[Publib] volunteers checking in

[Dusty Gres]

Hey Mary Beth --
Because of confidentiality policies we do not use volunteers to do anything
that involves a patron record or patron use -- and checking in books,
obviously, fits into that category.
However, I can offer an explanation that we discovered for a similar problem
here with our circulation staff.
Do you have an ILS and do you use scanners?
If so -- please remind your folks that the BEEP is the beep of the scanner
being used and NOT the sound of an item being checked in. If there are
overdues, or holds, or the cursor was wrong, or anything else, the item
isn't checked in but it sounds like it is.  
My folks all thought they had checked something in when they heard that beep
-- we have since added another sound, that of a "blip" kind of thing that
signifies the item has been checked in and we also specifically add in
training and emphasize -- WATCH THE SCREEN -- as the only way to determine
success. 
Also, at the beginning of the training for any new staff member, we
"double-check-in" -- that is the new person checks in items, puts them on a
cart, and then another member checks them in again, watching for the
"already checked in" note. 
This does not mean that things still don't get missed, but the number has
been significantly reduced.


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 Mary Beth Conlee
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 1:25 PM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] volunteers checking in

Hello, collective wisdom,

I've inherited an eight-month-old volunteer program of fifteen lovely and
dedicated volunteers. Their favorite activity is checking items in, and we
don't have the staff to do this without volunteer help. Our failure rate, as
evidenced by the number of books found on the shelves that have not been
checked in, is disturbing and problematic. Patrons are starting to routinely
go to the shelves and find the books we tell them are overdue.

They volunteers have all been trained at least twice. They are all aware of
the problems, and, at meetings, list preventative practices and remind each
other of vigilance.

Surely we are not the only small library using volunteers in this capacity
and running into this problem (or the only library running into this problem
with paid staff either!). I'd appreciate suggestions on how to improve
accuracy, or even evaluate individual performance, in terms of checking
items in. How do you ask for accountability from volunteers?
How do you evaluate what is a reasonable failure rate to be expected, and
what is unacceptable and requires action?

All feedback appreciated.

Thanks,

Mary Beth Conlee

Burlington Public Library



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