[Koha] Handling Fines in the ILS and Relate Matters

[Charles Kelley]

Hello, James et al!

    In our latest exchange, on 13 Nov. 2021 at 08:00 [JST] I received from
you, James L. Weinheimer <weinheimer.jim.l at gmail.com>:


When I used to have to deal with circulation at a small, undergraduate
> institution, circulation was one of the parts of the job that irked me the
> most. The college administration didn't want much library interaction with
> the general population so almost everything had to go through them (except
> recalls) and the result was that little was accomplished. There was
> supposed to be a system of fines but those were never collected. All that
> was enforced was at the end of the year when students had to bring back
> whatever library materials they had or pay for them. If they didn't they
> wouldn't be allowed to graduate. I was thankful I didn't have to deal with
> any of that.
>
> Concerning faculty, many of them considered the library's books as their
> own personal property and would "check them out" for years. None of that
> worried me much unless someone actually asked for the book and it was
> checked out. Students would normally bring the materials back fairly
> quickly when asked, but much of the faculty simply ignored us.
>
> That was one reason I was so much for digital materials: circulation
> becomes irrelevant.
>
> I don't know if that helps but you do have my sympathy!
>


    My current library will not be charging and collecting fines. What we
will do is to check out the materials in perpetuity, but inventory them
once a year. Everyone will have to bring in whatever te has checked out
just so we can make sure the material still exists and is usable. If the
library can't get the patron to  The staff is small enough that it won't be
burdensome. My question was really about the mechanics given the changing
environment.

    My experience with faculty parallels yours. Once a year, the library
had to have the faculty bring back everything. Mostly we simply renewed the
material. When we asked why, we had a set response: "This university is a
state agency, and that makes this state property. We have to make sure the
material still exists and is usable."

    I saw the director get into an argument with a faculty member once. The
director won, so to speak, because te implied the state police would
support the library and send the state martials after the faculty member if
it came to that. The faculty member replied the university administration
would support tim. The director's reply: the university administration
could thereby be charged as accomplices after the fact. The faculty member
capitulated, albeit grumblingly reluctantly; and the director lasted ten
more years, so te was undamaged by the exchange.

    An ugly exchange, to be sure, one of the ugliest I have witnessed in my
career.

    Thanks for your comments.

-- 

    気を付けて。 /ki wo tukete/ = Take care.

    -- Charles.

    Charles Kelley, MLS
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    Charles Kelley
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