what’s next? … a conversation about a neighborhood

2 Comments Add your own

• 1. Margaret. Davey  |  October 19, 2009 at 9:08 am

  Here in Pensacola, we have a Senior Citizen Center library. We are having trouble keeping track of the books we have, which are donated.
  If you have any suggestions that would be helpful in our organization of our library, please let us know. It really is an honor system, but not all seniors are honorable. Our better-known authors are a real problem. We have the members sign-in, but still have no way of tracking the books.
  Is there anything you can suggest to help.
  I couldn’t find anything with an e-mail address to contact you, so please forgive me for posting here.

• 2. Adrian Fogelin  |  October 19, 2009 at 12:59 pm

  We have instituted a very simple checkout system. Each book has a number written inside the cover. The number is recorded in an electronic database along with the author and title. (this is the equivalent of the old fashioned card catolog) Each patron has an index card on which to record the books they check out. When they check out a book they write the date and the number (or numbers) assigned to the book or books they are taking. We have no set circulation period, but we do have a limit of four books per customer at any given time. When the book is brought back, the number is crossed off the patron’s card and then they are then free to take another book out. Patrons manage their own circulation, but tend to be honest when they’re putting it down on paper.

  Our books are also all donated. We find that getting more books for the collection is not hard. You may want to look to the supply side if getting books back poses too big a problem.

  Good luck!

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