[Publib] RE: Discontinuing Fax Service

[Nann Blaine Hilyard]

Michele,

Ouch!   I would not discontinue public faxing. 
If it is time-consuming for staff, I would first analyze how you could make it more efficient -- maybe the machine could be relocated.  Then, if it is still too burdensome, I would investigate a fax vending service, where it's the company's machine on your premises.

Just because some people can scan/e-mail doesn't mean that most can.  You'll know when that changes because you'll have very little call for the service.

ANY reason you can give people to come into the library and have a positive experience is good.  That's why we offer faxing, and tax forms, voter registration, and (soon, I hope) notary service.  Actually, as much as we encourage people to "use the library in your pajamas" (=remote access to databases), we also want people to come to our brick-and-mortar buildings.   When the faxers come in, be sure there's a flyer with info about upcoming programs.   Offer faxers a coupon good for .50 off a purchase from the booksale cart.  Welcome them!

Nann
@the library in Zion, Illinois 


________________________________________
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Michelle Mears [mmears at enid.org]
Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2009 4:11 PM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] Discontinuing Fax Service

Sorry to be bugging you again.  But this is a time-sensitive question and I need some input before my Board meeting next week.

If any libraries have discontinued your public fax service, can you share the reasons why or your motivation for doing so?  I am leaning very heavily towards stopping it, but I want to be sure I'm not going too far out on a limb.

Seems as if libraries started offering public fax service as a way to justify getting and using a fax machine for their own library business, particularly when so much of ILL was done over fax.  Like, hey let's do this and we can recoup some of the costs while we're at it (no library I know makes a profit at faxing).  But now I just see it as a strain on my already overloaded staff and sort of unfair competition with local businesses who charge a lot more.  And faxers (like copiers) often come in just to do this one thing and are not utilizing any other part of the library.

Is scanning and e-mailing replacing the old-fashioned fax, or is it still a necessary business machine?

Michelle
-----
Michelle R. Mears, MSLIS, PhD
Library Director
Public Library of Enid & Garfield County
120 W. Maine Ave.
Enid, OK 73701-5606
580.234.6313 Phone
580.249.9280 Fax
620.506.8576 Mobile
http://www.enid.org/library/




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