[Publib] Overdue notice language

[Kathleen Stipek]

I don't have a whimsical bone--or other anatomical structure--in my
body, but I'm guessing my suggestions of 'bring the stuff back, you
stiff,' 'no internet, Jackie Chan, or anything else for  you,' and 'Big
Louie now knows where you live' wouldn't go over big as escalating
threat levels.  Sigh!  Anybody but me remember the Count of Monte Cristo
counting 'one,' 'two,' and 'three'?  
 
Kathleen Stipek

Alachua County Library District

401 East University Avenue

Gainesville, Florida 32601

352-334-3931  (fax) 352-334-3948

 

     --Non, merci.

       Cyrano de Bergerac


________________________________

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Conrad Rader
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 3:50 PM
To: 'Janet Griffing'; publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] Overdue notice language



My feeling is that a moment of whimsy needs to be looked at as a good
starting point.  I can see how some people could react unfavorably to
the notices, but as you say, if materials are coming back and patrons
are complaining, the glass-half-full part of me thinks you have
accomplished something and started a dialog where none may have been
before.  It is very easy to become complacent both as a librarian and as
a patron about procedures that have 'always been there' and 'work as
long as you don't fix it.'  

I was always dinged in school about the conversational tone of my work,
and that's the tone I hear when reading these notices.  I only really
have an issue with the second notice, where the language is a bit too
pointed for my taste, but as they say, context is everything.  If these
notices appeared as is, on a plain sheet of paper, I would react to them
very differently than if there was a nice, cartoon librarian with a
voice bubble telling me the same thing.  It would also be interesting if
the second notice cartoon had a frown, and the third shifted to a more
serious, 'official' tone.  Again, different contexts provide different
mileage. 

I think the key to overdue notices lies in the relationship you have
with the community, specifically those who habitually overuse the
resources of the library.  If we were to exploit the power of our record
keeping software, I would track the number of times patrons received
overdue notices and switch to an even more serious tone of notice for
habitual over-borrowers, reserving the lighter notices for first time
absent mindedness.  If wishes were horses...  I'd use the same system to
reward people who brought back material early too, by generating credits
against overdue fines, but that's another argument entirely.

 

Conrad Rader

Niles District Library

Niles, MI

Behalf Of Janet Griffing
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 11:49 AM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] Overdue notice language

 

Greetings, collective mind!

 

We've recently become an Innovative Interfaces library after years of
consortium membership. Among the many things over which we now have
local control is the creation and mailing of overdue notices.

 

In a moment of whimsy, I wrote the following notices. They are meeting
with some resistance on the part of staff and anger on the part of some
customers. Interestingly, though, the customers who are complaining are
also returning their overdue items! It's really hard to feel sorry for
most folks, since they can renew online or by phone, and we have 24-hour
book drop availability. 

 

I thought I'd throw the notice language out to all of you for comment.
There are three notices: Number 1 is sent when items are two weeks
overdue; Number 2 at four weeks; and Number 3 at six weeks. (Regular
loan period is two weeks for books; one week for AV.) Please let me know
what you think! Thanks!

 

 

Number One:

Oops! You kept the following items longer than you promised. Please
return them as soon as possible. Thank you!

 

Number Two:

 

Well, we asked politely the first time, but we still don't have your
overdue items, and every day the fines keep adding up. It's not fair not
to share - others are waiting! Please return your materials now, and
you'll only have to pay the fines. Keep them longer, and we will be
sending a bill.

 

Number Three:

 

We hoped it wouldn't come to this, but you've had these library
materials for so long, we need to bill you for them. If you return them
immediately, you only have to pay the fines and any additional
processing fees. Why pay for something that should be free? Please
return your items today!

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/publib/attachments/20080103/90af6c02/attachment.htm