Comments on: Who Empties Your Bookbox?

By: Jenny

Jenny — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 23:54:40 +0000

In response to Rick’s comment about closing the outside book drop – if patrons found it closed, I honestly think many of them would just leave the books on the ground outside next to it – they wouldn’t be bothered by the “inconvenience” of keeping them and bringing them back later. This would in turn end up being very inconvenient for the library and the materials budget.

By: Brian Herzog

Brian Herzog — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 14:57:46 +0000

@Liz: Yeah, unfortunately I don’t think anyone has a cure for that. Some automated systems have drop slots that feed onto a conveyor belt, which might lessen the book-on-book damage, but anytime things come into physical contact there’s a possibility of wear and tear. Keep in mind, that’s physical contact with anything – other books, patrons, their kids, dogs, coffee, falling off the car roof, etc – the world is a dangerous place for library materials.

By: Liz

Liz — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:08:43 +0000

Another box issue occurred to me when I checked out a book recently.

It was a large, trade format paperback non-fiction book which which had folded and crumpled corners.
I thought perhaps someone was careless with it (how rude!) and I apologized to the librarian for it having been mistreated (please understand, I’m someone who doesn’t even highlight textbooks or underline in pen).

She informed me that actually, what had probably happened was that the book had been put in the book drop and then other books slid in on top of it, causing the corners to scuff and fold back.

This is especially disheartening because I can’t really envision a method of correcting this that allows patrons to use drop boxes as quickly as we now can. Hmm.

By: Katie

Katie — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:55:07 +0000

When a long weekend comes up, we usually leave a note on the staff board asking for volunteers to come in on each of the days we are closed. That person who comes in gets paid for the hour it takes for them to empty the drop and check things in. This way no one is “forced” to do it. Also, someone needs to feed the fish when we’re closed! (we have a fish tank in the children’s room)

By: Hollis

Hollis — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:10:50 +0000

We have one person who regularly empties the book drop and feeds the fish on Sundays and on long weekends. However, if the staff member wants to go out of town over a weekend, we simply make arrangements for another person to step. Since we all have keys and security codes, that isn’t an issue.

And the matter of shoving a book drop into the building is probably an issue for anyone in a foot of snow–but they really are not that heavy. If the actual bin is too heavy to move, one can haul a section of the books into the building and then roll the (now lighter) bin in.

I think I would figure out two other people who could step in and do this on a rotating basis.

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 02:45:42 +0000

Brian,

From a neighboring library… In Tewksbury, the administrative assistant – who lives VERY close to the library – empties the bookdrops on 3-day weekends. Items aren’t checked in, however, until Tuesday morning when circ staff arives. If the administrative assistant happens to be away, a department head is asked.

I hope you’re getting farily compensated for coming in over 3-day weekends!

Robert

By: Bobbi

Bobbi — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:40:52 +0000

At the library systems I have worked at this duty was split among the managers (all the people with keys to the building). At the beginning of each year we looked at the holidays and each person volunteered or choose a weekend/holiday with the understand that everyone needed to share in the responsibility.

We had the same process for time off at the Holidays too.

it worked well because no one person got stuck with the responsibility and because we chose our weekend and everyone had to do it it was hard to complain. If something came up it was the responsibility of the individual to find someone to cover.

By: Jennie

Jennie — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:55:54 +0000

We have a slot in the outside wall that empties into a book bin in our workroom. During long weekends we pull the bin away from the wall so the books fall on the floor. A couple of times our maintenance people, trying to be “helpful”, have pushed it back under the slot and books back up and people can’t put anymore books in. We’ve told maintenance not to do it but in case they forget, or they have a new person who doesn’t know better, we’ve now have a sign to put on the bin saying not to put it under the slot.

One of our pages comes in to pick the books up and to check them in Sunday or Monday. Her hours are adjusted for the remainder of the week. It’s usually extra busy the day after a holiday without having to do the weekend books along with the books coming in that day. After the New Year’s holiday it took us three days to get caught up with everything. We waived any fines that may have resulted.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:40:14 +0000

Someone always needs to empty the bookdrop at my library on long weekends. It is voluntary (in the sense you clarified) and the director or head of circulation usually does it.

I don’t think one person should have to do it nor should it be restricted to a male. If the drop is either too heavy, cumbersome, or stationary, one could use a cart or baskets to take in the items. The pool of people who could do it would be restricted to those with keys, and then there could be a rotation.

By: Brian Herzog

Brian Herzog — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:45:12 +0000

@Rick: at least in my library, any staff who “volunteers” for this type of situation does get paid (which they can take either as money or comp hours). For us, Sunday and holiday hours count as time-and-a-half.

My guess is that the other commenters are using “volunteer” in the sense of deciding who will come in. I volunteer to be the person who comes in, but I still get compensated.