They've recently announced a new list of possible savings for the library to meet its reduced budget. I have a number of discrete thoughts on these, which I'm going to spread out over probably three blog posts. But we'll start with a simple mission for all library patrons.
One of the proposed savings is to charge people who don't pick up holds. This grabbed my attention because I recently had a hold that didn't turn up on the hold shelf. I looked through all the books on the shelf and it wasn't there even though the computer said it was. I was up to talking to people that day, so I went to the librarian. She looked through the hold shelves with me and couldn't find it either, so she placed another hold on the item for me and it came in a few days later. However, it still shows up on my account as a hold that I didn't pick up.
While we were looking through all the hold shelves, the librarian mentioned they'd had a few similar problems recently - apparently some glitch in the computer system. And it occurs to me that this is the kind of problem that would likely be underreported - it's very easy to just shrug your shoulders and renew the hold once its hold shelf time has expired rather than tearing a busy librarian away from their job.
So, in light of this potential new policy, here's a mission for all Toronto Public Library patrons: if your hold isn't on the hold shelf but the computer says it is, tell a librarian. If the problem I encountered is systemic or recurring, it needs to be reported to its full extent before the new policy comes into effect. And if it turns out it was completely temporary and has been fully resolved, then everything is fine and no one will have to go to any trouble.
2 comments:
Mississauga Library System charges for holds that are not picked up and not cancelled. They have as long as I've lived here. I think it's fair.
There were 15 holds ahead of mine for Season 1 of The Wire. By the time mine came in, I had gotten it through Zip and no longer needed it. But if I don't pick it up and don't cancel it, person #17 is waiting while my copy just sits there. I think the minimal fee (was $1, now $2) goes towards preventing this.
Obviously there has to be some kind of system so people aren't charged for errors.
This doesn't seem like user fees to me, because you can still place holds and use them without fees.
If I'm missing something, please do let me know.
Does your system not have a cancel button for holds? In the Toronto system, if an item is on your holds list but hasn't arrived in your branch yet, you can cancel it with no penalty through your online account. This fee is intended for when they've arrived at the branch and are sitting on the shelf.
I don't think it's a user fee either, I think it's more of a fine. And I don't have any specific objection to it as long as the computer reflects reality. But given my recent experience with the computer not reflecting reality and the fact that this is totally the sort of thing that people would just shrug off and not report, I thought I should emphasize the importance of reporting it so they can fix whatever problems remain, if any.
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