LIS to Implement New Penalty Points System

On Nov 5. Library Information Services (LIS) circulation will implement an overdue penalty points system in order to make sure that all reserves, equipment, and interlibrary loans are more available to students and staff.

Dan Frostman, circulation services manager, explained that college sought to implement the new program in response to an abundance of overdue items.

“We have noticed that more and more students are coming to the desk and asking for reserve materials that someone else has out that were due back hours ago,” he said. “We want to change that pattern.”

With the new system, patrons with overdue items will accrue penalty points for every hour (or day) that their books are kept out of the library.

For every three penalty points accumulated, borrowers will become unable to checkout library materials for one day.

Frostman hopes the new system will encourage patrons to return items on time without having to resort to overdue fines.

Previously, the consequences had been few for those who kept items past their due date. Though patrons received a message stating that, “you are being billed for this item,” actual billing would not take place for a month—giving the borrower a significant grace period.

According to some students, this tactic was not forceful enough.

“A strongly-worded warning email doesn’t really affect anybody,” said Brita Fischer ’15. “I think [the Penalty System] sounds like a good idea.”

Other students seem to support the initiative, but wonder about the potential for being turned away from the library at a time of need.

“I think it’s a good idea that they are doing something to incentivize people to return things,” said Kevin Tenenbaum ’15, “but I don’t think it’s ok for them to take away someone’s right to check out things.”

“What if someone really needs something for a class?”

Circulation staff hope to prevent this problem from becoming an issue by informing students with details ahead of time using posters, a go/penalty points page and a blog post.