Book Borrowers Beware!!!!!!!

Something that most people find incredibly frustating is lending out books that never come home. I have been working with a client regularly and one of my "duties" if to help her maintain an increasing library that she loans out to her clients.

There are a few things I have put in place to ensure that this valuable investement is maintained.

* Use of library cards - Each time a book is lent to a client the details are placed on a card and kept in the office. These cards are the same as the cards we had in our school library. The card stays in the book until the book in loaned, then is returned to the book when the book is returned.

* Keeping track of late returns - For your own library you can make a note in your calender when a book has been gone for 1 month, then call the borrower that day and call in the book.

With my client I check the cards and place a note in the client file on a flouro sticky note to remind the client to return the book.

* Categorise your collection - This can be a tricky process if you have a large library, however it need not be complicated. In my clinets case her books fall under specific sub-categories: Relationships, Business, Personal Growth etc. This allows you to see all your books and in a glance you can often tell if a book is missing from its category. I Categorised my clients library in about 45 minutes today, a small time investemnt considering the value of Books.

Books are an incredibly valuable resource and should be treated as such, you know that on average 10 books are worth about $250 New Zealand Dollars. So it is well worth the time and effort to protect them.

Also to all you book borrowers out there who are feeling guilty about unreturned loans. Take 10 minutes now to check your book Shelf and return those books to the person you borrowed them from. They will be thrilled, as many feel awkward about asking "Where is the book I lent you?". Also in future if you borrow a book, make a note of it in your calender and return it no longer than 1 month after you have borrowed it.

HAPPY READING and RETURNING