Dear firends I think imposing fine or getting back the cost of book (including processing fee + the cost of sending reminders) is not enough. Circulation team needs to be strengthened in such a way that this situation should not arise in future in such a big library like university library where all the staff are skilled and users are all bonafide members of the institution i.e.; teachers/staff and students. In a user-library relationship, few users are always in search of breaking the rules of library by taking advantage of the weaknesses of the system built by that particular team/staff. "Many of the missing books were borrowed nearly 30 years ago and the borrowers are either retired or dead." In this case, I am sure there is something lacking in the library's circulation team. Circulation team has to be a complete professional. If someone has borrowed from you, it is not someone else but you are responsible for getting that back. I don't want to say that users have no responsibility. But, it is the library authority who is 100% responsible. Regards, Aman Jha Librarian Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Plot No 249-F, Udyog Vihar, Phase IV Sector 18, Gurgaon 122015 (Haryana) Tel: 0124-5014060-67 * Fax: 0124-5014080 -----Original Message----- From: HENAG [mailto:HENAG@infosys.com] Sent: Monday, December 13, 2004 6:32 AM To: Vyasamoorthy@icicikp.com; lis-forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in Subject: RE: [LIS-Forum] Calcutta University Library: Teachers' misuselibraryfacilities Dear All, This is almost the same case happens everywhere, the librarians' hands are tight to impose any strict rules like fine implementation etc... One policy libraries can implement with the prior permission from the authority ----- send 3-6 reminders on a regular basis having an interval, keep the reminder #along with the reminder in the subject line itself, if the book/s still not returned by the professor/s then send a final mail mentioning that we are force to deduct the amount from the salary to replace the book as we are assuming that the book issued by you is lost , and give copy to accounts department along with the attachment of the reminders. This amount can be accumulated under one head for library and library can purchase the same book/s or the books on high demand utilizing this amount. If the authority is keen to recover the loss then good to implement this policy , prior to implement this policy please put a notice publicly in your premise and try to inform all regarding the change in the policy of possessing books more than 6 months after the due date . I 'm sure this will surely bring back all the books . For rare books charge the price three times of the cost.Try to Convince the authority saying enough time/reminder is given to return, it is charged only after 6 months . Regards Hena S Gupta Infosys Central Library Infosys Technologies Ltd. Hosur Road, Electronics City Phone # 080-51165196, FAX# 080-28520742 Bangalore- 560 100 -----Original Message----- From: lis-forum-bounces@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in [mailto:lis-forum-bounces@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in]On Behalf Of Vyasamoorthy@icicikp.com Sent: Monday, December 13, 2004 9:55 AM To: lis-forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in Subject: [LIS-Forum] Calcutta University Library: Teachers' misuse libraryfacilities Please read the following news item. Situation must be similar in other institutions of 'Higher' learning. I feel it is high time we concentrate on this menace and take steps to put books to better use than merely allowing monopolisation by a few users. Vyasamoorthy, P =================== http://www.telegraphindia.com/1041212/asp/bengal/story_4118695.asp CU library lists full, not shelves OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Calcutta, Dec. 11: Valuable books and journals have disappeared from Calcutta University's library as the borrowers have "conveniently" forgotten to return them. Flooded by complaints from students and teachers on important books that are off the shelves for years, the university authorities have begun an exercise to trace them. But the effort may have come too late. Many of the missing books were borrowed nearly 30 years ago and the borrowers are either retired or dead. At best, a few of the habitual defaulters may be traced and only a few books recovered. "We cannot deny that there are some teachers and scholars who are in the habit of not returning books after borrowing them from the university's libraries. We are working out measures to stop the practice," said Saumitra Sarkar, the librarian. Bound by rules, the university cannot fine a teacher if he or she returns a book late. "We recently introduced a system of giving repeated reminders to defaulting teachers. We are now working on steps that may be taken if the reminders do not work," said Sarkar. To get books back from research scholars in time, the authorities have introduced fines. Earlier, only students had to pay a fine if they failed to return their books on the stipulated date. Last year, the university increased the rate of fines for students. They are now charged 10 paise for every day's delay in the first week and a rupee a day after that. The scholars are now being fined at the same rate. University sources said the catalogues in its central and departmental libraries show a large number of books, but they are never found on the racks. In all, Calcutta University has nearly 12 lakh text and reference books. In addition, the libraries house maps, journals, theses and commission reports. A student alleged: "Often a rare book issued to a teacher is never returned to the library." "We have also come across teachers who borrowed books at the time of joining and never gave them back." Another student alleged that many of the teachers have in their possession books that are not available anywhere else in the country. At present, a section of teachers of the varsity's geography department are up in arms against the authorities for not taking action against at least three retired teachers who did not allegedly return about a dozen rare maps. =======================sent by ================ Dr.P.Vyasamoorthy, Advisor, Virtual Information Centre, ICICI Knowledge Park, Genome Valley, Turkapally, Shameerpet Mandal, RR District, Hyderabad 500078 INDIA Email: vyasamoorthy@icicikp.com Phone - Office: +91(40)23480053 Fax: +91(40)23480007 Phone Residence: +91(40)27846631 _______________________________________________ LIS-Forum mailing list LIS-Forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in http://ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/mailman/listinfo/lis-forum _______________________________________________ LIS-Forum mailing list LIS-Forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in http://ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/mailman/listinfo/lis-forum