Re: lost library cards

[MS_HERBERT <herbert@GEORGIAN.EDU>]

Jackie,

I don't think you're being too cautious.  How would you feel if someone used
your lost card, checked out a load of titles, didn't return them, and you were
contacted continually with overdues?

We use SIRSI at our college.  (Since I'm not in the Circ. Dept, I'm not certain
of *how* the staff does these things, but this is the general procedure.)
We don't permit any checkouts without the card - including
faculty/administration.  Anyone who loses their card pays $ 5 and is issued a
new card with a new number (their "library ID" is the barcode on the card;
their alternate ID is their Social Security #).  The lost card number is marked
as "lost - invalid", but remains attached to the borrower's record.  If anyone
else tries to use that card, the system won't accept it and flashes a message
that this card was reported lost.  The user is then asked for ID - driver's
license or college ID card.  The "lost" card is confiscated by the library
staff (what they do with it, I'm not sure).  The librarian on duty then speaks
to the person who tried to use the card, and fills out a security incident
report.

Since we also charge borrowers for materials not returned (SIRSI will generate
invoices), if someone checked out materials for someone else or loaned their
card to someone (although we have "library cards are not transferable" in our
written policy), the person the card is registered to is responsible for paying
for the replacement titles.  It is up to the card owner to recoup any
losses/settle with the person who has the books.  We hold grades and
transcripts at the end of each session for borrowers who either have not
returned materials or who have fines in excess of $ XX.00 (I'm not sure of the
amount.)  This goes a long way to prevent someone from borrowing your card!

You may want to use the students' SSN as an alternate ID and have a barcode as
their main ID #.  I'm not familiar with Winnebago, so I don't know what it will
accept.   If all the schools in your district are on Winnebago, this might be
easier to do; just download any records for students leaving your school and
send the disk(s) to the librarian in the next school for her to load into her
records.

Hope this helps.

Barbara

Barbara Herbert   <herbert@georgian.edu>
Georgian Court College
Lakewood, NJ  08701-2697