While cruising the shelves you come across a book you've been meaning to read for some time! A treat! But as it's rather thick you need to decide before you Borrow it: Will I actually have enough time to finish this within 3 weeks?
Because you can't take for granted that you will be able to Renew and Renew it. If someone places a Hold on what you're now reading: you can't Renew! Thus may not be able to find out how it all ends. Surprise and major bummer!!!
Patron B - with the Hold - seems more important than Patron A - currently enjoying this book. Regardless of the latter's reading-pleasure/habits, time available, even ability to read with ease.
Patron B can Borrow 20 books with an Individual Card (IC) - even 60! with a Family Card (FC) - and run 10 Holds concurrently. So he/she couldn't be made to wait for this particular book to be returned until Patron A chooses, within a time acceptable (not imposed) to everybody? Ironically now - with this Hold come through - B has to read it immediately because - be still, poor heart! - Patron C has a Hold on the very same book! And the beat goes on! Speed-reading!
But that's the system, and questioning it has resulted in desk-staff's improvised, evasive reasoning, defensive shrug.
How did who when come up with 10 Holds, Borrowing 20 or 60 items, Renewing twice and the muddle all this keeps creating? Certainly not based in inherent need - but need devised!
While the Library on one hand encourages pleasures to be found in reading its books - on the other it undermines those pleasures.
Bluntly put: patrons actually may not be an issue as readers alone - ostensibly the Nelson Library's raison d'etre - but money-makers as well!
Like - you will finish your book regardless of somebody's Hold and just pay the fine: 30 cents per day may not seem like much - but 3 bucks for 10 days?
It would be interesting to know how much money the Library is making in fines. Imagine Patron B with Holds on books 10 patrons are currently reading.....
Deliberately using fining to steadily substantially add income to the detriment of reading-enjoyment would seem tacky.
Being allowed 20 even 60 items - deep breath! - while having 10 Holds - encourages misuse of the system, confusion, with lots of books around the house not returned when due: I mean who can keep track of and has time for 60 anyway!
So here comes more money: overdue is good!
This way over the top set-up keeps many books out of circulation for those enjoying the choice, the discovery of something unexpected on shelves.
In addition to ...
Approximately 1700 books in Fiction/Mystery are shelved spine-up, mostly hidden so low(est) that they really are out of circulation - unless the nimble patron literally crawls along the floor and pulls out books one-by-one to identify title/author. Mind you - if you are not nimble enough: you could let a staff-member do the crawling for you!
Clearly - the Nelson Library has done much to tech-up, this taking lots of focus, energy, time - and oh money!
Altogether maybe too much of the big-city/with-it attempt. Endemic to Nelson.
So - to increase reader-focused blood/book circulation, how about:
1.
A 3-weeks item can always be Renewed once (instead of twice maybe).
2.
A Hold means the item will reliably be held for the patron(s) next and next in line, once it has been returned anytime within guaranteed 6 weeks.
There is no bumping-up/down!
3.
3 Holds are allowed (instead of 10).
4.
There is no Suspending a Hold: having it "frozen" and at a convenient time re-entered somewhere in the waiting-line of other Holds. Either in or out - Hold or let go!
5.
A patron with an IC can Borrow 10 items altogether (instead of 20).
6.
A patron with an FC can Borrow 20 items altogether (instead of 60).
7.
Another shelf is added on top of shelf-units, with a moveable single-step in every aisle.
All this - to have the Nelson Library first and foremost function as a Smallishtown library for folk enjoying a good read!
The rest they can Google!
The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones.
John Wooden, Coach
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