tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144912717179564165.post1580822034641440667..comments2024-01-28T04:08:14.347-05:00Comments on Collection Reflection: I ♥ Patron Requests (pt. 1)Robin Bradfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06569145434953695561noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144912717179564165.post-41799268912513590332011-03-31T20:20:21.642-04:002011-03-31T20:20:21.642-04:00@Terry I think is partially why we require a libra...@Terry I think is partially why we require a library card. If an author has a card, they're welcome to submit a request for purchase. If they don't, and they have an Indy connection, they usually get that person to submit. I once had all the people in an author's family request a book on different cards. At least, I assume they were family members by the last name. All the requests were some version of "This is a great new local author! The library should have this/I can't wait to see this at my branch" LOL. I probably bought it too. I'm such a sucker.Robin Bradfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06569145434953695561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144912717179564165.post-86214256496135017632011-03-31T19:13:24.076-04:002011-03-31T19:13:24.076-04:00@Terry Self-Published authors seriously do that?? ...@Terry Self-Published authors seriously do that?? That's so devious! If I didn't feel sympathy for the librarians having to deal with it I would say that was genius.Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14485327492901478184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144912717179564165.post-90093254318640727172011-03-31T15:56:23.801-04:002011-03-31T15:56:23.801-04:00Mostly our patrons request something they've s...Mostly our patrons request something they've seen on Oprah or the NYT Bestsellers lists, or through Publisher's Weekly. Generally it's already on order & we just put their name on the holds list for that title. <br /><br />And then you have those patrons that wish to buy a book they've checked out, but that's a whole 'nuther blog post....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144912717179564165.post-2976883895271037852011-03-31T15:52:33.033-04:002011-03-31T15:52:33.033-04:00I'm sure we will also have to have a post abou...I'm sure we will also have to have a post about donations and local authors.Anna Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06542744978194806986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144912717179564165.post-40095305674135629152011-03-31T15:48:28.287-04:002011-03-31T15:48:28.287-04:00We have an online form mostly to keep persistent s...We have an online form mostly to keep persistent self-published authors from taking up too much staff time. Patrons use it too, but I find that they are telling us about books we'd buy anyway (the next book in a hot series), stuff we can't buy (based on format or availability) or stuff we already own but they can't find because our OPAC sucks.Terry (@GameCouch)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08669619901361943060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144912717179564165.post-55833188864513257782011-03-31T15:20:13.141-04:002011-03-31T15:20:13.141-04:00Typically we get patron requests, but they're ...Typically we get patron requests, but they're also staff, since we're a state library. Most requests back up a class, reading project, seminar, Talking Book and Braille recording studio, etc. But occasionally even then, the request can not quite fit the collection development policy. That's why the requests all get approved by a team. With the final ok from the Reference/Collections Librarian<br /><br />And then I try to find it by the information I've received. And most of the requestors are llibrarians--but no, I don't always get all the info I need. We're just as bad as everyone else, me, too. An author? An ISBN? A publisher, maybe? Some things transcend library types,Cathy Hattermannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144912717179564165.post-87277170479595276872011-03-31T14:16:59.545-04:002011-03-31T14:16:59.545-04:00We do have a form, but it's clunky and patrons...We do have a form, but it's clunky and patrons (or staff helping patrons) have to print it out and submit it. So most of my colleagues and I just end up getting a recommendation from a patron, locating the appropriate item in Amazon or WorldCat, and printing it out to give to the right person.<br /><br />When you've got ~15 different people doing collection development, you have to have some way of knowing who orders what, and we have a list taped to a wall.Anna Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06542744978194806986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144912717179564165.post-5023771157489320022011-03-31T14:09:02.286-04:002011-03-31T14:09:02.286-04:00Since we're a special library, we only collect...Since we're a special library, we only collect VERY specific things so our patron request is usually from the museum staff or from visiting scholars. I always like these requests because they're usually well aware of the type of material we collect and what is and isn't appropriate. Right now I have a Google Form I try to get people to fill out, but of course people just e-mail me anyway! :PKristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14485327492901478184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144912717179564165.post-33100522106309852302011-03-31T13:51:37.645-04:002011-03-31T13:51:37.645-04:00I don't get a lot of patron requests, so I gue...I don't get a lot of patron requests, so I guess I am disproportionately enthusiastic when I do. We don't have a formal policy (that I know of) for responding to patrons who request things, but we do try to put it on hold for them if we do end up purchasing it, which I guess is a response in itself.<br /><br />It's harder to know how to deal with the super-excitable conspiracy theory/religious nut guys who keep asking me to buy sketchy looking books. I need to brush up on referring people to the collection development policy, I guess.Anna Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06542744978194806986noreply@blogger.com