[Publib] sticky fingers responses

[Marla]

I see I missed Dan C. in my original thank you, so thanks to you, too, Dan.

I had several requests for the suggestions, so am going to just cut to the chase
 and copied the responses.  They appear below my signature.
You can glean what you want from them.

Personally, I liked the "Godzilla approach" the best.

Thanks again,
Marla/Acquisitions
Great Falls Public Library
301 2nd Ave N
Great Falls MT  59401-2593
mwilckens at mtlib.org



>From T. Pierce:

We check the materials on the way out, as well as when
they come back.  That way, we can note any damage.  We
charge for cleaning/replacement of barcodes, etc, or
if it is water damage etc we ask the customer to
replace the item...
_________________________________

>From Ardis Francoeur:

We had one display with "Godzilla at the library"; we used Godzilla
models that one of our staff collected and our more spectacularly
damaged books.  Godzilla in the tub with the wet book, Godzilla cooking
with the book covered in chocolate and olive oil, etc.
___________________________________

>From Mary Linse:

I did another one for children about being kind to your books: I'd
display the book, and then write something funny about the damage.  Poor
"Arthur Gets The Chicken Pox" went through the wringer (all four copies
of that title, in fact).  

Everybody stopped and looked, laughed, and  promised to be better.

I can't really say whether it did any good with the public, but we
have used a display to show damaged items and handed out 'take care'
bookmarks.  We tried to keep the tone light and not too preachy.
Staff doing discharge may even catch a few more if they are watching
for the worst offenders for a display
______________________________________

>From Jon Ferrier:

At our library we charged patrons the full replacement cost of the item,
if we couldn't clean/repair it.    This shocked many of them, as well as
angered them.  But their individual anger could not compare to mine at
their total lack of concern for PUBLIC materials .We also charge $2 per
damage page and if there are more than $10 worth of damage pages, again,
we charge the entire replacement cost of the item.  We would make them a
deal--if they could find a new, in good condition replacement copy, we
would swap them for it. THAT seemed to work the best of all because they
would rather have the nice clean copy than the ruined one that they had
brought back to us, but that wasn't the deal.  :)
_______________________________________________

>From Dan Cawley:

our cataloger has a strange fetish for masticated, sand damaged, and
generally mis-handled books.  we put these monstrosities on bookends for
full public display.  while one or two patrons were outraged, most
everyone else thought it was funny.  they totally missed the point of the
display.


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I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.
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