Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Is Checking Out Too Big a Price to Pay?

I did some weeding in my library today.  I placed books of interest to adults in the faculty room and books of interest to teens in the library entrance.  I sent an email to staff telling them where to find the books.

I was really surprised by the response.

Teachers immediately started looking at the cart before I had finished rolling it into the faculty room.  Teachers also came out of their way to visit the library in order to view the books I had put aside for teens.

Why?




The books in my library have always been and always will be free.  These same books have been sitting in my library for years yet the teachers rarely come and check out books.  What was the difference?  Was it because I gave them a smaller selection?  Because they didn't have to wait long enough for me to use my barcode scanner?  Because they only want books they don't have to worry about returning?

Maybe it's the proximity to the front door so they don't have to walk all the way to the stacks or that books are right next to where they lunch?  Who knows, maybe they are just going to use them for altered book art.

Either way, the experience definitely warrants investigation.  Perhaps this will inspire me to always have a cart of books for adults in the faculty room.  Any other ideas?  Let me know!

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