Librarian Ire

Lost and missing fiche

This comes under the heading of WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!?
We just had a call from a recent graduate. She returned a fiche to either Library S or Library C. We never checked it in, because apparently she uses the fiche as bookmarks.
So now she wants to know why it's still on her account. This was an issue before graduation since she kicked up a fuss about it. Everyone was required to look out for it. And I mean everyone. In all the circulation desks on campus.
My boss called up every other circulation desk on campus as well as yelled and screamed at her usual monthly circulation meeting about putting our fiche in fiche envelopes so they DON'T get lost. No one found it.
I bet this kid's parents want to know why they have this library fine bill so they made her call us up. So we go throught our usual routine. I check her account and tell her what's still out. "I know that is still on my account, but I returned it!"
"Well, we double discharge everything so if it still here then we didn't get it."
"Oh I did return it. I returned it in a book. You must have gotten it by now."
" What book was it in?"
"I don't know but it's one in your system."
Oh goodie. My institution has 11 million items in "the system". I need a little something more. Which I tell her.
"So can't you look up what book I had out?"
"No, we don't have that information."
She was stunned that we don't keep such valuable information for posterity. So I have to explain to her about the U.S. Patriot Act(stupid legislation) and how we decided that it was too much of a risk and it violates university policy.
She wasn't impressed. In fact she claimed to know all that already. But if you know we didn't have that information why'd you ASK?
She told me she'd have to try to remember what she had checked out. Good luck honey!
She is going to call us back sometime. I am not holding my breath.

posted by Nike at 10:26 AM