HIT: Penalty or punishment for "Abandoned" Books - part 1

["Joanne E. Ladewig" <shatz@LIGHTSIDE.COM>]

Netters:

This target generated quite a few responses, and a lot of good ideas or
contrasting view points. Thanks to all who wrote! This is part 1. Part 2
follows and completes the responses, and part 3 is what I decided to do as
my policy.  For those of you who are interested, here are the responses:

1. Given the background of the situation, perhaps a book report on the cost
of replacing a library book would be appropriate?  Or maybe in some
circumstances, an apology written to the book itself!  "Dear Title of Book,
etc."to be given to you and the classroom teacher. 2nd offenses and higher
might be a chat with the principal of the school, and perhaps a
"remembering" plan set in place, by where classroom peers help the offender
to remember about his/her book?

2. The only similar thing I can relate is that occasionally a student will
return one of our library books to the public library.  Usually the library
will end up mailing it to us.  Then I'll assess a couple dollars for damage
(if it's damaged), in addition to the fine they've racked up in the
meantime.  I'll also make a note on their account that they did that, in
case it happens again.

3. Why not stay with the rewards for the finders, but put a little anxiety
into those who forget. If you have a way to track the 'forgetters', maybe
you could generate a reminder of the rules for the 2nd+ infractions. After
all, students do forget, and once can be forgiven.  If a student 'forgets'
habitually, then maybe a short
suspension of borrowing privileges could be used.

And rewarding the finders who turn in books will mean that 'forgotten' books
won't be left in a damaging place. You don't have to make a big deal of
it,"but"word will get around.

(Note: There is cn knteresting contrasting viewpoint to this letter - see
#10 below)

4.. . . If the book is returned in good condition by *anyone*, I'm thankful
and figure that the person checking it out has (maybe) suffered enough
thinking they were going to have to pay for it.  Sometimes they show up and
sometimes they must be paid for. Books left in the rain, stained by KoolAid,
chewed by dogs all must be paid for.

I guess for me, I don't need any more issues to be a nag over :/  The same
people that can't hold on to their library books are the ones who can't hold
on to their homework or textbooks or winter coats.  Will my nagging them
change their behavior?  I doubt it. All I can (or maybe it's all I *want*)
to do is gently keep trying to educate them on their responsibility.

5.  I've kept my policy very simple.  If I get the book back undamaged and
on time, there is no penalty.  If it's undamaged and *late* I charge a late
fine ($.10 a day--and I allow them to work off late fines in the library if
they choose).  If it's damaged or never returned I charge them for the book
(and it must be $).

6.  I felt heartsick as I read your request.  But I promise to keep my
signature in mind.*  While acknowledging, as a given, our need to be
responsible for items in our charge, I nevertheless cannot, in good
conscience, agree to mete out punishment to others for making careless
mistakes.  Hold them accountable for lost or damaged items, for which they
had agreed to accept responsibility, yes, but punish them?  To what useful
purpose or end?  I see nothing but betrayal and resultant ill-will as a
result of such choices; not to mention the absence of an opportunity to
LEARN personal responsibility, without the crutch of having to be coerced
into it.  Just as when we sometimes forget our mission, but may be trusted
to recall and return to it, should we not trust to encourage others to go
back and recover what they have mislaid?  Can we please reconsider, and go
back for what WE forgot?
         * Life lesson: when someone shares something with you, it is likely
they are not inviting you to beat them up for having shared it.

(note from Joanne:) After reading this response, I was a bit taken aback. I
certainly never meant to be tyranical or abusive in my approach with the
students. It was originally students I asked for their input who used the
term "punishment" (they suggested eliminating all checkouts for the rest of
the year for those students- I thought that was too severe) - but I added
"penalty" to my subject line as a sort of softer approach - feeling that
there should be some sort of response on my part to help reinforce the
responsibilty part. I should also mention that we have many students here
who ARE NOT responsible and neither are their parents. We, as a staff, are
diligently trying to break the chain of irresponsibility in this community
of low income, welfare, gang, and prison "family lifestyles."  On the
reverse side of the coin, our school and staff are very positive on
incentives, encouragement and self-esteem based on REAL accomplishments, not
"fluffy" nebulous verbal "strokes."  We have lots of activities and
opportunites for POSITIVE involvement.

7. We have a demerit system in place for discipline at our school. Every
student begins each term with an A; citizenship failures may reduce that A.
The grade, by the way, is averaged in to the GPA, so can really help a kid.
Those guilty of abandoning books are issued demerits.  Number depends on
condition of the book when returned.  I also notify the appropriate dean,
who calls the student in for a little chat about responsibility, etc.  It
works for us.

8. Students who lose books in building, at bus stops, on the playground,
etc. are restricted to one book at a time for a school quarter (9
weeks).Those students for the most part are ones who have frequent overdues,
so I don't feel guilty restricting their borrowing privileges.

9. How about requiring some sort of service in return?  Perhaps they
couldhelp clean, pick up trash or do some less than fun task that doesn't
require much attention to detail.  I think I'd remind them that if the books
had been left in the rain they would have had to be cleaned , others had to
pick up after them or  work in return (like the kind of work their parent's
would do to pay for a book) seems like a fair trade.

10. By rewarding students for returning the abandoned books, you are inviting
theft.  A student might take another student's book in order to get the
reward, and claim that the book was abandoned.  Why punish a student for
abandoning a book?  We all forget things!
*****************************************************
(responses continued in Part 2)

Joanne Ladewig
Information Center Director
Fairgrove Academy
(a K-8 public school focusing on the Visual and Performing Arts, and Technology)
La Puente, CA
jladewig@ns700-1.enet.hlpusd.k12.ca.us     (all lower case)
home email: shatz@lightside.com

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