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r/Libraries•
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Thoughts on circulating damaged items?

Hey r/libraries, I'm in charge of a pretty small collection in a relatively small Library system. Weeding was never really done before I got here and I've spent the better part of a year trying to update and refresh the collection, feels like I'll never really get ahead of all of it sometimes.

Our spending per capita is the lowest in the system and as a result we rely pretty heavily on other Libraries in the system to satisfy our patrons requests. It feels like almost on a daily basis one Library in particular in the system will send us an item in pretty rough shape that I wouldn't think twice about deleting and/or replacing. It's never the only item in the system so I'm able to cancel the hold, send it back, and get another pretty reliably. I've maybe been less than tactful in some of my note writing about why their item is being sent back (something akin to begging them to stop sending us damaged items), which lead to their director confronting my director about it today at a meeting(!!!) saying their staff doesn't even want to send us items anymore period. They can't do that, but the threat was enough to land me in the Library dog house for the day.

For me, if I circulate a water damaged item to one of my patrons I could never reasonably expect that patron to respect a Library item (be it from my Library, or an interlibrary Loan) again. If I'm fine giving them garbage, why shouldn't it be fine for them to return garbage? It sounds extreme but to me it's not that unreasonable of a stance. What do you all out there in the Library world think?

Posted Apr 5, 2018, 6:40 PM UTC · edited

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wadledo•

I'm responsible for repairs in my library, and I have never even considered something that atrocious. If something is damaged, it goes to repairs, it doesn't go back out.

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Primary_SortOP•

That's really great to hear. I've worked really hard to get this collection in respectable shape and to receive ILL items that I don't even want to touch has been disheartening.

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Dr_Quartermas•

Circulating damaged items only encourages patrons to treat the collection in the worst possible way. You might consider a detachable sticker (so it can be removed before sending it back to the offending library) or bookmark to identify the damaged item as coming from another library and/or noting that libraries are operating with limited resources so please respect the material.

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bissybear•

Definitely agree, although I've never had something so badly damaged come in for a hold that I felt I needed to send back right away. For other libraries in our system we have a form that can be sent along with items when they are returned with damage that gives basic info (library to send to library it's coming from, description of damage, etc). We also have a separate small form that says "This item was received in transit with: [describe damage]" that we tape to the item near the barcode so it's easily seen. That one is particularly useful for when an item comes in for a hold and we still want the patron to get the book, but also know that it wasn't them who did the damage. Maybe that would be something to consider starting to use at least in your library, if not in the other libraries in the system?

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Meginsanity•

A library user should be able to expect to see items on the shelf in good condition. IMHO a library full of damaged items reflects badly on the library. Water damage especially.

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graveyardlibrarian•

Depends on the damage. Are we talking missing, ripped pages? Or normal wear and tear like dog-eared pages and wrinkled covers? I feel that sometimes my co-workers too easily discard "damaged" items because they don't look pristine. I feel that this is not a good use of our funds. Libraries are for sharing resources, we shouldn't the expectation that everything is going to be in perfect condition. For those who have respect for things, respect will be given, for those who don't...well, I'm sure we all have stories about the disrespectful treatment of library materials/staff/or patrons.

Furthermore, let's also consider the environmental impact of how many resources it takes to produce a print item and get it to the shelf. In addition, my system (public library) seems to have no problem circulating items in "good condition" but reeking like cigarette smoke. Why is this still acceptable?

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MiserableOwl•

I think it depends on the extent of the damage. Water damage, missing pages, binding weak and pretty much falling apart I wouldn't circulate. Not only is it a bad image for the library but it just shows other people to treat the books like crap. It also makes it harder when damages are added. You can't possibly make a patron pay for a damaged book that was already damaged when they got it.

But the book doesn't need to be pristine in my opinion. Sure maybe a little worn, rounded edges, folded pages.

I work in an academic library and especially with our ILL we are very strict. When it comes to sending books out or receiving books. We'll return a book and ask if there's something else if it's too damaged to avoid the risk of the damage getting even greater. We also don't want our ILL books being damaged so they get an intense inspection before getting shipped off and when being returned.

In terms of your director talking to you about you rejecting the books, I would explain that not only is it a matter of just the public library image you want to give when giving the books but it is also important when it comes to the handling of the book. I'd explain that if a book (for example) has a severe rip, you don't want to check it out to a patron who then might completely rip it and they are liable for that book. Some water damaged books could be a health risk. Not even kidding one time we received an ILL book that had mold on the last 10 pages. Sometimes if I know the ILL book is greatly needed by the patron, I do give them an option to refuse the book if it's in too bad a condition and then I send it back saying the patron refused it because of its condition.

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Karla77711•

I agree, a damaged item should not be circulated. This is a pet peeve for me. I am definitely more likely to discard an item more often than the people I work with. I hate giving a patron a damaged book and expecting them to be happy with it.

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Howie_Makem•

Hopefully your director backed you up in that meeting. Everyone else just seems to be going along with circulating that damaged crap. Good for you for making some noise about this.

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SessileRaptor•

We sometimes see items coming in to fill holds that I wouldn't consider to be in good enough condition to circ but unless it's really obviously wrecked I tend to put it down to staff being in a rush/being overworked and not really looking at the book beyond "this hold slip and this book match, in the box it goes."

With the exception of books from one library (the one I work at) anybody in the system is empowered to withdraw a damaged book and if it happens to be one of the last copies in the system shoot off a title needs request to acquisitions. The policy works to dampen the effects of one branch not being great about weeding because if they're sending ratty books out on holds they just don't get them back.

I will occasionally circ a damaged book if the patron is there and really needs the book now and there are no other copies on site, but that the exception. Recently I had a patron who had been waiting forever for a book for her book club and was running out of time. We couldn't locate the copy we allegedly had on the shelf but the catalog indicated that we had a copy on the damaged/review shelf so I went back to see what the condition was, thinking I could check it out to her and tell her to bring it back to me when she was done. I didn't find that copy but I found another (ratty but readable) copy on the Withdrawn truck. Gave it to her with instructions to put it in the nearest Little Free Library when she was done.

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