Circulation Services in a Small Academic Library (The Greenwood Library Management Collection)

222 Pages·1992·10.07 MB·English

by  Connie Battaile

CIRCULATION SERVICES
IN A SMALL ACADEMIC
LIBRARY
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Circulation Services
in a Small Academic
Library
Connie Battaile
THE GREENWOOD LIBRARY MANAGEMENT COLLECTION
GREENWOOD PRESS
Westport, Connecticut • London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Battaile, Connie.
Circulation services in a small academic library / Connie
Battaile.
p. cm.—(The Greenwood library management collection, ISSN
0894-2986)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-313-28126-2 (alk. paper)
1. Libraries, University and college—Circulation, loans.
2. Small libraries—Circulation, loans. I. Title. II. Series.
Z675.U5B333 1992
025.6—dc20 91-42733
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 1992 by Connie Battaile
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 91-42733
ISBN: 0-313-28126-2
ISSN: 0894-2986
First published in 1992
Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984).
P
In order to keep this title in print and available to the academic community, this edition
was produced using digital reprint technology in a relatively short print run. This would
not have been attainable using traditional methods. Although the cover has been changed
from its original appearance, the text remains the same and all materials and methods
used still conform to the highest book-making standards.
Contents
Preface vii
Introduction ix
PART I: THE CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT HEAD 1
1. Skills Needed 3
2. Getting Started 13
PART E: THE CIRCULATION PROCESS 19
3. Circulation Policies 21
4. Circulation Record-Keeping Systems 33
5. The Circulation Cycle 37
6. Automating Circulation 59
PART III: OTHER CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT
FUNCTIONS 69
7. Reserves 71
8. Circulating Noncirculating Books and Nonbook Materials 93
9. Additional Department Responsibilities 101
10. Special Projects 117
VI Contents
PART IV: THINGS 137
11. Books 139
12. Stacks 145
13. Department Arrangement 153
PART V: PEOPLE 159
14. Staff 161
15. Communications 191
Selected Bibliography 203
Index 207
Preface
Five years ago I was hired at a college library to be a half-time reference
librarian and half-time head of circulation. While I had significant refer
ence experience, I had only minimal experience with circulation. For that
half of the job I needed guidance, advice, and shoptalk about circulation
concerns, but found none. This seemed odd; don't most libraries have
circulation departments? Yet I could find neither organization nor library
school nor book to which to turn for assistance.
In the years since then I have learned much, some of it the hard way,
and much of it through the kindness of the circulation staff. We have
worked together to change every aspect of the circulation department
functioning, have gone through barcoding, and have brought up an
automated circulation system. We have visited other libraries to learn from
them and have gleaned ideas from others at meetings and conferences.
This book is a result of those learnings. It is written in the hope that it
may help another neophyte circulation librarian understand the underlying
concerns of circulation functions, and to provide some specific examples
of how those functions can be handled. It is not written to tell the way to
run a circulation department. Rather it is an illustration of possibilities.
My hope is that as other circulation librarians read this and find that they
have devised other and better solutions, they will be encouraged to share
their methods. We have much to learn from each other as we deal with the
complex—and often unseen—functions of circulation. I also hope that as
others read the book and have suggestions or note frustrating gaps, they
will drop me a note. While I do not anticipate preparing a new edition, I
viii Preface
would be glad to pass such suggestions on to other authors who are moved
to write about circulation.
To the circulation staff members through these years I am especially
indebted. Those who think of libraries as static places can't appreciate the
amount of change we have gone through. We also share the satisfaction
of a job well done and the pleasure of each other's company. To all of
them, Judy DeMuro, John Brennan, Marty Glenar, Marge Soderberg,
Betsey Rider, Polly Hedblom, Susan Naef, Ann Ackerson, and Sandra
Pohlman, a special thanks.
Thanks, too, to Joseph Chmurra for his earlier work in the department,
Melissa McAfee for consciousness-raising on preservation concerns,
Merle Von Wettberg for consciousness-raising on emergency plans, and
Judy Green for the idea of evacuation slips.
Several people have been of special help in the actual production of the
book. Judy DeMuro, circulation department coordinator, is one of those
rare persons who can do a dozen things at once, do them all well, and
remain calm and unruffled through it all. Her practical input as we worked
to improve the circulation processes has always been a boon. In addition,
she has read the entire manuscript and made welcome comments and
suggestions.
Sheryl Hood has been not only a patient friend and a wonderful canoeing
buddy, but is an excellent informal editor. I am greatly indebted to her for
advice on all aspects of the book and for her rescue mission as the deadline
neared. Mary Sellen's careful and detailed review resulted in significant
improvements of the manuscript. Margaret Hopkins has encouraged and
assisted in a number of ways; I count myself fortunate to have her as both
mother and friend. And finally, Julian Battaile not only gave specific
advice but has been a constant support throughout the years.
To all of these, I extend my deep appreciation.
Introduction
Circulation is defined by Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary as
"orderly movement through a circuit." In a library, circulation, the orderly
movement through a circuit, applies to the process of lending books to
borrowers and then accurately reshelving them after they have been
returned so that they will be retrievable by the next user.
This basic cycle has attached to it many elaborations such as the
record-keeping process and subcycles such as those for overdues and
holds. These subcycles vary from library to library, but the basic cycle
remains the same in every library that allows patrons to remove books.
THE CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT
The circulation department in a library is the department assigned the
responsibility for keeping that "orderly movement through a circuit"
orderly, flowing, and complete. The department's basic function is to
facilitate and monitor the circulation of books from the regular collection.
In addition, the department is usually responsible for circulating some
books from other collections and for circulating nonbook materials. The
reserve book operation, in which books are circulated from a closed
collection for limited time periods, is also often assigned to the circulation
department.
The circulation department is frequently given other duties in addition
to those related to the circulation of books. Because it is the main public
contact point in the library and because it is usually staffed during the