[CALIBK12] Patron History

[ladewig]

Connie,
I use my patron history to verify their check-out status but also to track
who is the (possible) culprit when books or magazines come back with damage
or marking. Usually the students just deny it (I always approach them
tactfully) and then I ask if they have siblings or visitors in their home
(if it's a crayon scrawl, etc. it's often a preschool sibling). 

Occasionally they say "That was there when I checked it out" and I ask them
"And what should you have done when you saw it?" (Our policy explained at
Orientation is to immediately report it to me in the library or to their
teacher if already back in class). This lets them know that we DO check and
we DO follow-up, so if it was them, they will wise up and not do it again. I
also often use their individual patron history to look over other books or
magazines they've checked out to see if there is a pattern (we had a rash of
kids circling the hidden objects in Highlights, among other problems). If it
is the same orange marker, unique handwriting style, technique (one boy
"erased" all the groin areas of the male athletes' photos in a Sports Ill.
Issue so that they were worn through!), etc. we show them all the evidence
and that usually either gets them to admit it (or they'll blame a sibling or
classmate) or at least reinforces that we are concerned and checking. We set
a high priority on personal responsibility and integrity because our
students need those concepts and don't get them at home. :-(

This is a TOTALLY different aspect than censoring books or "spying" on kids'
reading choices so it's NOT a privacy issue in my opinion. You're dealing
with property damage or loss.

It seems to me that you could set the level of authority to allow only the
librarians (or head person, or even principal) at each site to view the
information and not the other staff, if there is a real concern about other
privacy aspects. If not, perhaps the automation company should respond to
this need.

Joanne Ladewig  (A.K.A. "Library Lady")
Library Media Tech
Lawrence Elementary, GGUSD
Garden Grove, California
shatz at verizon.net
 
Comments are my own and may not represent the views of GGUSD
 
-----Original Message-----
From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu
[mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of ode2living at aol.com
Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2007 10:01 PM
To: calibk12 at listproc.sjsu.edu
Subject: [CALIBK12] Patron History

Hello. All of the libraries in my district began using Destiny last  
week. With the new program, our assistant superintendent did not want  
the library staff to be able to view the patron history, stating  
students' privacy, so she had the IT dept turn it off. The LMTs are  
planning on talking to her about this at our next meeting because we  
are very concerned about the implications this would have at the  
school level vs. public. We use this information to prove to students  
and parents that a student has checked out a book. We compare the  
date a book was checked out to a student's schedule from Aeries and  
their attendance on that date. When this is presented, it puts all  
disputes to a halt. Without this, we will have no leg on which to stand.

So, I was wondering:

1. Are you able to view your patron history? How valuable do you find  
it to be? For what purposes do you use it other than the reason above?
2. What is CSLA's stance on this? I'm familiar with ALA's, but school  
libraries have unique issues that public/academic don't have.
3. If you have Destiny, do you know if patron history can be turned  
on for the textbook side and not the library side? Ideally, we want  
BOTH because we run into this same situations with library books as  
well when classes come in, but the textbook side is the most crucial.

TIA! We appreciate it.

Connie Joyce
Library Media Teacher
Rancho Cucamonga High School
Rancho Cucamonga, CA

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