Page 181 - DLIS003_LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Library Administration and Management

Notes Introduction

The primary responsibility of libraries to circulate books, i.e., permits readers to borrow them
for home reading. Circulation involves keeping records of books that are borrowed, to whom
they have been lent, for how long, etc., in addition to a system of issue and return of books at the
circulation counter. There are also provisions in a circulation system to get a bock renewed or to
reserve a book for obtaining it on loan.
Library circulation or library lending comprises the activities around the lending of library
books and other material to users of a lending library. A circulation or lending department is
one of the key departments of a library.
Policy decisions are also determined to define the borrowing privileges of different categories
of members, i.e., what types of documents (textbooks, monographs, loose issues of journals can
be borrowed by registered borrowers (students, faculty, researchers, management in University
libraries) and the length of time for which the user may keep the borrowed material.
There are two popular and widely practised systems of issue and return of documents in libraries,
known as Browne and Newark Charging Systems. These systems have evolved and developed
over a period of time. After giving a quick historical background of charging systems, we will
give you a detailed description of these two charging systems with their relative advantages
and disadvantages.

All this work is usually handled by a separate division of the library. This unit will give you a
description of the planning and management of the circulation divisions of a library. Certain
miscellaneous jobs like maintaining controlling and gate register and property counter fall
under the supervision of this division.

10.1 Circulation Work

Circulation work is the primary task of most modem service libraries. A collection of documents,
thoughtfully and painstakingly built up as a library, is meant to be used and hence should not be
allowed to idle on the shelves. In effect, every reader should find a book in the library useful to
him/her and every book should have a user. Libraries, therefore, have introduced a service, by
which books can be borrowed by users for reading at their own convenient time at their homes
or at any place outside the library, or even within the library in research cubicles or in the
general reading room. Such a situation however arises in university libraries or in libraries
attached to archives or museums. There are certain categories of publications which, for security
or other consideration, are not allowed to be taken out of the library In other words, books are
.
allowed to circulate among readers.

Notes All jobs related to a method of borrowing books and returning them after use,
creation and maintenance of relevant records and files, and so on are referred to, as
circulation work.

10.1.1 Goals of Circulation Work

Circulation aims to maximise the availability of all library material to users and thereby optimise
their use. The major concern of any circulation service is to perform this task with economy and
efficiency. This means, adopting effective charging and discharging systems, and procedures of
lending for all types of users with reference to the different types of documents. It also implies

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