As usual, I've been trying to get overdue materials back to the library -- and in fact I've been intensifying my efforts a bit as the school year is drawing to a close. This is a tricky business because we don't assess late fees, so our patrons have no financial incentive to return items promptly. Ultimately, if you have an overdue item, your only motivation to return it is to get Mr. Reed off your back!
We start by sending weekly automated e-mails to all students with overdue books. If those don't work, their library accounts are frozen after four weeks. Then I start getting personally involved, visiting classrooms and, finally, writing to parents and student advisors.
I scored a minor victory yesterday when I sent an e-mail to the parents of a girl who's had a book out since December. Her mother posted my note, word for word, to the girl's Facebook wall! My hero! The girl commented, "Really, mother? On my timeline? For everyone to see?"
I know this only because another teacher sent me a screen cap of the post. Brilliant.
We'll see if it's effective.
My primary offender at this point is another girl -- a senior, no less -- who's had a book since last October. This has basically become a battle of wills between the two of us, I think. But I am persistent. I am like Olga with her Kong. I am going to gnaw and gnaw and gnaw.
In other news, I was interviewed yesterday by a writer for the RPS Journal, the magazine for the Royal Photographic Society. Apparently they're doing an article about Bleeding London. They asked me to send six of my favorite BL photos for possible publication. Likewise, all participants have been asked to send three favorites to the judges for inclusion in the exhibit, and I still have to choose those. It's exciting to finally be rolling out our work, after all those months of shooting -- but I have about 60 favorite pictures, and choosing my top three will be a challenge!
(Photo: It's wisteria season, as illustrated by this shapely specimen in St. John's Wood.)
So Facebook does have its uses after all....
ReplyDeleteMs Soup
Where's the bulldog
ReplyDeleteclever mother. i was terrible about returning books to the library when the kids were still living here. don't know why it was so difficult to remember and take them back. possibly because they got lost. I am a good library patron now though.
ReplyDeleteLook at that beautiful wisteria!
ReplyDeleteMr. Reed, the Bulldog librarian!
Storm of Swords is overdue right now at my library. Sorry, folks. I waited over a year to get these 39 discs and I am listening to every one of them! I think I'm on 31 and am already mourning the end of it.
I will gladly pay my fee.
I'm glad you are getting some recognition for all that work you did for Bleeding London. When the article gets published you will have to point us to it.
ReplyDeleteLove the Facebook action taken by that student's mother. I hope it works!
I love how persistent you are! I was always very particular about returning books on time. One time I wasn't finished with an audio book & I was lamenting to Mike about it - I'll have to wait forever to check it out again! He told me they weren't going to arrest me if I kept it an extra week. And you know, he was right! Only cost me a dime :)
ReplyDeleteThis made me chuckle.
ReplyDelete