Procedures of the Lending Librarian

5:00 p.m. Mass

Step 1 Arrive early so that you can bring the Library out of the Family Room.

· The Library has a cloth cover protecting the books now housed on the outside shelves, and should be removed and left in the Family Room. Ask an usher to help you to remove the cover, if necessary, and move the Library to its position in the vestibule.

· Do not leave the Library unattended before mass and close it before you take your seat.

Step 2 Open the File Box, where the index cards and date due slips are kept, as well as the date stamp.

· Change the date to read 2 weeks from the current date (Sunday).

· Check the return shelves and retrieve any returned items.

· In the file box all the cards are filed alphabetically. Retrieve the proper index card, take out the date due card from the book/video and slip in the index card. It can now be returned to the Library to be borrowed.

· In an effort to create a more user-friendly library, certain shelves have been labeled to better direct our parishioners to suitable materials. Please try to return books/videos to an appropriate shelf as indicated by the labels.

Step 3 Before an item can be borrowed, be sure to ask people if they have registered with the Lending Library.

· Registrants must do this once only, but by asking, we can ensure we have accurate up to date information, especially phone numbers and addresses. This is our only way of contacting people, so always ask to be sure. This will help us reduce the loss of materials.

· Sheets are filed alphabetically in the blue binder, and blank registration sheets can be found in the back of the binder.

· Children must be attended by a parent/guardian when registering.

· When an item is borrowed, the last name and phone numbers must be clearly printed on the index card and date stamped by the librarian.

· Do not allow anyone to sign out their own materials, especially children.

· Slip a date due card properly stamped for 2 weeks hence, into the pocket and it is ready to go.

· File the index card according to the circled letter of the alphabet, into the file box.

Step 4 Before leaving, close the Library up for the night, but leave it in the foyer for the Sunday masses.

9:00 a.m. Mass- Arrive early to allow for books to be borrowed before mass. This will help with the congestion after mass. Follow steps 2 & 3 as above.

11:00 a.m. Mass- Follow the guidelines for borrowing a book as indicated above.

· However when mass is over, and you are the next to last person in the church, put everything back in the file box.

· Now return the Lending Library to the back of the family room for storage until next week.

· Be sure that the fabric cover is in place over the library. An usher can help you if need be.

During busy masses it is much easier to have some help on your scheduled day. You may consider asking your (older) children or spouse to help out. Or, ask a friend to come along and give you a hand. This helps ensure trained people are helping people access the library while at the same time protecting the integrity of the library. And if it is not your scheduled date, and you see it is busy, offer a helping hand! Thanks!

We will not be open over Christmas, and will not open at services such as First Communion or Confirmation when many visitors are in the church. It is too difficult to serve and supervise the library on these occasions.

Again, thank you for helping us with this important function. The Catholic Women’s League firmly believes that providing religious/Christian material for all parishioners to borrow is very important, and we appreciate your support. We are always looking for new materials, or used materials that would add new life to our library. Parishioner donations, and funds raised from the CWL annual spring bake sale make possible the addition of new materials.

Spread the word…the more people who know about what we are looking for, the more people may be willing to share. In an effort to maintain the integrity of a Family Lending Library, the Library board carefully screens all donated books, before they appear on the library to be sure the content is appropriate for a Family Lending Library. Please take an opportunity to borrow materials yourself, so that you can become a good ambassador of the Lending Library.

Thanks for your commitment and support!

Susan Fitzgerald 747-9886 Carleen Van Dam 886-7391