3M Gates

Sent to you by Sarah via Google Reader:

3M Gates

via McGovern-Stella Link Neighborhood Library by Patrick Atkins on 10/11/11

We have been instructed to start enforcing the alarm sounding at the 3M gate a little more stringently.

Do not wave them through. Do not chase after them. Do not accuse them of stealing. Do not explain how to leave without the gates sounding an alarm.

In order for this to have any chance of working, we are going to have to be mindful of desensitizing any items that we may check out at the desk. We have the silver desensitizers that we can have out at the information desk. The machines should desensitize automatically, but if we use a handheld scanner, we need to rub the items along the silver bar to desensitize.

What to do:
1. Ask them to come back to the desk and check that the materials were checked out properly. Once you match the items they have with the items on their receipt, or checked out to them on their account, desensitize the items and send them back through.
2. If it still goes off, ask if there is a possibility that they may have other items to check out. We will always assume that this was inadvertent.
3. Ask if they have any items from other HPL locations or from a video store or other library systems, etc.
4. Ask if any HPL items may have gotten mixed up with their own things. If not, ask if you can check their purse or backpack if applicable.
5. If any items are ever found on them, we must assume this was accidental on their behalf.
6. If the customer exits before the situation is resolved, get the security officer involved, complete and submit an incident report form and let me or Renee know.

An alarm sounding as the customer enters is not a concern, but if it sounds as they enter it will probably sound as they exit as well.

This will start in earnest once we get the new 3M gate ropes up and attached. So, probably we are looking at next week.

Thanks,
Patrick