Feedback

Each month we post a selection of comments and responses on our website. Have a some feedback for us? Please fill out our feedback form!

Questions

The library seems to charge more to replace a damaged or lost item than what I can get it for on my own. Why is this?

When assessing the replacement cost of damaged or lost library materials, the library charges the price of the original item.

The library purchases a great deal of material and relies on reputable library vendors to provide quality goods, consistent invoicing, free shipping and pre-processing of some material to make it more suitable for library circulation to many people. For example, we pay an additional fee to have audiobook CDs put into protective sleeves within a sturdy case. In addition, library vendors offer more flexible and advantageous return policies for libraries than those of commercial suppliers. All of the above simply represents good business practice.

When replacing a copy of a damaged or lost item, the library sources the item from one of our regular vendors for an exact match. Often the library will purchase items with optimal formatting and additional information, which may not be provided on a stripped-down sale item. If a replacement item becomes harder to source, the cost to the library may increase, but the patron still pays the original price. No additional charge is added to the replacement charge for the cost of necessary re-housing, processing supplies or for staff time to order, receive, catalogue and prepare the item for loan.

I have an concern about heavy odors such as perfumes and Axe body spray in the library and small spaces could make one sick. Wondering if people could know somehow that heavy odor perfumes are offensive. Thanks!

This issue of strong perfumes and other pervasive scents in public areas is a sensitive one. Many agencies such as VIHA have implemented clean air policies to protect staff and their clients. GVPL has not formally done so but we do ask that our users respect the Responsibility and Conduct of library users. This policy has established rules “to create an environment free of harassment, physical discomfort, danger, emotional stress or unfair and arbitrary treatment”. Using strong fragrances does create physical discomfort for many. If you are bothered in any way by another patron, please let the staff know. Scent is a particularly delicate issue. Be aware that perfumes may offend or trigger asthmatic responses in other patrons. Be aware also that some of us carry odors which we may not be aware of and which we may not be able to easily correct due to our lifestyle. Sometimes the best recourse is to find another place to work in the library. Additionally, please show sensitivity to other patrons and refrain from wearing strong perfumes or other fragrances.

Why are there PG-13 movies in the kids’ DVD collection?

You may have noticed that the kids’ DVD collection includes everything from shows for young children like ‘Max and Ruby’ to dark fantasies like ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.’ To meet the wide span of interests of kids up to age 12, the kids’ DVD collection is very eclectic in tone and intended audience. The result is that not only are ‘G’ rated movies included, there are also a significant number of ‘PG’ rated movies. You may occasionally see a DVD that is rated ‘PG-13’ but ‘PG-13’ is not a Canadian movie rating. The ‘PG-13’ rating is used by the US Motion Picture Association. Canadian film ratings include: G, PG, 14A, 18A, Restricted and Adult. According to GVPL policy, parents or guardians are responsible for material borrowed by their minor children.

Why isn’t a hold placed for me automatically when I suggest a title for the library to buy?

Staff welcome patron suggestions for new titles that meet our selection criteria and would like to be able to automatically place a hold on orders arising from suggestions for purchase. However, the software we are currently using to manage patron suggestions for purchase can't automatically queue a patron on the holds list because it is not connected to our acquisition and circulation system.

The sheer number of suggestions we receive, especially for the larger collections, makes manual entry of holds far too time-intensive to undertake. In addition, there is often a long gap between the time the suggestion is received and the item becomes available for order; this is especially true for DVDs. Many of the suggestions we receive are for titles we will be getting anyway, because the author or series is on one of our automatic release plans for bestsellers. Our IT department is always looking for software enhancements to improve or streamline various aspects of our automated services; if new software should allow a hold to be initiated for the person making the purchase suggestion at the point of order we would be very happy to institute automatic holds on suggestions for purchase.

Comments

"I love the computer system that is now in place in the library system! After a hiatus of a few years, I recently returned to using the library system and I love the ease of the taking out books, making holds and checking my holds, and most of all, I love the e-mail notices letting me know that my book is soon due; no more fines for me! The staff are wonderful as always and I find that the Bruce Hutchison Library is a wonderful refuge within our city."

"Thank you so much having this (museum) pass as part of the public library collection. My husband and I really appreciated using it for a museum visit."

"Just a wee note to say “thank you” for such a comprehensive and well thought out website. It’s just a pleasure. I get lost in it and suddenly want to read about 100 books instead of just the one or two I came online to find. This is better than the “Free” section of UsedVIctoria and certainly rivals YouTube. Also kudos to the wonderful staff!"

Posted: September 22, 2012