Do you have a system for how you handle books on hold? If a student puts a book on hold, is that student responsible to fetch the book from the shelf and then check it out? Or do you collect the books on hold and put them in a special place (kind of how the public library does it) for the student to pick up?
Do you have any advice or tips that has made the Hold process work more smoothly for you?
I have not allowed stdents to place holds. I have been reluctant to do so because with a limmited number of items for any title (usually only one or two items for any given title,) I have concerns that it would reduce the chances of some students to get the book. Especially with the differences in the reading habits of the students in the 3 programs we have here at Hawthorne. I don't want to have people pointing at a "Holds list" and claim that the ELP program is getting preference over others. I tell students that all books are returned to the shelves, where everybody has a chance to choose them to read. Were I to allow holds, I would have to come up with a way to not have certain titles always checked out to the students in the same classroom.
ReplyDeleteJoseph's comments reflect my thoughts as well. I don't have enough copies of any one title, and I want to give all the different classes a turn to find the more popular titles on the shelves.
ReplyDeleteI do have another suggestion for Follett - to allow individual or global updates on the Vendor and Funding Source fields.
I agree with Joseph and Pamela. It is difficult to share the popular copies of books among the student body and possibly be fair. I don't know if leaving it on the shelf and having the book go out on a first come first serve basis is fair either. I have tried to make it fair by sometimes not allowing certain classes to check out certain titles on a given week. I did this because somehow this school year I had a fifth grade class who always got to check out a majority of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books.
ReplyDeleteI have not put books on hold. I tell them to watch for the books that they want and then they can check them out. Janice, I also try to keep it fair and make sure that all of the classrooms have access to the favorite books. I even hide them sometimes. That way other classrooms have a chance to get the high demand books.
ReplyDeleteI have not let the students themselves put a book on hold because I do not have a PAC terminal but I will put a book on hold for them. That offer seems to ease the disappointment if the book is not on the shelf. When the book returns, I print off 2 copies of the hold notice (I am lazy)and place 1 copy in the book on the counter behind the circ desk. The other copy goes to the student's classroom. I would not put the book on a shelf out in the stacks. Also, a book may not be renewed if another student has a hold on it.
ReplyDeleteI love your idea of having a printed copy of the hold! I'm going to try that!
DeleteI'm SOOOOO glad we get to "discuss" this topic because it has been a GREAT source of FRUSTRATION for me and my students this year!!!!!! My students have been using holds for several years and it's the ONLY possible way to get a Wimpy Kid book (aside from the teacher hides it trick). But the holds are MUCH more effective and efficient than the hiding trick.
ReplyDeleteI called Destiny at the beginning of the year to find out why the books don't show as "on hold" at the check in screen and they ran me through a mock hold. Everything worked great but it never works in real life! AAAAAAAAARGH! Are you sensing a little frustration here? :o) The only way I know a book is on hold is when someone else tries to check it out and it tells me it's on hold for someone else.
So I've just told the kids they can't put books on hold this year. I would LOVE IT if the holds started working next year!!
Marianne, My books do show that they are on hold when I check them in. I am not sure why yours doesn't. The only time I miss it is if my aides don't notice when they check books in.
DeleteI can see holds on any titles by going through Reports - Library Reports - Holds. I look at this when a student asks why the book hasn't come in; I go in to see if his/her hold has expired. It refreshes my memory on the books that are on hold. I hope this helps.
I loved reading all your responses. I thought I was the only mean one who wouldn't allow holds. I just don't have the time or desire to always track down the kid who placed a hold when the book does come in. Thanks for addressing a sticky issue for all of us.
ReplyDeleteI tried doing holds like Sarah. I put the book on hold for the student. It really became cumbersome and time consuming so I quit doing it. If I have a student who wants a particular book, I let them know when the book is due back and to check with me on that date to see if it came in. If it is late, I will contact the student to bring it back. That seemed to be more successful than putting them on hold.
ReplyDeleteI tried it the second half of the year. The kids were excited to put things on hold, but, to be honest, very few ended up getting their book. I am not sure where it failed.
ReplyDelete