Procedure Manual

Circulation Related Procedures

Cards 101

Application Card Updates/Changes

• If a patron already has a card and wishes to do one of the following he/she needs only fill out the signature and date section of a new application card:
• Add a proxy
• Add internet access to a juvenile card
• Get a replacement card due to a damaged card or a card that will not scan

(Staff are to fill out the No. section, print the patron’s name on top left of application card, and write the current expiration date on the new application card.)

• If a patron already has a card, the following is a list for which the patron needs to fill out a whole new application card:
  • Lost card
  • Expired Card
  • Address/Phone Number Change
  • Name Change
  • Patron Type Change

• The following are the only statements that staff may write on the top front of the application card:
  • 1st, 2nd, 3rd
  • Replacement
  • Proxy Only
  • Internet Only
  • Update Expired
  • Address Change
  • Name Change
  • Patron Type Change (J to A, A to O)
  • Damaged Card

Fines ........103

Amounts/Limits .103.1

• Agency -$10.00 (Can only be waived by the Director)
• Book Drop - $1.00
• Copies - $0.10 a page
• Damaged - $3.00 or Price of the item (see 106.5)
• Disks - $1.00 for Floppy Disk, $15.00 for Zip Disk
• Fax - PER PAGE $2.00 to send, $1.00 to receive, $6.00 to send outside the U.S.
• ILL - $5.00 for non-pickup, $1.00 a day overdue, $50.00 plus price of item for lost, $3.00 for missing white band and bar code (see section 105.1 subsection I)
• Lost - Price of the item
• Overdue - $0.10 a day, $1.00 day for Videos/DVDs
• Replacement Card - $1.00 for First Replacement, $5.00 thereafter
• The maximum fine balance for an adult card is $5.00.
• The maximum fine balance for a juvenile card is $3.00.

Accidental Waive/Tender ....103.2

If a fine is accidentally waived/tendered, the employee needs to initial the receipt and have their supervisor or the lead person initial it. A note should be left in the moneybag or cash drawer explaining that the deposit will be short and by what amount. Do not re-enter the fine.

Fine Code Explanations .......103.3

• A - Agency - For Collection Agency charges
• BD - Book Drop - For videos being placed in the book drop
• CP - Copies - For payment of printouts
• D - Damaged - For damaged item charges
• DISK - Disks - For floppy or zip disk purchase
• FX - Fax - Fax charges
• ILL - Interlibrary Loan - Charges related to ILL items
• L - Lost - If an item is lost and charged to a patron’s account
• LH - Local History - Fees for research, etc. in the Local History Department
• M - Misc. - For discarded items, bad check charges, plastic book bags
• OV - Overdue - For item overdue charges
• RC - Replacement Card - For replacement card charges

Paying with a Check ............103.4

• Checks must be made out to Portsmouth Public Library
• The staff member who accepts the check must put their initials and branch initials on the upper left hand corner of the front of the check.
• Staff members who accept checks must endorse the check by stamping it with the Portsmouth Public Library stamp.
• The check should then be placed in the money bag/cash drawer.

Tendering ...........103.5

• Always offer the patron a receipt upon completion of a transaction.
• If a patron wishes to pay a fine click on the “charges” tab of the patron record.
• If the patron wishes to pay for the whole account balance, be certain that the exact amount being tendered is visible in the “amount to tender” box, and then click on the “balloon pay/waive” button.
• If the patron wishes to only pay for some of their charges, click an item the patron wishes to pay on in the “All charges for current patron” box when that item is highlighted, enter the amount he/she wishes to pay (if it is not the full amount) in the “Tender” box on the right side of the charges tab, then click the “individual pay/waive.” Repeat this for each item the patron wishes to pay for.
• If a patron wants to pay for a certain amount but not the whole amount or on any specific item, then enter the amount to be paid in the “amount to tender” box, and click the “balloon pay/waive” button.

Waiving ..............103.6

• Only a supervisor or staff member with an override password may waive fines.
• Reasons for waiving, a fine include: Items found on the shelf, accidental charge, items checked out on a card that is almost expired, benefit of the doubt.
• Remember reasons for waiving a fine are at the discretio n of your direct supervisor.
• When waiving an account balance click on the charges tab of the patron’s record.
• If you wish to waive the whole account balance, then click in the “amount to waive” box in the “patron’s total balance” section (make sure the “amount to tender” box contains 0.00) enter the total to be waived. Then click the “balloon pay/waive” button. Put the receipt in the money drawer/bag. (The receipt needs to be paper-clipped to the fines report and sent to the Deputy Clerk Treasurer.)

Holds .......104

Calling Patrons....104.1

Patrons must have a card in order to place a item on hold · Holds will be held for 3 days after contacting the patron · The item can only be picked up by the patron who has the item on hold or the patron’s designated proxy · When calling a hold, NEVER identify the title of the item to anyone except the patron whose name is on the hold slip Steps for contacting the patron · Phone the patron using the number listed on the hold slip. · Always begin the call stating, “This is the Portsmouth Public Library may I please speak to…” Identifying the library lets patrons know you are not a telemarketer. · Staff may speak directly with the patron, leave a message on an answering machine, or leave a message with a person at the household. · If staff receives no answer or a busy signal they may try again. Staff will attempt to contact the patron 3 times before cancelling the hold. Last printed 03/03/2005 2:39 PM 10 · After each call is placed the information should be recorded on the CALL SLIP that is stapled to the hold slip. · After the patron is contacted, the patron’s last name and first initial are written on post-it tape along with the date the hold expires (3 days from the date the patron was notified) and taped to the spine of the item. The item is then filed on the holds shelf in alphabetical order by the patron’s last name. · If a patron fails to pick up the item by the expiration date, the hold will be cancelled. The patron has until closing on the date of expiration to get the item. For example, if the hold expires on 09/08/06 staff will not cancel the hold until the opening of the library on 09/09/06.

A. Date call was placed B. Time call was placed C. Check LM if a message was left with a person (not patron on slip) D. Check AM if a messages was left on an answering machine E. Check NA if there was no answer or a busy signal F. Check CON if staff spoke directly to the patron on the hold slip G. Staff initials