The Observer, April 28, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 26
Changes planned at Kelvin Smith Library this summer
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The Kelvin Smith Library is planning to implement several new policies beginning this May. These policies, including library printing, an upcoming fine amnesty, and a new model for fine and materials collection, will be phased in over the next few months. The fine amnesty will begin on May 1, followed by the other policies begining on July 1.
A fine amnesty will begin on May 1, and last for the entire month of May. All overdue local and Ohiolink materials, regardless of fines owed and length held, will be accepted by staff members at KSL for return with all fines and fees assessed waived for material still in good condition.
"It's not about having fines paid as we move onto this new model of doing business, it's about checking out the material, free, renewing online, calling us if you have an extenuating circumstance, and bringing it back," said Karen Oye, librarian and head of customer service at KSL.
This policy only applies to libraries under the administration of KSL (specifically KSL, the Astronomy Library, and the Kulas Music Library, among others) and does not apply to the Law, Allen Memorial, MSASS, CIM, or the Health Sciences Libraries. There are no plans to run another amnesty in the future.
Beginning July 1, new policies for printing at the library and collection of delinquent materials and fines will become effective. Since January, the library has been transitioning to a fee-based model for printing.
Currently, all Case affiliated staff, faculty, and students receive free printing by swiping their ID cards at the library printers, while guests at the university pay five cents a page. Beginning July 1, everyone will be charged for printing. "It's basically five cents a sheet for whatever is on that sheet. Photocopying remains at 10 cents, and those are cost recovery costs, not profit costs," said Oye. Payment for pages under the new policy can be done either through coins or CaseCash.
There will also be changes in the way the library tries to recover long overdue materials. "Every semester, we produce from the system something called the statement of charges, and these are materials just from that semester alone that are seriously overdue and billed. It's between 60 and 80 thousand dollars a semester." said Oye. Effective on July 1, all seriously delinquent accounts will be referred to collections. Faculty and staff delinquent accounts will be referred automatically to an external collections agency already affiliated with the University, while overdue student accounts will be referred to the Bursar's Office.
More information about these changes can be found on KSL's webpage at http://library.cwru.edu.
