HOW ABOUT WE SIMPLIFY LIBRARY CHECK OUT PERIODS, LATE FEES, ETC.?
by Perry Stokes, Library Director It’s fair to say, I’m a no-nonsense type. In my book, directness, efficiency and pragmatism are not only in the best interest of quality service, they’re the best way to accomplish responsible stewardship of your tax-dollars and organizational transparency. Happily, our Library Board and partner libraries of the Sage Library System have similar inclinations. While Sage itself is not a simple organization—it consists of over 40 libraries of a variety of types (school, public, academic, special) throughout eastern Oregon that share a catalog system and materials—together, we’ve been looking to find a way to simplify and standardize the loan rules among our members. Our work has culminated in a document of recommendations that may be applied throughout our consortium and will hopefully make everyone’s life easier. For example, in Baker County Library District, we currently have a somewhat dizzying variety of check out periods and fine structures:
DVDs & Videotapes are out for 1 week;
New Fiction, Audiobooks, & Magazines -- 2 weeks;
Interlibrary Loans, 3 weeks;
Large Print New Fiction, New Non-fiction, Regular Fiction & Non-fiction -- 4 weeks.
Fines for books & general items are 10¢ per day for the first week, then ramp up to 20¢ per day starting on day 8, and reach a cap of $3.00 per item. For DVDs and videotapes, fees begin at $1.00 per day overdue and max out at $5.00. I can tell you’re getting cross-eyed and drowsy already. Stay with me; the main point is next. There are several proposed changes, but the ones which will have the greatest effect on our users are a dramatic simplification of fine and loan periods to: One overdue fine rate -- 20¢ per day for items of all types with a maximum late fine of $5.00 per item; and Two check out periods – 1 week for DVDs/Videotapes, 3 weeks for all other items. In short, late fines on films will drop from $1.00 to 20¢, fines on books will increase from 10¢ to 20¢, movies are a one week check out, everything else is three weeks, and one can renew twice unless someone is waiting for the item. The revised overdue fee rate is aimed to not only reduce complications no matter what Sage library is loaning the item, but to bring the rate up to meet the Library’s costs of sending overdue notices. Since our late notices are mailed out on the second day an item is overdue, fines collected need to be about 50¢ in order for the Library to break even on costs for the postage stamp, envelope, and paper. In Baker County, the overdue fine rate has remained at 10¢/day for at least 15 years, so it’s fallen far behind our postal costs. In that same period, postage stamps have risen 12¢, from 32¢ in 1995 to 44¢ today and are proposed to jump 2¢ to 46¢ as of January 2, 2011. Even at twenty cents per day, however, our new rate will be less than the average overdue rate in Oregon public libraries (22¢). The full Standardized Loan Rules document with comments explaining any change from our current policy is available here.
The Library Board invites public comment about these proposed changes at its 7:00 p.m. Monday, Sep. 13 meeting at the Baker County Public Library, 2400 Resort St, Baker City. Comments can also be submitted in writing prior to the meeting. If approved by the board, implementation of the Standardized Sage Loan Rules would begin Nov. 1, 2010.
So, are you for or against it? We look forward to hearing your thoughts @ your library.
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