Circulation Forum Minutes for May 2012

Date: May 2, 2012
Location: Midwest City Library

Present – Julie Ballou (NW), Melody Kellogg, ED), Cheryl Mann (CC), Denise Ryan (BUS), Patty Ortiz (SO), Emmy Verdin-Crowe (MC), Patty Widhalm (ED), Shahin Asghari (ED), Crystal Suppes (MC), Katie Hatfield (MC), Shirley Henderson (MC), Dianna Rupp (BE), Shanelle Jackson (DN), Denesa Bennett (WA), Susan Stinson (SO), Lee Mata (CH), Jennifer Adkisson (NW), Rachel Allen (VI), Jeremy Titsworth (NW), Kevin Sendall (CT), Pat Whisenhunt (BI), Ruth Harder (CT), Regina Wolfinger (BI), Regina Fields (BE), LaWana Morgan (RE), Donna Adamek (ED)

Guests – Emily Williams (OUT)

Meeting was called to order at 1:30pm.

Reminders from Cheryl Mann

Card Applications

It is important to enter new card information from the applications, not from the customer’s identification. Please remember to check to be sure that applications have signatures and that the proof of address matches the address on the application.

Lost Card

Cheryl reminded Clerks to make sure to check for previous lost cards when processing library card applications even if they have a lost card in their hand. Duplicates are being entered.

Credit Card Payment

Clerks reminded that we are not allowed to require a minimum amount for credit cards payments - credit cards can be taken if less than $5. However, card transactions cost MLS $0.25 per so we are encouraged to provide the customers with alternatives when they are paying a sum under $3.00 until they can bring in cash to pay the amount. 

Annual Fee

When processing annual fee cards and taking a payment, clerks reminded to use the “annual fee” tab and not the “other” tab under financial.

Credit Cards

Clerks were asked to notify Cheryl when a credit card is denied, the type of Credit Card and error shown on the computer, and the dollar amount. Cheryl explained that MLS has different contracts with each card company -not the Business Office.  Jimmy is trying to determine what the circumstances are for certain transactions being denied. Do not have the customer call their credit card company as this costs the system $25 each time. Cheryl is aware that the readers cannot read the tiny credit cards (key ring cards). If the Customer wants a number, the MLS number for credit card questions is 606-3849, 8:00-4:30.

Summer at the Library

Emily Williams from Outreach shared information about Summer Reading with the Forum. The program is now called the Summer Reading Game and is separated into three categories: early childhood, children and teens. Each category has its own game board. The instructions are right on the game board and each child/teen will keep track of their goals. Everything is time-based with bonus blocks that can be completed in lieu of reading. Emily informed the forum that the Teen and Children marketing cards have been mailed out to schools and that promotional material will be going out to libraries next week. Parents and library customers will start getting information in the next two weeks. She also informed the Forum that the Intranet Training would be up later today. 

Another change is that this year we will have coupon booklets in the prize packets.  Also, each library will have a blue cart where the children/teens will get to choose their own book after they complete their goals.  This year we will not have Frontier/White Water Bay coupons but there will be some available as prizes in the drawings.  Some of the Grand Prizes this year will include a Telescope for children and a NetBook for teens.  The Clerks present expressed enthusiasm over the new changes to the Summer Reading Program (Game). The changes have been implemented as a result of the Summer Reading Program survey. Lisa or Emily in Outreach can answer questions.

Activity – Non-transferrable library cards and confidentiality

Julie facilitated an activity with scenarios involving every circ clerk in attendance. Everyone had the opportunity to role play either a customer or a staff member and various options or solutions were discussed at the end of each.

Scenario #1

Customer has two books on CD and several other items checked out.  The total for all of the materials is over $200. Their home was recently destroyed in a wildfire in the Choctaw area and they don’t have homeowner’s insurance. They have come to the library to try to find out what to do about this.

• Cheryl explained that in cases where insurance does exists, clerks can put Tracers on the items to prevent the customer from accruing more fines.  If the homeowner had insurance, staff recommends they file a claim and include the library materials in the claim. Staff should provide a printed statement for a record of the amount lost, put the items in Temporary Tracer until the items are reimbursed by the insurance company. If insurance won’t pay, it is acceptable to write off the loss (per MLS memo about tornadoes and other disasters).  Kevin (CT) suggested that we have an alternative to Tracer on V-Circ for situations such as these. 
• If no insurance, review on a case by case basis. Review the age of the items and the number of circulations. Ask for proof the house burned or is located in the area of a wide-scale disaster. Some kind of official document – by the police or fire department perhaps - that indicates the house located at this address burned down. Check item inquiry to determine which book fees to waive-depending on age and circulation and which books to charge to the customer
• Another scenario: What if it was a burglary instead of a fire?  Offer to set a temporary tracer if they present a police report. Erase fines if overdue. It is the customer’s responsibility to keep materials safe.

Scenario #2

Customer is the caregiver of a disabled adult who is with them at the library.  They are at the circulation desk with a stack of books that they want to check out with their own card and they also have a stack of books that they want to check out for the disabled adult using their card. 

• This scenario does not violate any library policies.

Scenario #3

Customer is the parent of a minor child. They have brought the child to the library to check out books and they have picked out materials together. Now the child is in the children’s area sitting on the floor putting a puzzle together. The parent goes to the Circulation Desk to check out the materials using the child’s card. However, they are not the parent who signed for the library card – it was their spouse. 

• A child should be able to use his/her own card. The child should be present, or the parent can use Express Checkout.
• Encourage the parent to get or use their own card.

Scenario #4

Customer has come to the Circulation Desk to pick up reserves for their spouse. This is something that they have been doing for years. They have the notification that came in the US Mail and their spouse’s library card. 

• Advise them that reserve items must be picked up by the person whose card was used to place the reserve. “I cannot check it out to you here, but if you have your spouse’s permission, you can use the Express Checkout.”  If the reserves are behind the cir desk and not out in the open for the customer to pick up the SRs themselves then you CANNOT give the items to the customer, this would be breaking the privacy law.  Recommend reserves be placed on the card of the person who is most likely to pick them up.
• Offer to extend the reserve period if they cannot use Express Checkout and are concerned the item(s) will be taken off reserve.
• If there is no waiting list for the materials on reserve, another option could be to call the customer, ask if you can cancel the reserve, re-reserve on the card of the person in the library, and check out the materials to the person in the library.

Another situation: a child left his/her card at home and brings a parent’s card in. Staff should ask the child to have the parent come in to the library.

• Clerks were provided with a copy of the state law which requires confidentiality with regards to customers’ reading materials.  In these days with identify theft, etc. we must respect people’s privacy. In addition, by using someone else’s library card to borrow items, we would be obligating them financially without their presence in the transaction.

Scenario #5

Customer has come to the library to pick up reserves for their spouse who happens to be the manager of the library. 

• The manager should know better than to send a spouse to pick up reserves without explaining the issues involved. The same answer applies: Use the Express Checkout.  You could also re-reserve the items on their card instead.  However, reserves can’t be canceled without customer’s permission.

Scenario #6

Customer has come to the library to pick up an ILL for their elderly mother who is homebound and has just been released from the hospital. 

• Explain that borrowing items through Interlibrary Loan requires the borrower to be physically present. These items do not belong to the Metropolitan Library System, and therefore, we must adhere to that requirement.
• Recommend Books by Mail.
• Recommend the daughter get a card and re-reserve the items through ILL.

Scenario #7

Customer has come to the library because their son received a letter from MLS stating that he owed a large sum of money for long overdue materials and fines. The customer wants to pay the charges to avoid any further action being taken against their son. 

• If the son is a minor, and the identification of the person present matches the authorized parent on the son’s card, there is no violation of library policy nor are there any extra precautions that must be followed.
• If the son is a minor, but the person present is not the authorized parent OR if the son is an adult, options include paying the fine online, paying in person and receiving a handwritten receipt with no title information. Marketing has posted a “Receipt for Payment” under Downloads on the Intranet that can be used for this purpose.
• If paying by check, put the payer’s library card number on the check. If the payer does not have a library card, write their drivers license number on the check.

Please note that mlsDetective generates a list of customers with over $500 in overdue materials. Demand letters are sent to these customers.

Scenario #8

Customer calls the library on the telephone to renew several books. They provide the card number. If any of the items can’t be renewed they would need to know what they are so that they can return them. 

• Clerks reminded that we cannot give out any identifying information about the content of the items checked out.  Staff can give hints to the customer so they can determine for themselves which items do not renew. Examples of hints are: the item number, the first letter of the author’s last name, the item’s format, and number of pages.

Scenario #9

Customer calls the library on the telephone to renew materials. They don’t have the card number, but they can give the circulation clerk the list of items they have checked out. 

• Staff should verify something – the customer’s address or phone number or birth date. Make sure you have the right person on the phone. Even with the card number, it is best to verify the name by asking who is calling. Do as much as possible to verify who you are talking to on the phone.  Again, no account information can be given to customer over the phone.

Scenario #10

Customer calls the library to ask if their son Tom is there. They state that they think he is on one of the public computers. 

• Staff should say that they don't know, but would be happy to take a message.  They should check to see if the customer is in the library and if so, deliver the message to them.    For safety and privacy reasons we cannot let the person on the phone know whether someone is or is not in the library.  (Addendum 5/29/2012:  We should start by paging the customer to come to the desk.  If the caller is able to describe the person or if the customer does not respond to the page, we can then walk around and see if they are in the library.)

Scenario #11

Customer goes to the library to pay a fine for their fiancé.  They present his library card and credit card to pay. 

• Staff should explain that we cannot take credit cards unless the credit card holder is present. Options: if a public computer or a Catalog/CyberMARS computer is open, the customer can complete the transaction online. Express Checkout can be used if it has a coin machine, or any computer with internet access (at home or work or wherever) can be used.
• Another scenario brought up by circ clerks: the customer on the cell phone. Staff can just patiently wait or ask, “Are you ready?” or state, “I’ll help the next person who is ready.”

Scenario #12

Customer goes to the Circulation Desk with a copy of their credit card statement. They paid for their annual fee card last month and this month the charge is on the statement twice. They say that they plan to call their credit card company to fix the duplicate entry, but want to make sure this never happens again. 

• If it is a weekday, call Circulation Control to try to help the customer immediately.  If it is the weekend, clerks should let the customer know that we will call the Business Office first thing Monday (regular business hours) and give the customer their name so that the customer can feel secure that the clerk has taken ownership of the issue and will follow up on it.  Cheryl informed clerks that every time the credit card company receives a call from an MLS customer about a transaction we are charged a $25 fee.

Scenario # 13

Customer goes to the Circulation Desk to check out and discovers that they have a 15 cent fine that is overdue 60 days. They want to check out materials and pay the fine, but have no cash - only a credit card. 

• Although we are not permitted to deny customer use of their card for a payment we can suggest options if the fine is under $3.00.  Offer to let the customer pay it next time, even though it is over 60 days overdue. Since notices are not sent unless the fine is $3 or more, the customer probably had no idea he had a fine. Fines less than $3 do not generate a stop. .
• Clerks can suggest the customer use the self –checkout with an OV60 fine of less than $3.
• Since it costs $0.25 to take the credit card, just erase the 15 cent fine!

Activity Summary:

Julie asked clerks to discuss important or new information learned.  Clerks agreed that it is always a good idea to provide the customers with options instead of simply saying ‘No’ to an inquiry or transaction. 

• Always remember options
• Try to show the situation as being to the customer’s benefit
• We want happy customers
• Practice privacy
• Non-transferrable cards are an issue of financial protection
•  “Other libraries do it for me” – maybe they did, but I can’t
• A library card is like a credit card - valuable

Bottom line: Always give other choices. “No, I’m sorry I can’t do that, but I CAN offer …”

Open Discussion

• When should override be used?   When a parent is using a child’s card.
• If a library card seems not to match a person, staff can ask for identification.
• Express Check. A customer can self-check 60 items in a 2-day period. This is a known issue. The system assumes the customer has returned things in the book drop.
• How many items can be overdue 60 days to generate a stop?   Just one

Announcements

Julie announced that the next Circ Forum in August will be her last one as chair of the Circ Forum committee.  Julie has served on the Forum for 3 years and it is time for another manager to have the opportunity.  She told everyone how much she has enjoyed the experience. Melody Kellogg from ED will be the new Manager leading the Forums.

Meeting Adjourned

Julie thanked everyone for being present and Emmy (MC) for hosting the May Forum and providing refreshments. The Meeting adjourned at 4:00pm.