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Library will reissue all new cards
As part of the automation project that will close the Mountain Home Public Library from April 2 to May 12, all library patrons will be issued new library cards when the library reopens.
The new cards, as explained in last week's issue, will give local library patrons access to 11 regional libraries with a total of more than 1.5 million books. The cards can be used to check out books at any of those libraries, which beside Mountain Home include the Ada Community, Boise Public, Caldwell Public, Nampa Public, Meridian District, Hailey Public, Twin Falls Public, Eagle Public, and Garden City Public libraries. In addition, the ID number of the cards, with a password obtained from the library, will provide free access to a huge number of websites that can be accessed from any computer.
The extra services available are a result of the library joining the Lynx Consortium of regional libraries, which required the automation project to put the Mountain Home Public Library's book collection on-line. The old wooden card catalogues will no longer be used, and probably will be sold at a silent auction during this library's annual used book sale later this year. "We've had a lot of people ask about them," Librarian Luise House said, noting a vast majority of the library patrons taking part in an in-house poll were in favor of the project, which had been part of the patron driven long-range plan of the library.
But in order to make everything compatible with all the other libraries, the new library cards will have to be issued, and every patron will have to reapply for a card. Currently, the library actually holds on to the cards, because the metal plates on the cards, used for the manual processing machines (which will be replaced with a bar-code card swipe), were so expensive to replace.
The new cards, however, will be given to the patrons to carry with them (allowing them to be used at the other libraries). Both a wallet card, and a keychain card, will be issued for the new user accounts that will be issued with the card.
Currently, patrons theoretically are asked to provide ID when they use the cards, although that policy hasn't been carried out consistently, with well-known patrons not asked to do so. Nor has the policy requiring all cards to be renewed each year been consistently followed, House said, largely because of the difficulty of searching by hand through the 6,600 cards the library has on file to find out which ones needed to be renewed. Under the new system, the library computers will automatically kick out a renewal notice.
And of the 6,600 cards on file at present, the library believes there may be hundreds that are no longer valid, because patrons have moved away or outside the city limits. Some haven't been used in years. Requiring all patrons to reapply will "reset" the patron database to properly reflect actual users.
"In the past, we've always maintained the cards for the patrons, but we have a lot of common names, I don't know how many Smiths we have, for example, and we don't want the wrong person using someone else's card, and that other person then being responsible for a book. But with the old system it was possible. The staff would get busy and not ask for ID, or they might pull the wrong card. With the new system, that's not going to happen."
House said it should take less than two minutes to reapply, and after that, future renewals will be easier than they are now. "Since we'll already have most of the data in the computer, when it comes time to renew, we'll just confirm the information and you won't have to jump through a lot of hoops" to renew, House said.
The renewal form, and the new cards, also will allow parents to exercise much better control over their children's use of the library collection and it's internet resources.
Renewal forms can be picked up at the library during the hours it is open, or printed off the internet at www.mhlibrary.org, or picked up at the Moxie Java area of the library. Moxie Java will remain open during the library's six-week closure.
The renewal forms ask for basic information: name, gender, birth date (which helps automatically let the computers know whether or not a person can use the juvenile, teen, adult or senior citizen computers), phone number and address, as well as the driver's license number or official state ID of the person responsible for their own card and those of any family members for whom they are applying.
When the library reopens, the renewal forms should be brought in, complete with their ID and something, such as a power or water bill, that shows they are residents of the city. The staff will then quickly input the data into the computer, asking parents, for example, if their children's cards should include internet access or if they should be allowed to check out audio/visual materials, and then issue the cards to the patron. Cards can be issued to children, anyone under the age of 18, only if a parent makes application for them.
Library cards for city residents are free. Cards for non-residents come with a fee that roughly reflects what city residents pay in taxes each year to operate the library.
The new cards and the automated system also will allow the library to issue notices automatically of any overdue books (an automated phone call system will be used similar to that used by the school district to notify parents when a child is absent), and patrons will be able to access on-line all information about their user account, as well as use the card ID online to reserve books.
Although for patrons, the new library cards and how they will be used is the most visible aspect of the automation system, the six-week closure is designed primarily for staff to put bar codes one the library's 36,600 books and books on tape, and then enter them into the computerized electronic card catalogue (with greatly expanded and easier search functions and much more information about the books). Volunteers from the 366th EMS on base will be assisting the staff in the work, as they take every book off the shelf, catalog it, and return it to the shelf.
"The books should be in much better order than they are now," House said, and the library may find it has to do some minor reorganization of where things are once it has a complete and accurate catalog of all its books.
In order to assist the library will the massive recataloguing effort, patrons are asked to return all books to the library. The library is offering an "amnesty" on book fines for overdue books through this Saturday, March 31, in order to encourage patrons to return as many books as possible.
The outside book drop also will be available during the closure to return books.
While it is closed the library will suspend its various outreach programs, such as Story Time, Library Little Ones, and the Cedar Crest reading programs.
The meeting room will remain available for use, however. Those using the meeting room should contact the library to make sure they have the codes for the keypad lock.
Moxie Java also will remain open through the closure, maintaining its regular hours, and the Moxie Java "lobby" area at the front of the library also will be available for meetings and gatherings, as normal.
The library will set up two laptop computers in the Moxie Java area for patrons to use on an "honor system," for those who need to check e-mails or make quick searches for information on the internet.
The automation work and new library card database system will allow the library "to stay a small, friendly library," House said. But, she asked patrons, "bear with us while we get used to the new system. We're trying to make sure that everybody is treated the same.
"In the long run, once the system shakes down, it should be easier on everybody."