We had a problem with the Jet magazine one time last year. A student
wanted some articles out of it and after finding the tattle tape tore
all the pages before and after the page with the strip on it. Well, I
instructed my assistants to put two tattle tape strips in the magazine,
one towards the front and one towards the back.

When I place the strips inside the magazines I place them as close as I
can to the center (inside spine), close the magazine and rub my fingers
down the length to make sure the pages stick real good so that when it
is opened again no one can tell that there is something there. I think
the student who tore the Jet magazine up was lucky in seeing where the
strip had been placed.

Try placing two tattle tape strips in the magazine and see if it helps.

Also, one thing we did when Princess Diana died and she was on all
covers of newspapers and magazines we kept them in the office until
things/emotions faded away and then they were put back on the shelf.

Hope this helps,
Jewel

Ms. A. Jewel Rucker
Library Associate /Periodicals Dept.
Chair, WVUIT Staff Council
Vining Library
WVU Institute of Technology
405 Fayette Pike
Montgomery WV 25136
304-442-3816

>>> Reference Desk <refdesk@LEBANONCOUNTYLIBRARIES.ORG> 01/23/04
11:04AM >>>
Hello,
I'm hoping someone can offer some advice on the issue of patrons
damaging library magazines. Our library subscribes mostly to popular
magazines, such as Newsweek, Time, People, etc., magazines that have
pictures that apparently are very tempting to tear or cut out. I've
dealt with minor cutting in magazines for a while, and either talk to
the patron, when possible, or simply charge them for the replacement of
the magazine. Today, however, I've just about reached the end of my
rope. I had an issue of People magazine returned with 5 or 6 pages torn,
and over 100 pages missing - the worst I've ever seen. (The worst part
is that I suspect it was done in the library, since it was returned and
brought to my attention by one of our best volunteers.)  I'm hoping
anyone who's dealt with this can offer advice on how they've handled
this, what's worked, and what hasn't worked. Here's what I've done so
far: spoken with the patron personally and told them that this is NOT
ok, charged their accounts when I can't get ahold of them (then dealt
with them yelling at me in the middle of the library when they find
out), begun checking every magazine individually when they come back in
(and checking high risk ones like People page by page) - which takes up
a lot of time, placed labels on high risk magazines telling patrons that
they will be charged if pages are torn out when they return them, and
hung signs in the magazine area stating the law about damaging library
property. Any other ideas? TIA for any advice!

~Michelle

Michelle A. Hawk
Head of Reference
Lebanon Community Library
125 North 7th Street
Lebanon, PA 17046
(717) 273-7624
Fax: (717) 273-2719