How do you do manual ckeck outs?

[Megan McGuire <MCGUIRE@MACC.WISC.EDU>]

This might seem like a dumb question, but I just graduated and I haven't even
used a manual system since eight grade.  Now I've got a job where there is no
automation and I'm not even sure I can do the things I want to.  I understand
the that most people have kids put down their names and room numbers, stamp
the cards, and file them by date due.  I plan to use flexible scheduling and
therefore expect kids to be exchanging books everyday - the problem is I don't
want them to walk off with the whole library.  The woman I student taught with
only lets kids have two books out at a time, with exceptions made if the child
has a paper or project, but she has an electronic checkout system which tells
her how many books a child has out.  How can you tell how many books a child has
out using a manual system?  A non-librarian friend suggested I make up ID cards
for each kid and paper clip their book cards to their ID card, but that messes
up overdues.  I'd have to go through every card to figure out who had overdues.
This is my first really important question I've posed to LM_NET.  The response
I've gotten to questions in the past makes me very hopeful that someone out
there has a solution.

Thanks in advance!
Megan (mcguire@macc.wisc.edu)