[bksvol-discuss] Re: Books with HOLDs
- From: "Monica Willyard" <rhyami@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:13:19 -0500
To help get us back on track, I think two weeks is plenty of time for a
person to download a book being held for them. After all, Carrie isn't
saying you have two weeks to finish working on a book. You just have two
weeks to do the initial download of your held book. This is an experiment to
see if a corrective measure will get books flowing again. It can be adjusted
if it doesn't work.
If you have five books in progress already so that you can't download a new
one being held for you, your plate is full. It's like eating at a buffet. No
matter how much you want to try many foods, you can only fit so much onto
one plate. You can't fit everything onto your plate. You have to eat what's
there and then go back for seconds if you want to.
Unless you urgently need credits, why not let another volunteer with no
books at all work on one of yours? Yes, there are special circumstances
sometimes, like with our sighted volunteers that are awaiting print books or
when the submitter may need to provide additional support for the
proofreader. However, sometimes I see people with 25 to 30 books being held
for them. It isn't because there's something wrong with the books that needs
a certain skill. It's just because the two people like each other. There's
nothing wrong with liking each other. There is something wrong with one
person having 25 books to work on that they can't get to in a reasonable
amount of time when others are available to help. Letting books sit for
months before even beginning to work on them means that no one else can read
that book while it's lying around. That harms the entire Bookshare
membership since that book remains inaccessible until it's approved.
Most people are using holds responsibly. This issue keeps cropping up
because a few people are abusing the system. At one point, I only saw four
books without holds on the entire first page of 100 titles. That's insane!
Monica Willyard
"The best way to predict the future is to create it." -- Peter Drucker
_____
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carrie Karnos
Sent: Thursday, December 24, 2009 12:07 AM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Books with HOLDs
The limit of 5 books is an automated check that the system does, so I can't
change that. But what I can do is not remove HOLDs on books in the checkout
queue. If you want me to not remove a HOLD, please email me about it. What
we're hoping to accomplish with removing HOLDs is for books to be put into
the system in a timely manner. Maybe the backstory will help make this more
understandable.
The reason that there's a maximum of 5 books is because in the past, there
was no maximum, and of course, some members abused the system. They would
check out 20 books and spend months working a little here, a little there,
and eventually upload the books 6-12 months after they got them from the
checkout queue. It was REALLY frustrating for submitters to have to wait so
long for their books to go into the collection. And the other consequence
was that one submitter would put a book in, someone would check it out and
spend months on it. In the meantime, another submitter would put the same
book in the queue and another proofer would fix it up pronto, and upload the
book, and I'd approve it. The first submitter would get nothing for his
work, despite putting his book in before the second submitter.
(The oldtimers already know all this, but I thought I'd mention it for the
newbies.)
Anyway, let's give removing HOLDs a try and see how it goes. We can always
change the time limit if 2 weeks proves to be too short.
Thanks to everyone for your comments and your perseverance in helping to
make the scanning and proofing process better!
Carrie
_____
From: Valerie Maples <vlmaples@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wed, December 23, 2009 8:13:43 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Books with HOLDs
Or to be able to ask Carrie or Pavi for a relax on the limit of 5 so it can
be with you as time permits. that would work for me.
Valerie
On Dec 23, 2009, at 8:45 PM, Mike wrote:
> Since two weeks is the basic time for proofing/renewing a book, that would
mean if your checkout limit is full, you have to finish something in the
next two week period or lose the held book. That's a rather strict
requirement. I would say at least 4 weeks, maybe two months. If you know
you can't get to it in two months, wouldn't it be just as easy for the
submitter to just not submit it until you are ready?
>
> Misha
>
> siss52 wrote:
>> I predict that most people will hate such a short span of time. Only two
weeks? Wow!!!
>> Sue S.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> *From:* Carrie Karnos <mailto:ckarnos@xxxxxxxxx>
>> *To:* Bookshare Vol Group <mailto:bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> *Sent:* Wednesday, December 23, 2009 5:30 PM
>> *Subject:* [bksvol-discuss] Books with HOLDs
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Since we've had loads of complaints about books with HOLDs in their
titles languishing in the checkout queue for weeks, months and years, the
Bookshare Collection Development department has instituted a new policy. If
a book has been on the checkout list for more than 2 weeks with a HOLD in
its title, I will remove the HOLD to allow other people to proof the book.
>>
>> On January 1st, I will remove the HOLDs on all books that were submitted
prior to December 1st. This is to give people time to finish their current
books and start on their new ones that have HOLDs on them. On January 15th,
I'll remove the HOLDs on any books that were submitted during December, and
then the 2-week rule will go into effect.
>>
>> I know that some people will love this, and other people will hate it.
Let's try it for a while, and see how it goes. If the vast majority of
people hate this, then we'll revisit it.
>>
>> By the way, having a time limit on HOLD books in the checkout queue was
one of the top suggestions in the volunteer survey that Pavi sent out. She
is working on an email to be sent to everyone that details the results of
the survey. The survey provided a huge amount of really valuable feedback,
so thanks very much to everyone who participated in it!
>>
>> Happy holidays! Carrie
>>
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