[Publib] Displaying Reserved Items

Wed Aug 5 10:19:09 EDT 2009

More paperwork?  It depends on how your library handles reserves-behind-the-desk.

At our library it's similar paperwork.   For us, selfpickup saves staff steps - the built-in reserve shelves were a good 15 feet from the farthest of the three circ stations.   By having pickups in front of the desk we have freed up those built-in shelves. They now hold returned ILLs.  The shelves allow us to sort the ILLs by owning library as the books are returned.  When we didn't have the shelf space all that sorting was done on a countertop at the end of the day.

As for staff interaction:  patrons can take their self-pickup items to the self-check if they would like, or they can go to a circ station.   (If they have AV they have to go to a circ station.)

BTW, we allow patrons to opt out of self-pickup.  Two or three have so specified.

Nann
@the library in Zion, Illinois

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Mary Soucie
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 6:36 PM
To: Tom Cooper
Cc: Natalie Morgan; publib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: [Publib] Displaying Reserved Items

Tom,
For us it was a convenience factor for our patrons. THey can buzz in, grab their item and head to circulation. Our patrons were also used to it at other libraries and I had received comments from them.
On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 3:49 PM, Tom Cooper <tcooper at wgpl.org<mailto:tcooper at wgpl.org>> wrote:

This is a discussion that has interested me for some time. I'd like to know what, exactly, is the purpose of self checkout of reserves. As I see it, there is nothing gained in terms of service: indeed, you take away the service of circulation staff retrieving the reserved items for the patron, in favor of patrons getting them themselves. And, since so much paperwork must be instituted to maintain privacy, I can't imagine there is any savings in actual staff time spent on reserves. As long as I'm going to be paying staff, I think I'd rather have them interacting with patrons than spending hours wrapping books in paper slips and writing names on them. I think that busy libraries first instituted self checkout of reserves as a way of saving staff time, but once they began to deal with the privacy issues, the staff time savings evaporated. Or am I seeing this wrong? Is there truly a different and very good reason for making patrons retrieve their own reserved items?

Tom Cooper, Director

Webster Groves Public Library

301 E. Lockwood Avenue

Webster Groves, MO 63119-3102

 (314) 961-3784
tcooper at wgpl.org<mailto:tcooper at wgpl.org>

Do not judge beliefs by their plausibility, but by the harm they may do.
                                             Nassim Nicholas Taleb

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org<mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org> [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org<mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org>] On Behalf Of Mary Soucie
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 2:50 PM
To: Natalie Morgan
Cc: publib at webjunction.org<mailto:publib at webjunction.org>
Subject: Re: [Publib] Displaying Reserved Items

Natalie,

Several libraries in our area provide self pickup of holds. When we implemented it at my previous library patrons responded favorably. We wrapped the item in a paper and wrote patron's last name, first initial down the spine. I know other libraries that do a combination of library card number and phone number. We didn't have any problems with people taking other patron's books or looking to see who had what checked out.

I hope to implement this in the future at my new facility, along with self checkout. They go hand-in-hand nicely.

Good luck!

On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 1:00 PM, Natalie Morgan <morgan at boernelibrary.org<mailto:morgan at boernelibrary.org>> wrote:

  Hi All,

We're building a new library, and as part of the planning process we'll be providing space for our reserved items. I personally am not excited about them being put out in the public for a self-service type of display because of privacy issues. Can any of y'all tell me how you do your reserves, if indeed they're in a public space? Am I crazy to be too worried about the privacy issue? Thanks for any help you can send our way!

Natalie Morgan
Assistant Library Director

Boerne Public Library
Boerne, TX
Error! Filename not specified.

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--
Have a great day!

Mary

Mary J. Soucie, MLIS
Library Director
Three Rivers Library District
Channahon/Minooka IL
25207 W Channon Dr     PO Box 300
Channahon IL  60410
815-467-6200 x303
815-467-4012 Fax
Yahoo IM: trldirector

--
Have a great day!

Mary

Mary J. Soucie, MLIS
Library Director
Three Rivers Library District
Channahon/Minooka IL
25207 W Channon Dr     PO Box 300
Channahon IL  60410
815-467-6200 x303
815-467-4012 Fax
Yahoo IM: trldirector
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