[CALIBK12] Query: Lost Book Pricing

[Darla Brown]

Anne: All of these are very valid considerations. I'd like to know what your district decides. Not taking into consideration the "extras," I always begin figuring my replacement costs with SLJ's annual report on book costs. I find it very helpful. I've attached the 2008 article (in MS Word). Good luck!

Mrs. Darla Brown, LMT, M.Ed.
Teacher Librarian
Garces Memorial High School
"Home of Athletes and Scholars"
661-327-2578 x133
dbrown at garces.org


From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu [mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Anne Snyder
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 3:18 PM
To: calibk12 at listproc.sjsu.edu
Subject: [CALIBK12] Query: Lost Book Pricing



Dear Calib Friends,

In our district, soon we will be revisiting the topic of how we determine what we charge for a lost book (we don't charge fines for overdue books).  We are considering a more standardized policy across the district since at the moment each site does it a little bit differently.  I was hoping that some of you would share your thoughts/experiences/policies on this issue.

*Do you just charge the individual price you paid for the item or the current replacement cost?
*Do you include tax, s/h, processing?  Are these charges actual costs related to the item or a standardized fee?
*Do you take depreciation into consideration?
*How do you determine the charge for a donated item?

Our automation system records and overdue slips reflect the cost of each individual item without tax, s/h, or processing fees, but we realize that this does not often reflect the true cost we paid for the item or will pay for a replacement.  We are trying to develop an equitable policy so we are charging a price that is fair to both sides.  We won't be going back to change the prices currently in the system.

Under consideration is adding a note to our overdue notices to indicate that the price per item is "subject to a processing fee" or "subject to additional charges such as tax and processing." Currently, some sites round up the price to an even amount to reflect these additional charges at the time the book is marked "lost" (one benefit of rounding is reducing the number of times we have to make change).  This results in a somewhat higher price if the site ends up marking the book lost and generating a bill.  Thus, if someone pays quickly based on the price on the overdue slip, the cost is likely lower since we accept the payment as "paid in full."

Thanks in advance for your advice,
Anne


Anne Snyder
K-8 Librarian
Ceres Unified School District
(209)556-1500 Ext. 1109
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