LM_NET: Library Media Networking
It seems we're all struggling with the time demanded to deal with overdues.
Here is a compilation of responses I received. I hope you'll find somethin=
g
helpful.
Anita Booher
Library Information Specialist
Park City High School
Park City, UT=20
abooher@parkcity.k12.ut.us
________________________________________
In our school of 2,400 students, we print out on Follett overdue notices
each six weeks. We choose the 2 per page printout for in house
distribution rather than the mailing form which gives you 1 patron's
overdues per page.
We cut them apart with the paper cutter, staple them shut for privacy,
and write the student's name and English teacher's name on the outside.
They are placed in the Eng. teachers' boxes for them to distribute to
the students.
One school in our district mails them out, but I think that would cost
too much.
At the end of the school year, we call the parents to let them know that
their child has an overdue book. We really try to get everything back
at the end of the school year. Calling parents really helps. We also
print out a list of names and give them to the grade level principals.
They really help us retrieve the books!
Ultimately, we are more concerned with getting the books back than
collecting fines.
Julie Long
Librarian
Cinco Ranch High School
Katy, Texas
-------------------------
I am trying to streamline this process as well.
I am using Winnebago Spectrum 4.5.1.
We do not use homerooms in our school of 1500.
Our student download does not include their class schedule, so I cannot
print overdues with any type of location. Last year was my first year in
this school, and I decided that the policy of sending out overdues only
once a semester before exams was not fair to the student. We do have 5
cent/day fines to a max of $2.00 (Any student can "work off" these fines by
helping out in the library). I started generating both overdue and fine
notices once a week. My Spectrum version, unfortunately, does not combine
these. Student helpers and the LMC paraprofessional would then use a
master student schedule to write the second hour teacher's name on the
notice, and put them in the teacher's mailboxes. Most teachers were
cooperative and happy to help out, very few were less so. This was too
time-consuming and would take 4-5 hours of help. This year I will move to
doing this once every two weeks for overdue books, and twice a semester for
fines since those, clearly, do not grow once the book is returned.
Please share other responses, if you would!
Ellen Latorraca
Teacher Librarian
South Division HS
Milwaukee, WI 53204
414-902-8335
-------------------------
We e-mail a list to teachers every Friday afternoon, and they
post that in their classrooms. We also post it on the bulletin
boards in the halls. They are responsible for looking at the
lists.
George Anne Draper
-------------------
Anita,
We spend a HUGE amount of time on overdues & trust me, there are times I'm
not sure that it's worth it, but do end the year with very few missing item=
s
& even those we usually get back over the summer. This year we are down to
about 4 books, I think. We are a h.s. with 1,250 students & have a huge
circulation and subsequent overdues. We do not charge fines. We print an
overdue LIST and overdue notices. The lists go to the teachers & the
notices to the kids. We print notices for the kids even if they are overdue
for months. However, after the items has been overdue for a month, I call
home---around dinner time---and usually talk to parents. That helps a lot!=
!
If something becomes desperately overdue, I also go to their lockers. (It's
legal since the materials and the lockers belong to the school). I have
enlisted the help of teachers who take pity on me & are very cooperative:
they bug the kids, send them from class to the library, deny them things
like treats etc. Another thing we do which is very helpful: our kids use
their ID cards to gain entrance to the library during their study hall
period. We don't conduct study halls in the library, but they can come her=
e
instead of going to their study hall with their ID. If someone is on the
overdue list (we post it on the desk---names, only), we pull their card
until the materials are returned. That works really well because the
library is a desirable place to be instead of study hall (they can sit next
to their girlfriend...). When I'm really frustrated with a student, I'll
will make what I call are "house calls"----I go to one of their classes &
talk to them personally & even wait there while they go to their locker &
bring me the item. The week before school is out in June, I call every
single kid on the list every single night at home until I have the list dow=
n
to almost nothing. The seniors cannot get their actual diploma at graduatio=
n
(the piece of paper---it is not legal to deny them graduation for things
like overdue books), but that is plenty for them all to return everything
before graduation. What do you think??? Do I spend an enormous amount of
time on this??!!?? Is it all worth it?? I don't know......books are
expensive, but so is my time......I just feel an obligation to get
everything back.....maybe I'm crazy!! Let me know what you think! Liz
--------------------------
...we send our 800 high school students computer-generated overdue notices
once a week. If the item is not returned in a month we issue a regular
school infraction with possiblity of detention, etc. if they add up. That
usually produces the book or a check to replace it. Good luck!
---------------------------------------
I'm working on a new procedure also. We have a aides that help the
attendance secretary. I send the notices to her and they get delivered to
students.
Also, students cannot receive grades until their books are turned in.
Renee Roth
Ottawa Hills Library
Toledo, OH 43606
-----------------------
We are a private school with about 1300 students. We have a 2 week
check-out period and an automated circulation system. We run overdues ever=
y
week - on Fridays. The notes are distributed through 1sth hour classes ( w=
e
don't have homerooms.) We put the over due notices in teacher mail boxes
( we have access to student schedules). Students get three notices and the=
n
names are sent to our Dean of Students who will assign detentions as needed=
.
Teachers and the Dean are very helpful in this. We don't collect fines
however students are expected to pay for lost materials. System works as
well as can be expected.
Marcia Lundin
Media Center Director
Cretin-Derham Hall High School
-------------------------
We are much smaller (740 students) but we deliver our notices to
the first block teachers and they pass them out. We have a place in our
system for location and we put the teacher's name there. When we print
the overdues, they are then alphabetical by teachers. We just cut them
apart, and paper clip each teacher's group together. We have a student
helper deliver them the last 10 minutes of class--if you have
announcements or Channel One that is a good time to deliver them, the
teacher's do not mind the interruption at that time.
-------------------------
We send out overdues once a month in our school of 1770 patrons. The
notices go to English teachers who distribute to each class. We make this
easy for them by using the English teacher's name and period number for tha=
t
student., i.e., fringer5, so notices are in order by period when we give
them to the English teachers. Yes, we kill a lot of trees because we keep
sending them as long as the book is overdue. We use Follett's circulation
program and the notices are 2 to a page. The overdue problem is a headache
for all libraries and ours get worse every year with about 20 students stil=
l
owing books from last year. We can't really catch up with them until
graduation when finally there is something the student and parents want,
i.e., the diploma.=20
Cheryl B. Adams=20
Patuxent High School Media
Lusby, MD 20657=20
-------------------------------------
We have a system of Class Library Monitors who collect an overdue list
from the Library once a week and remind their colleagues in their class.
I also e-mail the overdue list once a week to every pupil in the school
(we have one address which does this). I also intend to place the
Overdue List onto the Intranet. Pupils who have not returned their items
by the end of a term, have the item charged to their school account. If
the item is returned at this stage (which works very well) the pupil
gets a credit on their account.
Hope this is of some help.
Anneli Silvennoinen - Media Specialist
Head of the Resource Centre
St Mary's School for Girls
P O Box 981=20
Highlands North=20
Johannesburg 2037=20
South Africa.
-----------------------------
We send either overdues individual notices or an overdue list to homeroom
teachers once a month. Our circ. program keeps track of fines and
overdues, and if a student has either, he/she cannot check out a book
until the record is cleared (fine paid, book returned). Report cards are
withheld if the student has an overdue book; we do not withhold if there
is simply an unpaid fine.
Dr.Dana McDougald, Librarian
CSHS Library, A National Award-Winnning Library
Cedar Shoals H. S., A National Blue Ribbon School
1300 Cedar Shoals Dr.
Athens, Ga. 30605
----------------------------
I send overdue notices to their homerooms, we withhold grades at the end of
the trimester (some keep overdues just for this benefit!) and, sometimes, I
even call their houses - if they have lots of overdues. We also will not
forward transcripts until the books are returned or paid for.
Unfortunately, too many students and families simply do not care and I stil=
l
have a lot of overdues.
Christine Dowding=20
D.D. Eisenhower High
Yakima, WA=20
------------------------------------------------
Once per week (usually on Wednesdays) I send
out reminders about overdue books and fines to
the students via the homeroom teachers. I include
students whose books are due the day notices go
out, and the day after, with slightly different notes.
(I.e., "remember, the following material(s) are due
back in the library today (tomorrow) and should be
returned or renewed..."). If they don't return/renew
their books after that, well, they'll be in with the next
week's first overdue notices.
The second week a student gets the note, it's
basically identical to the first overdue, except
for large boldface letters saying "2nd Notice"
at the top.
The third week, it's the same notice, but it says
"3rd Notice: Next One Will Be Sent Home!" at
the top. That one usually gets fairly good
responses.
The fourth week, a letter goes home to the parents.
The seventh week, a bill goes home to the parents.
Any students who have overdues or fines over $0.50
can't take out more books until they take care of the
situation.
Kathryn Frech, Librarian
Seton Catholic Central H.S.
Binghamton, NY USA
----------------------
We run overdue notices every 3 weeks or so. If the
item was overdue at that time, a notice goes out. A
notice goes out to the person every time until they
return it. Then their report card is held at the end
of the year. I keep sending them because I don't want
them to say they didn't know. Of course, I am
automated. If I had to write them out, like in the
old days,I would send then only a few times and then
stop wasting my time until the end of the school year.
Sharon M.
-------------------------
A few years ago someone wrote into The Book Report with a terrific idea
which I tried and it's the greatest thing since sliced bread! All our book=
s
are due on Tuesdays....when you check them out, you'll have ten days to 2
weeks to have them. We have to do the override on the circulation system t=
o
actually enter the date, but the time it saves later is worth it. Since
they're due on Tuesdays, we give Wednesdays as a free day (it's amazing how
much stuff comes in 1 day late), run overdues on Wednesday afternoon, and
distribute them during homeroom on Thursdays. The teachers love us.....we
only interrupt once a week! We send written notices each week (driving the=
m
crazy) until it's taken care of. Then, when report cards come, we post a
report card hold list on the last day of the 6 weeks, and hold the report
cards the following week when they are issued. This has saved so much
time...we deal with overdues only once a week!
Carolyn Wandstrat
Splendora High School
Splendora, TX 77372
----------------------------
Hi
I am the teacher-librarian in a secondary (Gr8-12) school with 1100
students. I do not have any assistants, technicians, etc. I do get some
help from our noon hour supervisors with shelving books. We are a new
school (going into our fourth year) and our resources are severely
limited. (Lots of money spent on the building & very little for what
counts.)
I put the onus on the students to check if they have overdue books. I
post a list of names daily in several places in the school and the
library. Students are responsible for checking this list and returning
materials. I do charge fines of 10=A2 per day per item, and more for
reference materials. (I do chase reference materials down whenever time
permits.) I let the fines accumulate to $3.00 before I revoke library
borrowing privileges. This works reasonably well since I don't seem to
have more fines or books outstanding at the end of the year than my
colleagues here.
Hope this helps.
Brigitte
-------------------------
Anita, I'll tell you what we do but please forward any other ideas to
me--I'm always open to new ideas. Our high school has about 1800 students
(9-12). We try to send out overdues every 3 - 4 weeks through our A1
blocks. If a student doesn't return books, on the seconde notice we
highlight materials and then when we send the 3rd notice, we staple a red
strip of paper stating they will be assigned to lunch detention if the book
isn't returned by ________.Then we physically find the students in classes
and assign them lunch detention for the following day if we don't get the
book or money by the next morning. They sign a sheet of paper stating they
know they will attend detention etc. If they fail to go to lunch detention=
,
they get two more days and then they may have to attend Saturday school. I=
t
usually doesn't go that far. Last year we had a wonderful man doing lunch
detention and he was able to get all our materials back (if the student was
still enrolled) but this year a new person is doing it and we haven't been
that successful. I'd love to know what works for others. Thanks--Sally
Bratton--Norman High School--Norman, OK
-------------------------------
I'm in a high school with 2500 kids. About once a quarter--sometimes once =
a
month-- we print overdue notices. My aides separate them and stack them by
teacher name and put them in teacher mailboxes. The notices produce *some*
results. Our best results come from the cooperation of ASB and
administration. We catch most of them in the spring because students with
overdues (plus athletic fees, candy sales fees, etc) cannot buy Winter Danc=
e
tickets, Prom Tickets, pick up their yearbooks or graduate. We also try to
hold spring report cards which we've done once with success in our two
years, but the second time, someone at the disctrict mailed them before we
could pull the holds. The only ones we ultimately lose are kids who move
away without withdrawing and never graduate.
Kathy Bowman
Library Media Teacher
Poly High School
Riverside, California
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