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Friends, Present discussion of check-out policies reflects a significant diversity of perspectives. To a great extent this is good. We're all individuals with unique collections, clientele and communities to manage. At the same time, and as some have astutely noted, the learners are also all unique, with unique needs, circumstances, levels of responsibility, and simple ability to responsibly be accountable for their mistakes. Please, whether the parent was literally correct as to his child's legal "right," may we look behind the concern and realize the intent was to realize the invitation for his (and your and my?) unique child to reach for more because in her case she may have personally exhibited the NEED, the responsibility and the interest. In point of fact, a case can readily be made for overly broad, capricious, insensitive policies abusing and/or stymying the individual's interest or ability to move BEYOND someone else's standard, in a healthful, constructive way. What do we achieve by denying others' eagerness and enthusiasm for the sake of policy and sameness? I say we abuse the very mission of libraries, and schools. That having been said, it remains perfectly correct that we may not loan materials at an infinite rate, nor may we infinitely stretch the abilities of the most energetic and well-meaning of library professionals, as you simply do not have infinite energy or resources at hand (duh, huh?). Again, many on this list are reflecting the wisdom that policy is best written as SUGGESTED limits--with rationales for these limits clearly acknowledged, and with sensible exceptions also clearly encouraged, accommodated and embraced, where reasonable and positive in effect. How funny, though, that the original concern posed reflected the honest concern of a parent who noted that his child was being unhelpfully and unnecessarily stifled by what the parent saw to be a capricious numerical limit and school administration's knee jerk thought was to simply raise that still capricious limit, leaving the real possibility that several others might check out more than they could demonstrably show need or accountability for. Once again, sloppy thinking by those in positions of authority only nets sloppy results and the emergence of different problems rather than intelligently resolved ones. Enough of me. Checking out, now. JEK ***** With regard to the aggressive practice of treating all individuals as if the same, one sigh fits all. Habitually insisting others' stated NEEDS are false or selfish, or may be ignored, is negligent abuse of the highest order, when those others have placed themselves, or have been left in one's trust. Jeffrey E. Kirkpatrick Present Occupation: uncooperative doormat & Regional Installation Technician e-mail address: jeffkirk@concentric.net (previously jeffkirk@sni.net) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-= All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law. To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST 4) SET LM_NET MAIL * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv. For LM_NET Help see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/ Archives: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.html =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=