-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Routed journals not returned -- Jody Newton
   Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2001 08:49:08 -0600
   From: Karen Chobot <karen_chobot@NDSCS.NODAK.EDU>

Hi - I have 2 suggestions based on previous experiences routing
magazines.  The first is a bit labor intensive.  We used to route
magazines at the hospital, but people were not expected to send to the
next person.  They were expected to send them to back to us and I had a
student assistant keep track of where each magazine was, when it was
returned, and who it went out to for the second trip.  Mostly we
followed the rest of the procedures you mentioned.  We did this with
cards and a large ledger book, but you could now barcode them and have
them actually checked out, as well as keeping track of where each issue
had been.  Therefore, it would not matter about the binder since you
would always know if an issue was returned or not and who had it last.
People tend to be awful about routing magazines correctly, and you can't
tell who is the one keeping things if you just use routing slips.

The second idea is to write the title in indelible marker in the spine
of the folder.  We do that here at the college and also have the title
on the front of the binder using one of those machines which prints out
the name on an adhesive strip.  My solution has always been, if we find
an empty binder, then I stop sending out that title for a full year.  We
keep current issues on a display rack in the reference area in the
binders, and people will just have to come in and read it here if that
title becomes a problem.  If people start stealing from the display rack
- and it happens - they go off display for a year as well, and people
have to check with circulation for the newest issue.  I am a little less
fussy with popular stuff than I am with the peer-reviewed materials we
want for back files, but it depends.  I don't think there are any
folders that are completely theft proof, so you kind of have to have
backup plans for when it happens.

Hope these ideas are useful for you.  Karen.

At 08:36 AM 1/3/01 -0500, you wrote:

> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Routed journals not returned
> Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2001 11:12:36 -0500
> From: "Newton, Jody" <Jody.Newton@fema.gov>
>
>
> I have a problem I hope someone has some suggestions for.  I'm sure it
>
> is a
> common problem.
>
> We are a small federal library that deals mainly with
> fire/disaster/emergency related titles.  We route quite a few journals
>
> around campus in red binders (the kind that open and close with the
> help
> of
> allen wrenches).  Recently, several binders came back empty and
> without
> a
> routeslip.  I have no idea who had them, how long they were MIA, or
> what
> titles they were.
>
> My supervisor has asked me to come up with some suggestions.  I am
> going
> to
> look through our supply catalogs to see what they have, but I wanted
> to
> ask
> around for some suggestions here, too.  Our policy so far is this:  I
> route
> things around for up to one month.  After that, you can expect an
> email
> from
> me reminding you to return it if you have it.  I am lenient for the
> routeslips that are very long.  After that, if it is not returned (and
>
> it is
> not a multiple-copy subscription) I will not route any future issues
> of
> that
> title until the one in question is returned.  This very rarely
> happens.
> But
> when I don't know what the journal even is, I can't do anything, can
> I?
>
> What do other libraries do about this problem, and what types of
> binders
> (if
> any) do you use?
>
> Thank you!
>
> Jody Newton
> National Emergeny Training Center Library
> FEMA
> Emmitsburg, MD  21727
>
> jody.newton@fema.gov
> (301) 447-1354

Karen M. Chobot MLSMildred Johnson LibraryNDSCS800 N. 6th St.Wahpeton ND
58076701-671-2385Karen_Chobot@ndscs.nodak.edu