[Publib] "stolen" library books

[Elizabeth Rogers]

I'm really surprised at the tone of these responses.  It would never 
occur to me to ask for a police report, and I wouldn't think it would do 
much for public relations. Whenever a patron of ours has ANY sort of 
mishap, disaster, etc., we want library books to be the last thing they 
worry about.  We want them to think of libraries as places where they're 
welcome and not punished for things they have no control over.  If the 
patron's house burns down, do you require a sworn statement from a 
fireman?  I see having your car stolen as a traumatic event, and 
demanding to see a police report compounds the trauma by suggesting that 
the patron is dishonest.   This doesn't mean we don't take the financial 
support of our taxpayers seriously, it just means we take our patrons' 
needs seriously as well.  After all--they're taxpayers too, for the most 
part.

Elizabeth Rogers
CEF Library System
33 Oak Street
Plattsburgh, NY  12901