[Publib] Fees for expired holds

[Linda Ballard]

Please excuse any cross-posting.  What experience have any of you had with
charging a small fee for holds that are not picked up?  We give patrons 5
days to pick up materials that are on hold - a time limit that we will
readily extend if the patron calls and tell us that they can't make it in by
the end of this period.  They are contacted by e-mail or phone, and even the
phone contacts are usually reached the day the item comes in.  Some patrons
have become pretty casual about putting items on hold and not picking them
up.  There are two scenarios where it is particularly annoying when this
occurs.  Because we are in a Consortium and have a delivery system, patrons
can place holds on items that are "in," both at their home location or at
another member's library from their home computers.  A few patrons will
place multiple holds on "in" items at the home library because they don't
want to bother to go to shelves to get them themselves - they expect to find
them all waiting for pick-up at the circulation desk.  Others place multiple
holds on items from all over the Consortium, which need to be not only
retrieved from the shelves but packaged for delivery.   Each hold item,
whether from our own shelves, or coming from another location, represents a
fair investment in staff time.  In addition, items that are not picked up
have been unavailable to other (perhaps more considerate) patrons for five
days - or more if they need to be returned to the owning library through
delivery.  

 

We can pay for special programming to our Dynix Horizon system that would
assess a small fee (we're considering $.25) for each expired hold.  We don't
intend this to be punitive, but do think it would cut down on the repeat
offenders.   Staff would be instructed to be very generous in waiving this
fee for patrons who have even a feeble excuse for missing the deadline.  

 

Do you charge a fee?  If so, how did you inform your patrons?  Has it cut
down on this kind of problem?  Did it result in negative PR and/or more
altercations at the circulation desk?  Did you try it, then give it up for
that or any other reason?

 

Thanks!

 

Linda V. Ballard

Director, University City Public Library

6701 Delmar Blvd.

University City MO 63130

314.727.3150; fax, 314.727.6005

 

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