Show all answers
Hide all answers
-
Why have the loan periods been changed?
The loan periods have been changed because of the cuts to our budget. 10% of our materials budget (about $247,000) was cut from our 2010 budget. That means we can buy between 15,000 and 20,000 fewer items next year. In order to get materials into the hands of our users more quickly, we reduced most of the loan periods. However, if there are no holds on an item, it can be renewed up to 5 times, which is equal to the total amount of time an item could be kept before the change. The 3-day loan period for HOT movies can be found at many libraries. While we know this change will be an adjustment for both our users and staff, in revising the loan periods, we did attempt to make them simpler and more consistent.
-
If most loan periods have been reduced, why has the loan period for magazines been extended?
The loan period for magazines increased from one week to two weeks. There is less demand for back issues of magazines than for books or movies. Many magazines are available online so users don’t need to have a hard copy. This also gave all print materials a two week loan period.
-
Why are holds still kept for patrons for 7 days?
It is easier to return something to the Library than it is to borrow something from the Library. While our facilities are open 73 hours a week for users to come and pick up items, they must come to a specific building to pick up holds, within our hours of operation. Thanks to our drive-throughs, materials can be returned 24/7, to any building. Users already wait a long time for holds to be triggered; we didn’t want to increase the chances of that hold expiring before the patron had a chance to come in and pick it up. We do encourage patrons to pick up holds as soon as possible.
-
Why did we reduce the number of holds that can be placed to 100?
The Library Board specifically asked about reducing the number of holds that can be placed. Many libraries limit holds. In a review of patron records, there were less than a dozen users who had more than 100 holds. This change addresses the concerns of the Board and impacts just a few users. We know that many patrons use their Hold lists to keep track of titles they’re interested in borrowing. The addition of My List to users’ Millennium accounts allows them to track titles they want to check out more easily, without having large hold lists which they need to manage by freezing and unfreezing holds. Reference staff members will be happy to show patrons how to use My List.
-
Why did we eliminate the AV fee option for Reciprocal Borrowers (RBs)?
The AV fee option was mostly used by Naperville residents; relatively few RBs used this option. However, many RBs have expressed interest in checking out the occasional movie or audio book. RBs can now check out adult fiction movies and adult audio books for a fee per item at the checkout desk. RBs are still not able to place holds, so Naperville residents will continue to enjoy priority service for all materials.
-
Why have we raised the fine/fee limit?
In these difficult economic times we wanted to give users the opportunity to use the Library as much as possible. Fees and fines can easily reach the $10 limit, especially for those who are heavy movie users. Increasing the limit to $20 should give some leeway to our users.
-
Why do we require a guardian to have a Library card in order to get a card for a child?
Parents/guardians legally agree to be responsible for both materials and fines when they sign for the child’s card and ensuring that the guardian has a card provides a mechanism to accomplish this. This reinforces that financial responsibility by providing us the ability to transfer a child’s fines to the guardian’s card, if necessary. If the fines and fees on a child’s card exceed $20, we will have the ability to invalidate the guardian’s card, as well as the child’s card.
-
Why do we require a photo ID to get a Library card?
A photo ID is a standard form of identification and helps to insure that we are issuing cards appropriately. It is standard practice in most Illinois libraries to ask for a photo ID in order to get a library card. The photo ID can be used as one of the two forms of ID that we require to get a library card.
-
What is a short term library card?
A short term card is issued to those who reside in Naperville for a short period of time and is valid based on the length of their expected residence. This could be an option for North Central College students, family members visiting from out of the country for an extended time, etc.
-
Why has the maximum fine for an item been reduced?
Our goal is to get the materials back. If the maximum fine is the cost of the item (the old policy), there is no incentive to return it. Patrons have told us, “If I’ve got to pay for this, I may as well keep it.” If the maximum fine is less than the cost of the item, it’s more likely that the item will be returned. Therefore the maximum fine is now $20 or the cost of the item, whichever is less. Again, this is a fairly common practice at other libraries.
