Hit : Lost Items Prices

[earl sande <sandes@AFSAT.COM>]

Thanks to the many who responded to my request on locating prices.  Here's
the responses I received :

have you tried the Library of Congress? I think the MARC records
indicate a price. The website is temporarily down but the URL is
http://lcweb.loc.gov/catalog/
I also use http://www.amazon.com a great deal. And some of the out of
print resources, like Bookfinder at http://www.bookfinder.com/
and Bibliofind at http://www.bibliofind.com/
Judy Stanton

I look at the price a little differently.  I charge the replacement
cost.  I tell students that I can't replace the book for the price when I
placed the item in the collection so I have to charge them what it cost to
purchase the item at today's price.  So far, they don't seem to feel that it
is unfair.  If a student is in financial trouble and really can't pay for a
lost item, I offer a work off your debt program where they give up any extra
time to help me clean or straighten or run errands.  We agree to a fixed
amount of time for a set amount due.  I know this isn't what you were looking
for...just my two cents.
Leslie Lomers

In our district, we charge the replacement price for lost books -- makes
sense, as often the original price wouldn't come close to today's cost.
When I can't quickly find the price in a jobber's catalog, I head for
amazon.com.  If the book is out of print, I charge a generic price ($15 for
picture book, $12 for fiction, etc.).  It works.  What more can I say?
Gail Faughn, Media Specialist

 I try to use www.amazon.com or look up the item in another library's
online catalog.
Suzanne Weinheimer, Librarian

When standby's like amazon.com and bookfinder.com don't help, you fall
back on "average price of a book of that type".  School Library Journal
and American Libraries (I think?) both publish average price of a book.  I
think AL is the one that includes average price of "foreign" books.  I
copy the SLJ chart every year for our circulation notebook; let me know if
you need prices.
Ginger Williams, Library Media Specialist

Have you tried www.bookfinder.com?  They search several new and used
bookstores online.  I've had quite a bit of success with finding out of
print materials that way.
Julie Anderson, Librarian

I use www.amazon.com as a guide.  If the book is out of print and hard to
find, I just the basic value of my library.  A few years ago, when I knew I
had a lot of old things I had one price, but now that I have overhauled the
collection, I would say about $10/
Carol Ann K. Winkler

  Try LC's website.  I use it occasionally for cataloging info and it might
have it.  Otherwise, try the print Books Out of Print.
Joanne Proctor

We don't worry about the original price - we charge a set fee for lost
children's paperbacks ($10), another for lost children's hardcover
books($30) and another for lost adult books  or av ($40). A patron has the
option of replacing the item (plus a $5 processing fee.)
We chose this method because some items are irreplaceable, so what does it
matter what it originally cost? (It's like homeowners insurance -
replacement cost, not original cost is what matters!)
Linda Greengrass

If we can't find the price, we look at the copyright date and guess how much
it would cost.  If I can't remember what it looked like (size, if it had lots
of color photos), I ask the kid what it looked like and they are honest.
Based on age and description I just guess at a price-- most books over 10
years old I charge $5, if it is newer or fancier, I charge $10.
Sharon

Earl, If I have the title and author and sometimes the ISBN if there is
more than one edition, I often find a working price on the library of
congress web site.  Working price means that it is someone elses' decision
I can live with, to differentiate from something I guesstimated.
Georgia Richards

try amazon.com
Ellen Taylor, Librarian
Earl Sande
Secondary School Librarian
International School of Tanganyika
Post Office Box 2651
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
(e-mail :  sandes@afsat.com)

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