Showing posts with label CRU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CRU. Show all posts
Monday, August 11, 2008
Circulation
Greetings JPLers!
Welcome to my little circ world on the JPL Staff News blog. I get a lot of questions and comments about our policies, procedures and my personal style, so I thought this might be a good forum to address some of these issues. I welcome suggestions for further blog entries and hope to be able to clarify some things, muddy some others and make good use of this new communication tool.
here goes my first hot potato-On a recent site visit, I was approached by Staff Member X (whose name shall not be mentioned-ever) who posed the following query:
Q: What is with this new DVD policy regarding the number that can be checked out at one time?
A: Well, X, that is a very good question. There are two possible answers that I can give you and you can decide which is the real reason behind it.
1. The members of CRU are actually part of a secret club whose sole mission is to confuse staff and customers alike.
2. In order to allow parents to restrict their children's access to R Rated DVDs, a seperate item type had to be created. Our current SIRSI system would then technically allow 5 of each item type to be borrowed. This was all well and good until my good friend selfcheck showed up and sneakily taught customers how they could mess with the sytem and get more than 5. Some customers began to question staff about it and heard some interesting explanations (mostly from me). "Today's your lucky day!", "I dunno" and numerous variations.
CRU was asked to examine DVD policy and we began to explore this problem. I kept hearing my Grandmother in my head saying "Always tell the truth-that way you don't have to remember what lie you told" and we decided she was right. It is much easier to tell customers that they can get 5 R Rated DVDs and 5 non R Rated DVDs than to invent an explanation.
I know they automatically think that they should have ten, but if we say they may have 5 rated and 5 non rated to allow parents to restrict their children's access, in time the confusion on our customers and our staff will subside.
Okay, which is the correct explanation? Feel free to post your comments below. I know there are some locations that have taken creative steps to clarify this. Here's your chance to brag!!!
Until Next Time!
Ron
Greetings JPLers!
Welcome to my little circ world on the JPL Staff News blog. I get a lot of questions and comments about our policies, procedures and my personal style, so I thought this might be a good forum to address some of these issues. I welcome suggestions for further blog entries and hope to be able to clarify some things, muddy some others and make good use of this new communication tool.
here goes my first hot potato-On a recent site visit, I was approached by Staff Member X (whose name shall not be mentioned-ever) who posed the following query:
Q: What is with this new DVD policy regarding the number that can be checked out at one time?
A: Well, X, that is a very good question. There are two possible answers that I can give you and you can decide which is the real reason behind it.
1. The members of CRU are actually part of a secret club whose sole mission is to confuse staff and customers alike.
2. In order to allow parents to restrict their children's access to R Rated DVDs, a seperate item type had to be created. Our current SIRSI system would then technically allow 5 of each item type to be borrowed. This was all well and good until my good friend selfcheck showed up and sneakily taught customers how they could mess with the sytem and get more than 5. Some customers began to question staff about it and heard some interesting explanations (mostly from me). "Today's your lucky day!", "I dunno" and numerous variations.
CRU was asked to examine DVD policy and we began to explore this problem. I kept hearing my Grandmother in my head saying "Always tell the truth-that way you don't have to remember what lie you told" and we decided she was right. It is much easier to tell customers that they can get 5 R Rated DVDs and 5 non R Rated DVDs than to invent an explanation.
I know they automatically think that they should have ten, but if we say they may have 5 rated and 5 non rated to allow parents to restrict their children's access, in time the confusion on our customers and our staff will subside.
Okay, which is the correct explanation? Feel free to post your comments below. I know there are some locations that have taken creative steps to clarify this. Here's your chance to brag!!!
Until Next Time!
Ron
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