Library Shelves Stamps For New System Printout, Bookmark Will Help Remind Patrons To Bring Books Back On Time

The rhythmic stamping of due dates in the back of library books is going the way of typewriters and mimeograph machines.

Starting Monday, clerks at the Spokane Public Library will no longer stamp the return date on the slip tucked into the back of books.

“It’s the end of a long tradition,” said Nancy Ledeboer, deputy director for public services. “I think it’s going to make things a lot quicker.”

“It’s amazing how much time you can save if you don’t stamp,” said Paul Coffey, a library clerical assistant. He noted that weekend check-out lines sometimes back up several people deep.

Patrons will continue to get a computerized printout detailing all the books they’ve checked out and their return dates.

For a while, as people adjust to the change, they also will be given calendars they can use as bookmarks, said Dolly Richendrfer, community relations director. They can mark the due date on the mini-calendar.

Library officials aren’t taking away the tradition of due-date stamping with out giving something in return.

A new computer catalog that came online Feb. 15 allows patrons to access their accounts from home or inside the library to find out what books they’ve checked out and if they owe fines. They also can call the library at 444-5333 for account information.

The new library catalog makes finding materials far simpler than the old computer system, Ledeboer said.

Can’t remember how to spell the author’s name? Type in something close and get a list of all the names in the alphabetical ballpark.

Can’t remember all the words in the title? Type in a phrase, or two or three words, and get a list of all those book titles that include them.

With the new system, patrons also can reserve checked-out books without going through a librarian.

The new catalog gives library users unlimited access to magazine articles from a national database. Once patrons at the library retrieve the articles they want, they can send them to their personal e-mail addresses or download them onto their own discs. They also can send them to a library printer.

Under the old system, anytime patrons wanted to print something they had to enlist the help of a librarian, Ledeboer said.

The new catalog is far more handy, giving people more search options and references, she said. “We’ve seen a lot more people sitting down using machines, spending time on them.”

“It’s a great research tool,” Richendrfer said. “Spokane’s really on the cutting edge.”

Ken Warner, who works for Spokane Neighborhood Action Program, lauded the ease of the new catalog.

“It’s easier to use, and there’s a lot more information,” Warner said.

, DataTimes