Tip of the Week - #079 (Damaged Books)

Keywords: damage, Priority Dispatch

First of all as a lender, please do not supply a book that is so fragile that it would be damaged in transit. Just cancel the request and mark the status on the item record as something other than available.

If an item is returned damaged IN TRANSIT (i.e. by Priority Dispatch handling), fill out the Claim Form through the State Library. 

If book is damaged slightly and can be supplied, then please note on the paging slip or bookband what the damage is so that the patron's library knows this before they lend it.

At the patron's institution, if you receive a book that has been damaged and no note appears on the bookband or paging slip, please make a note of this before checking it out to the user.

If a patron returns a book damaged, call the owning library to describe the damage and determine jointly if the item needs to be billed to the patron. The patron library has the right to negotiate for payment or replacement. Money is kept by the patron library.