Well said and now let us go back to happily proofread/scan and have a blessed holiday season! ---------------- "If you go without playing the trumpet for one day, no one knows, two days, only you know, and more than three days without practicing, girl you better look out, because everyone will know!" Today, I find myself constantly saying those words, just to get myself going, to not give up, and it works. Since I learned to play the trumpet at the tender age of 10, I have spent so much passion and much diligence with that instrument that I will not give up on it. Sometimes my instrument puts me into awkward situations where I feel like they won't ever end, but the trumpet gives me a lot of hope with the majestic, crystal-clear sound it brings to my ears. ---------------- Chela Robles E-Mail: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxx MSNWindowsLive Messenger: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxxxx Skype: jazzytrumpet ----- Original Message ----- From: Monica Willyard To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Thursday, December 24, 2009 11:13 AM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Books with HOLDs 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 >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >> Version: 9.0.722 / Virus Database: 270.14.117/2583 - Release Date: 12/23/09 02:28:00 > > To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to > bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line. > To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.