As a state institution, we let the public borrow almost everything. They do have to run the parking gauntlet to get here, so it's not like we're overrun.
When a video is 7 days overdue (way sooner than for books), the system automatically changes status to Lost and generates a Bill for Lost Materials. The default cost is $200 plus fees. Why $200? Separate from the cost of educational videos: It scares them to get a $200 bill for a $15 movie. The DVD usually comes back quickly. Also, when a patron record shows $200 owed, it blocks them from checking out anything else. Loan periods, late fees & replacement costs are the same as for undergraduates. Unpaid lost materials can ultimately be taken out of tax returns. If a patron reports a DVD as lost, we bill them actual cost + $10, up to $200. It's not uncommon for academic libraries to require community & alumni to pay a Friends of the Library membership in order to borrow materials. Barb Bergman | Media Services & Interlibrary Loan Librarian | Minnesota State University, Mankato | (507) 389-5945 | [email protected] VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
