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Key: IHLS Library
Sue Pearson: (7/20/2016 12:59) Good afternoon!
Lesley Zavediuk: (12:59) HI Everyone!
Amanda Endicott @ Edwardsville Public Library: (13:01) Hello!
Lesley Zavediuk: (13:01) For those of you who use the Cloud Library - I have some good news. Polaris and 3M have figured out what our issue was that was causing 3M an Polaris not to communicate. It's being fixed as we speak and once I can do some more testing this afternoon - I'll be sending out an all clear to all of you! :)
Amanda Endicott @ Edwardsville Public Library: (13:02) That's great news.
Lesley Zavediuk: (13:03) I'd also like to remind you all that our next SHARE Circulation Forum will be next Tuesday at the O'Fallon Public Library. You can register in L2 - we learn a lot and have a lot of fun at those meetings.
Angie--Breese: (13:06) Do you know the times of the Circulation Forum on Tuesday?
sharon heavilin 2: (13:06) Is it possible to get phone numbers listed on the overdue notices? Right now it is just the patron's address. Thanks
Lesley Zavediuk: (13:06) The Circ forum is from 1 - 3 pm.
Sue Pearson: (13:06) Let me check for you Sharon.
Andy Rowe: (13:06) I have a question ~ if a Belleville patron orders a book from Fairview, to be picked up at Millstadt, then returns it damaged to Millstadt, who is responsible for the damage? Is it the home library, which would be Belleville or Millstadt where the item was picked up?
Lesley Zavediuk: (13:08) Fines follow the patron - so I would say Andy that it's tbe Belleville patron that is responsible (or that library if the patron doesn't pay). Sue can correct me if I"m wrong...
Sue Pearson: (13:08) Sharon - I don't see that as an option. I would double check with Traci but she's at a meeting in Effingham today.
Sue Pearson: (13:09) Yes, if the item is damaged the patron is responsible - or the patron's library if the patron doesn't pay.
sharon heavilin 2: (13:09) ok Sue--that would be great
Darlene Barlow: (13:09) I would think that it would be the patron, yes I agree with Sue too.
Andy Rowe: (13:09) That's what I always thought, but someone here is saying it is the library who ordered it in. Thank you for info!
Julia Ellis, Six Mile RLD: (13:10) Will they be changing on the colors on Polaris ? It seems harder to tell what is grayed out and where my cursor is located.
Sue Pearson: (13:11) I haven't heard anything about color changes in Polaris.
Laura: (13:11) Can anyone tell me how to turn off the beep on the check in mode??
Lesley Zavediuk: (13:13) Hi Laura, This might work, I found it from an old chat. :) Traci thinks if you click "Circulation" and "Options" and select "Use Windows Sounds" then you could go to the control panel and sounds and set the sounds to no sound. It may be easier to just mute the computer.
Darlene Barlow: (13:13) What do I do about a couple of patrons that I have mailed out 2nd overdues and verbally talked with them about returning materials and they have still not returned them yet. We are talking April when they were due.
Laura: (13:14) Thanks Lesley! We will give it a try!
Sue Pearson: (13:14) I don't see a setting to actually turn this off. You do have a choice of windows sounds or a regular beep. I always have mine muted on my laptop.
Sue Pearson: (13:15) Keep running and posting your overdue and bill notices and they will eventually turn into a bill.
Sue Pearson: (13:16) I would think if they were due in April they would already be at a billed status.
Sue Pearson: (13:17) But you must run overdue and bill notices (and post them to the database) at least weekly.
Darlene Barlow: (13:20) Yes, I have done that and have mailed a bill but have received no response back, their phone number is not workine either. When they kids come in I run off another bill and hand it to them and still no response back.
Sue Pearson: (13:22) Sometimes the local police will get involved such as sending a letter stating that keeping library books is theft. The public library I worked at had a police letter we sent out. It doesn't say anybody will be arrested - just that it is considered theft. It did scare some patrons enough to return the items.
Laura: (13:22) Send them a certified letter
hopeweltylibrary: (13:26) We send a certifided letter to the parton with over due book after they have had 3 notices and 3 calls about the over due book. Then if we still have no response , I contact our local police and they will go to the house for us. That always gets the books back. I really scares them.
Mary @ Hayner: (13:29) They aren't still checking items out at your library are they?
hopeweltylibrary: (13:30) Yes some of them still come back and do better with returning books. and some never come back.
Darlene Barlow: (13:32) No they are not, they kids in this one family have been in a couple times this summer and I have printed a new bill and explained that no one else can read or watch the movie that they still have out. Even told them I would waive replacement cost if the materials were still in good shape yet. And the other family have let someone else have the movie and they say they should not be blamed but I reminded they that when you check out something in your name then you are the responsible party for that item, correct?
Sue Pearson: (13:33) Yes, if you check-out the item - you are responsible if it doesn't get returned.
Don Pippin, Philo: (13:33) Yes you are correct.
Darlene Barlow: (13:35) Thanks for the suggestion about the local police as I will discuss that with my Board.
Chris @ Caseyville: (13:36) Yes, it usually works. Anything over $50 is considered theft.
hopeweltylibrary: (13:37) I can send you a copy of the letter that we use. I got it from the Atwood library director
Darlene Barlow: (13:38) That would be Great! Thank You!
Laura: (13:39) We also include the copies of the attempts to contact the patron with the letter to the police
Kathy Goleman Divernon Township Library 2: (13:39) I would love to have a copy of the letter you send also if you could. email is dlibrary@comcast.net
Mary @ Hayner: (13:40) Is there a report that can be run that lists the outstanding fines that are owed to us by patrons? I just need a summary of the amount that is owed to us.
Tracy F.: (13:42) We also send the police and if they don't respond when the police visit them, we take them to court and the judge issues a court order odering them to pay for the lost items and the patron also has to pay court costs.(Trenton Public Library)
Sue Pearson: (13:42) There are several financial type reports that you can run. Utilities > Reports and Notices > Public Services > Patron Financial.
Sue Pearson: (13:43) If you don't find exactly what you're looking for - one could definitely be created in SimplyReports. This would report charges on your patron's account.
Amanda Endicott @ Edwardsville Public Library: (13:46) We're having some issues with patrons filling in the daily crosswords in our newspapers. Does anyone else have this problem? Can anyone suggest any creative solutions?
Chris @ Caseyville: (13:47) Maybe make copies of the crossword & clip it it the paper?
Amanda Endicott @ Edwardsville Public Library: (13:48) We have offered to make free copies of the puzzles if they want to do them. It is a little too time consuming for us to make copies of the puzzles from all of the papers every morning.
Darlene Barlow: (13:51) I have bought several puzzle books like word search, crossword, etc. at the dollar store and we occasionally put them at our checkout or even on the table by the newspaper for patrons to work or just take them home. I have a Harry Potter puzzle, coloring book that I want to use soon when we do Harry Potter stuff in November. We are planning a Harry Potter Week prior to the movie coming out!
Darlene Barlow: (13:53) Thanks for the Finacial Report steps that will be very helpful!
Amanda Endicott @ Edwardsville Public Library: (13:54) That's a great idea Darlene!
Sue Pearson: (13:58) We have a couple minutes left - any last questions/comments?
Darlene Barlow: (13:59) Got alot of GREAT STUFF INFO, Thanks!
Sue Pearson: (14:00) Thanks for attending today. I hope I'll see some of you at the Circulation Forum next week. Have a great day!
Kathy Goleman Divernon Township Library 2: (14:00) thanks
sharon heavilin 2: (14:00) thank you