More on Confidentiality

More on confidentiality from the Winchester Public Library

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Confidentiality

Hi there,

Sometimes we are concerned about the "what" when it comes to materials being checked out at our circulation desks.  However, we are required by law to protect our library user's privacy.  Please review the documents below.  This is useful for all of us to review from time to time. Our role as librarians is to be impartial and provide open access to information.  Parents and teachers have the role of monitoring what the youth are reading.

 http://www.newtonfreelibrary.net/?sec=about&doc=privacy

I like the Newton Public Library document about privacy.  Very nicely stated.


Mass General Laws
Section 7. A town may establish and maintain public libraries for its inhabitants under regulations prescribed by the city council or by the town, and may receive, hold and manage any gift, bequest or devise therefor. The city council of a city or the selectmen of a town may place in such library the books, reports and laws which may be received from the commonwealth. That part of the records of a public library which reveals the identity and intellectual pursuits of a person using such library shall not be a public record as defined by clause Twenty-sixth of section seven of chapter four. Library authorities may disclose or exchange information relating to library users for the purposes of inter-library cooperation and coordination, including but not limited to, the purposes of facilitating the sharing of resources among library jurisdictions as authorized by clause (1) of section nineteen E or enforcing the provisions of sections ninety-nine and one hundred of chapter two hundred and sixty-six.



 ALA Freedom to Read Statement

1. There is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression. To some, much of modern expression is shocking. But is not much of life itself shocking? We cut off literature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life. Parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which they will be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically for themselves. These are affirmative responsibilities, not to be discharged simply by preventing them from reading works for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters values differ, and values cannot be legislated; nor can machinery be devised that will suit the demands of one group without limiting the freedom of others.
   
   For the full ALA Freedom to Read Statement, click here.
   
   Thank you for taking the time to review these statements.  Let me know what you think!  More to come.  

Louise

Point to light/holds and returns are separated

It looks like the point to light system has moved to a new level.  For the most part, we are getting deliveries with the slip on the outside of the grey bins indicating "returns" vs. "holds".

The slips will read like this:  "Waltham Returns"  OR  "Waltham Holds".

This is truly marvelous because it means that the bins saying "holds" are really filled with "holds, holds, and nothing but the holds".

Slips labeled "returns" denote bins filled with returns.

Now, should you see a "slip up", i.e. a bin that should have been sent to Watertown or some such, let me know.  I will let the Mass Library System know.

Sort to light info for the Minuteman Network

Wow!  The word is that the Minuteman Network has reached 90% barcode on the front left of our materials.  This has been determined based on the materials that are being sorted by Optima.

• On Tuesday, October 11th, the "sort to light" system will go live with two libraries.  These will be smaller volume libraries.
• On Monday, October 17th, the system will go live with five additional libraries.
• On Monday, October 24th, "sort to light" will go live with five more libraries.
• Finally, On Monday, October 31st, the "sort to light" will go live with all of the remaining libraries.  This means the Waltham Public Library!

What is sort to light, you ask?      

Click here to find out!

What will be different for us?

• When deliveries arrive, returns and holds will already be separated!  All we have to do is route them in! 
• We will no longer be printing in transit slips!  This will save paper!  When you get the prompt asking if you should print a slip, "Just say no!".  Of course, if it is a hold, print that slip! 
• We will be setting up "carts" of some type at the circulation desk with grey bins right there.  This will enable us to put the "in transit" items directly into a grey bin.  Since there is no longer an identifying slip, this will prevent error.

• Beginning now, be sure to get in the habit of placing materials in the bins with the barcode "up".  This will enable the sort to light system to work more effectively.
• We will still be printing hold slips
• We will still have one Newton dedicated bin at Rear Circ.
• Virtual catalog materials, magazines in packaging, or damaged materials in packaging will require a slip as they can not be read by sort to light

Questions?  Comments?  Thoughts?  Let me know!





 

leaving food at circ desk/behind circ desk

Hi there Circulators!

When I came in this morning, it was very clear what people had to drink last night.

Please, keep your drinks behind the desk and out of sight. The same with snacks, of course!
Also, please discard your empties at the end of the night.

Somebody left a large water bottle with an unnamed beverage in the copy machine area behind the circ desk.  It stayed there for about a month before I discarded this.

We are not setting a good example and I don't want to have to clean up after you.

You know it's bad when it's bothering me!

Thoughts?  Suggestions?  Let me know!

Louise

Computer Use Only Cards/Laptops NOT Included

Hi there alert Circ Staff,

An interesting question has come up here at the WPL.  Suppose one of our users is here for a limited time and is only wanting a library card for computer use.  Give them a computer use only card, right?  Right.

AND

COMPUTER USE ONLY CARDS DO NOT INCLUDE LAPTOP USE.

This is because laptops are considered a "check out" on the card.  Remember, laptops are $500 items.  Even though they are not leaving the building, the library user "borrows" them. 

COMPUTER USE ONLY CARDS ENTITLE PATRONS TO USING THE DESKTOP COMPUTERS IN REFERENCE.  NOTHING ELSE.

If the library user has picture identification and proof of address, they can use a laptop....the card needs to expire three weeks before they leave.....

This, of course, begs a new question:  Suppose someone is only using laptops and computers, can we change the expiration date to closer than three weeks before they leave?

FOR NOW, THE ANSWER IS NO.  COMPUTER USE ONLY CARDS MEAN NO BORROWING INCLUDING LAPTOPS.

And, I will bring this question to Department Heads.....

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know!

library card protocol/Minuteman not accepting leases for now

Hi there everyone!

Anne, our registration checker extraordinaire, has pointed out a few "glitches" that she has noticed of late.

While she and I both understand that everyone is very busy, still.......

I am writing this to remind you about some of the protocols when registering our patrons for library cards.

1. For first time borrowers, the limit is three items.  After that, the sky is the limit!  (Anne noticed that a first time borrower was given 29 CDs......)
2. Once your borrower has checked out materials, change his or her status so that the user is no longer "on the fly".  (Pat O and I have noticed that this has not been happening).
3. Remember the six month expiration date for library users who live in temporary housing.  
4. If the expiration date is not the usual five years, please put that information on the bottom of the registration form.  
5. Be sure that the address on the registration form matches the address that you are typing in.  Did the user give you an identification card with one address and then write in another?  This is the time to notice that and be sure that we are really getting proof of address.
6. Bottom line?  Take a minute to double check that you are following our new library card protocol.
7. Feel free to review the library card registration guidelines that live in the file folders at the circulation desks, the notebooks at the circulation desks, and on the wikki.
8. And, as of now, we are not accepting leases as proof of address.

   circulation] Board decision regarding lease agreement as identification

   	Inbox		X
   Reply

   

   Cole, Leone lcole@watertown-ma.gov via minlib.net to alldirs, circulation, mlnstaff

   show details Aug 10 (2 days ago)

   Good morning,

   In response to a recent incident in which a phony lease agreement was used as identification to get a library card and subsequent theft of library materials using that card, the Board decided yesterday to ask the Standards Committee to revisit the identification requirements and to suspend the acceptance of a lease agreement as sufficient identification until the Standards Committee reports back with a recommendation.  We want to also remind everyone that sending a postcard to library card applicants is a good way of verifying address (though it does mean the person may not be able to borrow materials the same day).

   Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  Thank you.

   Leone

   
   

   Leone E. Cole

   Library Director

   Watertown Free Public Library

   123 Main Street

   Watertown, MA  02472

   617-972-6434
   
   

Even if Barry Manilow comes to the Circulation Desk, he needs to show proof of address....well, unless he gives Pat O or I his autograph....but that is another story for another day.

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know!