[Publib] "stolen" library books

[Dusty Gres]

We always ask for a police report.  We started asking for a police report
when the house burned down for a family the third time....and they lived in
an apartment.
The police report also backs up our required statement of financial
reporting of fines received, forgiven, etc.,  and the worth of the
collection as needed  for our yearly state audit reporting.
Surely fiscal responsibility is as important as being friendly...



Dusty Gres, Director 
Ohoopee Regional Library System
Hdq: Vidalia-Toombs County Library
610 Jackson Street
Vidalia, GA 30474
PH: (912) 537-9283
FAX: (912) 537-3735
EMAIL: gresd at ohoopeelibrary.org
WEB: http://www.ohoopeelibrary.org
"Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different
speeds. 
A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing." 
William James
 
-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of Elizabeth Rogers
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 12:34 PM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] "stolen" library books

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


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