FutureLibrary

If I ever hear another stamp again…. July 14, 2009

As I laborously stamp each item at the circulation desk with it’s due date, I think, “why the hell am I doing this?” The main reason given is for weeding purposes. A stamped item displays a record of how popular or otherwise it is. A visual tool for diching or retaining a resource.

To my knowledge, most libraries have got rid of this practice, instead opting for a receipt print out on request. Surely, customers need to take more responsibility in regards to when their items are due back. They don’t need to be spoon fed to the point of questionable customer service. Apart from the receipt print out of their items, they are able to check their due dates online, can enquire over the phone, and some libraries have initiated schemes such as SMS, email and phone reminders of overdue items. Anyway, most of the time their is no ink in these darn things and people couldn’t be bothered and stamp about 17 dates in the one spot or on the book. It’s a matter of routine taking precedence over logic.

Remaining is the question over weeding. I say that the positives far outweigh the negatives in the removal of stamping. If a library forgoes it in favour of knowing when to withdraw a Barbara Cartland novel, God save us all.