[Publib] re self service holds

[Jennifer Arnott]

We don't have hold issues in the library I work in (school library, so  
different use patterns, and we generally do holds on an 'it'll be on  
my desk' basis.) but wanted to comment on the three approaches I've  
seen in my local libraries. (All in Minnesota)

St. Paul and Ramsey: books on hold behind the desk. I loved, in the  
small branch I started with, that the evening circulation staff  
recognised me, and would grab my books off the hold shelf when I  
wandered in. (I was in about once a week, so they saw me a lot.) I'd  
check through new arrivals, anything I wanted from that branch, and  
then go to the desk to pick them up.

On the other hand, it was sometimes frustrating to have to wait behind  
people in line if I just wanted to get in and out quickly, and I was  
closer than I really wanted to be about some uncomfortable  
conversations about unpaid fines or other issues when the patron was  
clearly unhappy, but there wasn't much space for me to step back out  
of hearing distance.

Minneapolis: I pick up my books from the hold shelf, and check them  
out myself. Holds are placed under the first three letters of the last  
name, the first initial, the middle initial, and then the month and  
day of my birth. (so, mine starts ARNJC...)  I don't mind this myself,  
but I do recognise some of the privacy implications: if you know my  
name (and the branch I use), it's relatively easy to guess which books  
might be mine.

Hennepin (which is finishing the process of integrating their catalogs  
with Minneapolis, which they merged with a year or so ago: Minneapolis  
branches will be shifting to the Hennepin hold model at the end of  
August) They assign a separate number to each patron (which is then  
written on the back of your library card) that's a unique identifier,  
but bears absolutely no relationship to any other information about  
you (not even your actual library card number.) I presume they've got  
it set up in the system in a way that makes it easy to automate slips  
for the books.

In both the Minneapols and Hennepin models, the spines aren't covered  
- just a slip is inserted in the book with the identifier and the date  
the book should come off the hold shelf if it hasn't been picked up.

I do like the self-check because I can get in and out fast. Among  
other issues: If I'm in my branch for more than about 4 minutes,  
there's about a one in two chance I'll get asked if I'm a librarian.  
(I obviously give off librarian vibes and appear to know what I'm  
doing.)  I always say "Actually, yes, but I don't work here." and if I  
can help quickly, I do (like pointing someone at where specific books  
are, or quick help with the catalog), and otherwise point them at the  
information desk. On the other hand, that can be sort of a pain if  
I've already had a long day at work, and just want my nice escapist  
fiction to take home with me. Being able to walk in, hit the hold  
shelf, hit the check out, and walk back out is sometimes very  
appealing indeed.

Jennifer Arnott
Teacher Librarian : The Blake School
modernhypatia at gmail.com