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We use the Honor system for all of our media....
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We use the Honor system for all of our media....
6:20 PM EDT 5/1/06
Hello all, I am wondering if anyone can help me in finding a better or more structured policy than our "honor system" without going technical. Our Library serves a very small community of 200 and has patrons accessing it without staff here to ensure they follow the procedures and policies. We are on a complete 100% trust system and I am feeling that it is being misused.
The absolute ideal way would be that no one came in after hours, but as part of our grant we allow "volunteers" to open after hours and on weekends and several other people have keys. So with that I am not sure how to regulate people checking in and out our media. There are several books and movies not on the shelf that aren't checked out by anyone. If anyone has suggestions or ideas please let me know.
Thanks,
Genevieve
Re: We use the Honor system for all of our media....
8:53 AM EDT 5/2/06 as a reply to Genevieve Opheim.
Hmmmm... interesting

The concept of using the honor system is interesting. It relies on two items. 1. Trust in your community. Without this basic principle it absolutely doesn't work. 2. The understanding that there is a cost of doing business. You can't sweat the small stuff. Items go missing in monitored situations, I'd expect no differences in an honor system library.

What can you do??
1. Talk to your community and remind them that the system only works as long as EVERYONE agrees to abide by the rules.

2. Realize there is a cost of doing business and don't sweat it.

3. Hire a bunch more people. Change the locks. establish 'regular' hours that work for your community. In other words spend a bunch of money. [How does the cost of this option compare with just replacing the missing items??]

4. Post a list of materials that are missing. Realize that people may have inadvertently forgotten to check items out, or did not follow correct procedures. Remind them to bring the stuff back. This also lets your public know that their friends and neighbors have materials that they may want to read/use. Use peer pressure.

Those are the immediate options I see. Your particular situation will need to define your solution. I happen to believe in #2, myself with a healthy dose of #4.

Anyone else have ideas???

Good luck and keep us posted.
Re: We use the Honor system for all of our media....
10:12 AM EDT 5/2/06 as a reply to Genevieve Opheim.
Genevieve,
In Oklahoma, we advise our librarians to not allow anyone into the library when it is officially closed. You really have no idea what people will do to the computers, to the books, to the building. I'm wondering how much of a loss you are showing and if settings on computers are getting changed or if viruses, etc. are getting put on your computers. If you have a board you might want to approach them with the idea of changing your grant to take away the volunteers getting into the library.
Linda Gens
Re: We use the Honor system for all of our media....
3:52 PM EDT 5/2/06 as a reply to Joe Sherwood.
Thanks for the input. I had drawn up a letter to mail out to each household as a reminder. We are right along the lines of #1, 2 & 4. # 3 is idealistic and would probably work the best ....
As for taking the volunteer hours out of the grant, it is a major part of the grant and is required by the state. I personally like having it open outside of office hours... but I am not too fond of so many others with keys.

Thanks for your ideas, it all helps.

Genevieve
Re: We use the Honor system for all of our media....
3:11 PM EDT 5/4/06 as a reply to Genevieve Opheim.
Hi Genevieve-

There is one library in Vermont, the Davies Memorial Library that also works on the honor system. I think the major difference would be that it is only open
when the post office (which is attached to the building) is open. So although there is no one manning the desk there is still a feeling that there is someone near by that could help in the case of an emergency,

I agree that loss of materials will happen no matter what type of security system the library has in place and unless it become a serious problem just consider it part of the cost of running a library. My real concern, if I'm hearing you correctly, is that the library can be open to the public without any safeguards in place. I think you need to have some type of security system in to insure the safety not only of the building, materials and equipment, but also for the security of the public who use your library.

Michael