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Date:         Fri, 20 Nov 1992 08:31:55 -0700
              <CIRCPLUS@IDBSU.BITNET>
From:         "Stephen (local 6019)" <SDAVIES@MTROYAL.AB.CA>
Subject:      Re: courtesy hold shelf

At Mount Royal College, Calgary, we will hold circulating monographs aside for
a patron for one weekday (i.e. Tues to Wed, or Fri to Mon).  We won't hold
periodicals or Reference material, but we refer people to the Information
Reference Desk to see if those materials can be held there.  There is no
convenient way to designate these materials as being on the "courtesy hold
shelf" in the on-line catalog, so we hold the material for no more than 24
hrs.  Our turnaround time on reshelving books is shorter than that, so we
can't leave the material out of circulation for longer than 24 hrs without
causing some confusion when other patrons search the stacks for "available"
items.

We no longer issue temporary library cards to students or other patrons.  We
are prepared to access a patron's library account if they present other I.D.
(i.e. driver's license, social insurance card, etc).  Simply knowing a student
I.D. number is not sufficient;  we need to see proof.  We find often that
students need to be trained to bring at least some I.D. when they come to the
library.  The chance of getting the Faculty to be so responsible is slim.

When a student has no I.D. to present, we refuse to access their account for
purposes of signing out material or displaying a list of their current
transactions.   (We will, however, accept fines payments.)  Students who are
refused loans can have their material held on the "courtesy hold shelf" for 24
hrs.  Students who have lost all their I.D. can obtain a second copy of their
registration paperwork from the Registrar's Office and we will accept that as
I.D.  We have several Reserve locations thruout the College where the staff may
allow quick loans in exchange for car keys or valuables while the student
photocopies.  This kind of transaction is not policy;  it is just to help out
the student.

Whenever a patron uses a secondary piece of I.D., we ask if they cannot find
their library card.  If that is the case, we recommend they declare their card
lost.  In that case, we block the account and rename it "SMITH, JOHN lost
card".  We start a second account and withhold the patron barcode sticker
until the patron returns with a new card, giving them only one week to do so.
We also send a form to Campus Security stating that the card has been lost or
stolen.  We tell Security what the patron barcode number was on the lost card
so they can tell the difference between the lost card and the re-issued one.

We have an incredible system of I.D. cards here.  The official student card is
of very poor quality and is likely to crack and fall apart during the course
of the semester.  It is the result of Administration cutting too far back on
costs, and now no one will admit the mistake.  The Reserve locations are
expected to loan up to several thousand dollars worth of audio-visual equipment
using these cards, even tho there is no picture on the card and they are
rarely signed on the back.  Meanwhile, a frustrated Campus Recreation dept now
issues its own durable, picture I.D. for a fraction of the cost of the regular
card, and so does the Residence issue a card to students living on campus.
Both depts do this with equipment the Registrar's discarded.  The Registrar's
was looking forward to using cheaper materials and less staff time when
producing cards.  Since the Registrar's hardly requires to see the card again,
it is not surprising that they are not concerned about the quality of the card
or its longevity.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU