In an attempt to save paper and reach students faster, the University's libraries have begun sending notices of fines and overdue books to students via e-mail.
Until this semester, students received paper notices via US or campus mail informing them of updates on overdue and recalled books, as well as any charges on library users' accounts.
"We are trying to enhance services for students by making more things available electronically," said Sandy Oelschlegel, assistant librarian at the Tufts Veterinary School. Oelschlegel served as a liaison between the library committees responsible for the change.
Oelschlegel is confident that the electronic service will make life easier for students. Electronic notices will save paper and arrive more quickly than mail notices, which could save students money on fines. Students holding overdue books and government documents are charged 25 cents for each day past the due date, and $1 for videos and laser discs.
Despite the touted improvements, some students are skeptical. "I don't think electronic notices are a good idea because not everyone checks their e-mails regularly," freshman Sarah Conroy said.
But Oelschlegel said that it is students' responsibility to check their Tufts e-mail.
Other students were more open to the change, however. "I think more people will actually see the notices this way because most people check their e-mail a lot and paper mail gets thrown out without looking at it," junior Timm Schatz said. "However, if I had a piece of paper, I'd be more likely to remember that I had to return the book or pay the fine."
The decision to switch to electronic delivery was generated by the Public Services Steering Committee of the University Library Council (ULC), which is composed of the directors from University libraries on each campus.
The new service was then implemented by the Lending Services Sub-Committee of the ULC, whose members administered the technical aspects of the shift from paper to electronic notices by ensuring that the database carrying all students' e-mail accounts was compatible with the library system.
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