library know that I was not
ignoring her request and was doing all I could to get it back.  The
library was most gracious and even offered to send a bill in order to
"motivate" the patron.  :)
 
Holly
Rivier College

From: ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Thompson, Cynthia
Marie
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 3:39 PM
To: Interlibrary Loan Listserv
Subject: RE: [ILL-L] ILL overdue abusers



We send overdue notices every Friday: If the book is between one and
six days overdue, they get a gentle reminderIf it is between seven and
13 days overdue, they get a stern reminderAt fourteen plus days overdue,
they get blocked in the ILL system, in the circulation system, a $125
fine (entirely refundable), and are blocked in student affairs (no
registering, no graduating). The third reminder is the same policy we
have for circulation, and it works pretty well. If people ignore that
message and things are getting crazy, I’ve found that calling or
emailing them personally with the “maintaining good relations with the
libraries we borrow from for YOU” plea, and that often induces a guilt
trip sufficient to bring materials back.  I actually managed to get a
girl who had left the school with almost a thousand dollars in ILL fines
to return the books after nearly a year that way! We do have some
perennial violators (that sounds strange…), and so far we haven’t done
anything beyond what is listed above.  However, I am thinking seriously
about implementing a semester-long block for anyone who is blocked a
certain number of times, or the strategy of making everything LUO. 
There are only a few like this, and I can recognize each and every one
of their names (it’s hard to keep a straight face when they come up to
the reference desk and I find out who they are!). Cindy ThompsonUMKC
Miller Nichols Library
(UMK)816-235-1511thompsoncym at umkc.eduhttp://library.umkc.edu
 From: ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Spangler,Theresa
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 2:21 PM
To: Interlibrary Loan Listserv
Subject: RE: [ILL-L] ILL overdue abusers

 Kathy,  We block a patron’s ILL privileges when the item is 14 days
overdue.  At 21 days overdue we block their library privileges.  This
means no checking out books, no checking out laptops or reserve items,
no access to electronic reserve or any of our databases.  That usually
gets their attention.  If the item is so overdue that the lender has
invoiced us, we’ll give the patron one last chance to return the item—if
they still ignore us, we pass the replacement costs on to them.  We
don’t have to get to the charging stage very often, but when a
patron, no matter their status, is perennially overdue and shows no
signs of changing, we have no problem making EVERY item they borrow
restricted to LIBRARY USE ONLY.  We don’t make exceptions for faculty
members, though they sometimes expect it.  To be honest, I feel that of
all the folks who use our services, they should be the most responsible,
not the least.  We haven’t yet had a case so bad that we’ve talked about
permanent suspension of ILL privileges—that’s not to say I haven’t
thought about it, however. . . Best,Theresa Theresa SpanglerILL
Borrowing SupervisorColorado State UniversityMorgan Library/1019
CampusFt. Collins, CO  
80523970-491-1868tspangle at library.colostate.eduIM at colostateill on
YAHOO and AIM

From: ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Carmichael, Kathy
J.
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 12:56 PM
To: Interlibrary Loan Listserv
Subject: [ILL-L] ILL overdue abusers
 I would like to know how everyone deals will ILL patrons who ignore
overdue notices and abuse their ILL privileges.  Recently we have begun
to have problems with  a few patrons  who not only haven’t returned very
overdue materials, they have many overdue items.  I am spending far too
much time responding to overdue notices. We are especially interested in
policies concerning permanent suspension of ILL privileges. We also
would like to know how academic libraries handle this problem when a
faculty member is the patron. Thanks, Kathy  Kathy Karn-CarmichaelSenior
Library AssistantInterlibrary LoanDavid L. Rice LibraryUniversity of
Southern Indianakjcarmicha at usi.edu812-465-1683

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