De La Salle University Library
Circulation-Reserve Section
A Review of the Book Chute Service: 1999-2002
October 2002
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
The year 1999 marked the beginning of DLSU Library’s intensified effort
towards capturing more returned books. Aimed at facilitating the return of library books during and especially beyond library hours and holidays, the use of book chute was introduced. The book chutes are strategically located at the different entrance/exit points of the De La Salle University such as the Gokongwei, Velasco, North Gate, South Gate and the Library Lobby.
1.2 Purpose
Aimed at improving the existing policies and practices governing the operation of the book chute service of the library, this study will evaluate its performance for the last three years of operation, SY 1999-2000 to SY 2001-2002.
1.3 Scope
In addition to the analysis and evaluation of the performance of the book chute service for the past three years, this study will also determine the extent of the actions or improvements done by the Library based on the previous recommendations. And lastly, this will also bring out the different concerns, issues and problems encountered and documented arising from the use of the book chutes.
2. STATISTICS OF USAGE AND ANALYSIS
From its inception on July 17, 1999 up to the present, the book chutes continue to capture increasing number of returned library books.
2.1 Presentation of Statistical Data
2.1.1 First Year Performance, SY 1999-2000
Table 1 presents the total number of books retrieved during the School
Year 1999-2000. It should be noted that School Year 1999-2000 is short of one and a half months (June 1 – July 17, 1999), as the book chute service started on July 17, 1999.
Table 1
BOOK RETURN CHUTE
First Year Performance
SY 1999-2000
MONTH / YEAR / TOTAL/MO.July / 1999 / 60
August / 1999 / 595
September / 1999 / 276
October / 1999 / 2154
November / 1999 / 3479
December / 1999 / 2850
January / 2000 / 3433
February / 2000 / 5036
March / 2000 / 9612
April / 2000 / 418
May / 2000 / 865
TOTAL / 28778
(Source : Monthly Report of the CIRCULATION-RESERVE SECTION, School Year 1999-2000)
Graph 1
2.1.2 Second Year Performance, SY 2000-2001
The second year performance of the book chute is depicted in Table 2.
Also provided is the breakdown of the number of books retrieved during the School Year 2000-2001.
Table 2
BOOK RETURN CHUTE
Second Year Performance
SY 2000-2001
2000-2001 / Gokongwei / Velasco / North / South / Library Lobby / TOTALJune / 218 / 545 / 483 / 874 / 1580 / 3700
July / 452 / 853 / 773 / 1539 / 2637 / 6254
August / 813 / 1526 / 1589 / 2588 / 3861 / 10377
September / 164 / 282 / 260 / 528 / 715 / 1949
October / 463 / 1254 / 957 / 1905 / 2518 / 7097
November / 386 / 980 / 891 / 1526 / 1939 / 5722
December / 235 / 818 / 546 / 1124 / 1734 / 4457
January / 301 / 597 / 503 / 1019 / 1236 / 3656
February / 419 / 1013 / 926 / 1746 / 2185 / 6289
March / 637 / 1556 / 1361 / 2576 / 2740 / 8870
April / 52 / 81 / 64 / 113 / 149 / 459
May / 29 / 66 / 89 / 254 / 327 / 765
TOTAL / 4,169 / 9,571 / 8,442 / 15,792 / 21,621 / 59,595
(Source : Monthly Report of the CIRCULATION-RESERVE SECTION, School Year 2000-2001)
Graph 2
BOOK RETURN CHUTE
Second Year Performance by Months
SY 2000-2001
2.1.3 Third Year Performance, SY 2001-2002
Presented in Table 3 is the total number of books retrieved during the School year 2002-2002 coinciding the third year operation of the book chute. The same table also gives breakdown of the number of books retrieved per gate.
Table 3
BOOK RETURN CHUTE
Third Year Performance
SY 2001-2002
2001-2002 / Gokongwei / Velasco / North / South / Library Lobby / TOTALJune / 141 / 453 / 503 / 917 / 1263 / 3277
July / 424 / 1383 / 1056 / 2087 / 2631 / 7581
August / 550 / 1697 / 1258 / 2825 / 3063 / 9393
September / 118 / 239 / 159 / 467 / 604 / 1587
October / 484 / 1357 / 893 / 2191 / 2075 / 7000
November / 418 / 1358 / 929 / 2060 / 2409 / 7174
December / 469 / 827 / 754 / 1433 / 1607 / 5090
January / 419 / 636 / 521 / 1065 / 1190 / 3831
February / 466 / 1069 / 962 / 1854 / 2066 / 6417
March / 633 / 1304 / 1043 / 2238 / 2065 / 7283
April / 406 / 753 / 586 / 1329 / 1277 / 4351
May / 56 / 166 / 176 / 376 / 588 / 1362
TOTAL / 4,584 / 11,242 / 8,840 / 18,842 / 20,838 / 64,346
(Source : Monthly Report of the CIRCULATION-RESERVE SECTION, School Year 2001-2002)
Graph 3
BOOK RETURN CHUTE
Second Year Performance by Gates
SY 2000-2001
Graph 4
BOOK RETURN CHUTE
Third Year Performance by Months
SY 2001-2002
Graph 5
BOOK RETURN CHUTE
Third Year Performance by Gates
SY 2001-2002
2.1.4 Overdue and Unpaid Fines
The rate of overdue books and unpaid fines are presented in Table 4.
Circulation statistics from June 2000 – May 2001 were tabulated and
compared with those from June 2001 – December 2001 data.
Table 4
Overdue And Unpaid Fines
Period / No. of Books Overdue / Users / Unpaid Fines / AmountJune 2000 to May 2001 / 626 / 360 / 519 / P138,486.00
June 2001 to December 2001 / 756 / 634 / 756 / P195,189.00
(Source : Annual Report of the CIRCULATION-RESERVE SECTION, School Year 2000-2001)
Graph 6
Overdue Books
June 2000 - May 2001 June 2001 - December 2001
2.1.5 Book Loans
Books loaned out to registered users of the DLSU Library during the SY 1999-2002 are presented in Table 5. The data are broken down according to the different service points of the Library including the Circulation, Filipiniana, the European Documentation and Research Centre (EDRC) and the American Studies Resource Center (ASRC).
Table 5
BREAKDOWN OF LIBRARY BOOK LOAN
SY 1999 - 2002
School Year / Circulation / EDRC / Filipiniana / TOTALFirst Year Performance
SY 1999-2000 / 149,080v / 28,991v / 28v / 178,099v
Second Year Performance
SY 2000-2001 / 116,601v / 25,535v / 27/37v / 142/200v
Third Year Performance
SY 2001-2002 / 122,843v / 26,711v / 126/837 / 150,517v
TOTAL: / 388,524v / 81,237v / 1,055v / 470,816v
Percentage
/ 82.52% / 17.25% / 0.02% / 99.79% or100%
(Source : Annual Report of the DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY, School Year 1999- 20002)
Total Number of Books Loaned Out
(SY 1999 – 2002) - 470,816 volumes (100.00%)
Total Number of Books Retrieved
From Book Chutes - 152,719 volumes (32.44%)
Total Number of Books Returned
At the Counters (Circulation, EDRC/
ASRC and Filipiniana) - 318,097 volumes (67.56%)
2.2. Analysis of Data
2.2.1 First Year Performance, SY 1999-2000
The book chute service became operational on July 17, 1999 when two chutes were installed at the South Gate and at the Library Lobby. As can be gleaned from Table 1, the number of books retrieved easily picked-up from 60 volumes during its first month (July 1999) to over 9,000 volumes on its 9th month (March 2000) of operation. The rapid increase during the month of October onward can be attributed to the installation of 3 more book chutes at Gokongwei, Velasco and North Gates in October 1999 where an over-all total of 28,778 volumes were retrieved. Breakdown of returned books according to book chute location is not certain as no recording of this per gate is available at this period.
2.2.2 Second Year Performance, SY 2000-2001
On its second year of operation from July to May of the School Year 2000-2001, the total number of books retrieved logged 59,595 volumes up by 30,817 or 51.71 percent higher than the previous year. The unprecedented increase can be attributed to the Library’s effort in disseminating the information on the use of the book chutes service. It is evident that as a result of such effort a large number of the university population, if not all, have appreciated the new and convenient way of returning books.
Table 2 also reveals the most active book chute. During the second year of operation, the most active book chute is at the Library Lobby with a total of 21,621 followed by the book chutes at the South Gate (15,792), Velasco (9,571), North Gate (8,442), and at the Gokongwei Gate (4,169).
2.2.3 Third Year Performance, SY 2001-2002
The popularity of the book chute service continued to rise as indicated in the increase of the returned books retrieved during the third year of its operation.
In Table 3, a total of 64,346 volumes were returned through the book chutes from June 2001 to May 2002. This year’s performance was higher by 4,751 volumes or 7.38 percent compared to last year’s performance.
Further analysis of the three year performance revealed a significant decline (44.33 percent) of the second year and the third year compared to the first year and the second year performances. This wide margin can be attributed to the change in the library loan policy effective March 1, 2000 where loan period for undergraduate and graduate students was extended from one week to two weeks; and for the faculty members, from one month to 100 days. As a result, the returning of books, particularly on the school year 2001-2002, was not as frequent as in the previous years.
Meanwhile, the distribution of returned books per gate in Table 3 revealed that the book chute at the Library Lobby posted the highest number of returned books with a total of 20,838 volumes followed by the South Gate with a total of 18,842 books. The third highest was the Velasco followed by the North Gate and Gokongwei with totals of 11,242, 8,840 and 4,584 books respectively.
2.2.4 Overdue and Unpaid Fines
Comparative data on the rate of overdue and fines are presented in Table 4. One of the findings reveals an upward trend in the rate of overdue books.
In June 2000 to May 2001 there were 626 books overdue from 360 users as against 756 books from 434 users in June to December 2001. An increase of 17.20 percent for overdues and 17.05 percent on the number of users who incurred fines were noted.
Meanwhile, the unpaid fines incurred during the same period followed the same trend as in the number of overdues. During the period June 2000 to May 2001 there were 519 unpaid fines as against 756 or 31.35 percent increase in June to December 2001. Accordingly, the total amount of unpaid fines (Php 138,486.00) in June 2000 to May 2001 had increased by 29.05 percent compared to Pph195,189.00 in June to December 2001.
2.2.5 Book Loans
A total of 470,816 volumes were loaned out to students, faculty and staff
during the SY 1999 – 2002. More than one third of the total, (388,524 volumes or 82.52%), were processed at the Circulation Counter followed by Filipiniana, and EDRC/ASRC with totals 81,237 (or 17.25%) and 1,055 volumes (or 0.02%) respectively.
2.3. Implications of Findings
2.3.1 Estimated Cost
Pegged at an average current cost of Php4,000 per book for non-fiction and at Php750 per book for the fictions, the total books retrieved from the five book chutes during the last three years of operation would yield to a huge amount of Php362,707,625.00.
2.3.2 Overdue And Unpaid Fines
The findings in Table 4 imply that despite the convenient procedure in returning library books, the book chute proved to be less beneficial when it comes to minimizing overdue book returns. However, the findings are far from conclusive since these have to be compared with the rate of overdues and unpaid fines on previous school years, i.e. when the book chute is not yet installed.
2.3.3 Queuing at the Circulation Counter
A reduction in the usually long queue particularly at the Circulation Counter and Filipiniana is another positive effect of the book chute service. The total number of retrieved books which is 152,719 volumes is about 32.44 percent from the total of loaned out books (470,816 volumes) during the SY 1999-2002. Books retrieved included those from Circulation, EDRC/ASRC and the Filipiniana divisions of the Library.
Meanwhile, the number of books returned at the counters (Circulation-Reserve, EDRC/ASRC and Filipiniana) which is 318,097 volumes or 67.56 per cent is more than twice bigger than the number of books dropped at the book chutes. Obviously, those who returned their books at the counter are those who would like to either borrow more books or do some researches in the library or study their lessons, etc. after returning their books.
3. SECURITY AND PROCEDURES
One may ask, how secured is the book chute? What guarantee that the book returned through the book chute will be cleared under the borrower’s name? Does the Library issue a receipt as proof that the book has indeed been returned?
A review of the actions taken by the library management to ensure security of the book chutes and to ensure accuracy in the checking-in of retrieved books would help shed light and hopefully provide answers to above queries and or help clear doubts over the use of the book chutes of the library.
3.1 Coordination with the Security Forces of the University
The Library at present has five book chutes situated at different strategic locations of the university. Specifically, the book chutes are located near the guard stations at the Gokongwei, Velasco, North Gate, South Gate and at the Library Lobby.
In her memo dated November 9, 1999, Ms. Perla Garcia, Library Director, sought the assistance of Mr. Dionisio Escarez, Security Officer, in the monitoring of the proper use and safety of the book chutes stationed at all entrance/exit points fronting Taft Avenue.