University of Virginia Library

Cool Doorman

I commend Mr. Read's letter on
the purpose, for the Door Checker
at Alderman Library. I agree in the
spirit of his remarks, that an
urgency does exist to control the
number of books that end to lose
their way in or out of the library.

I do not agree, however, that
the "primary function" of the Door
Checker is a simple chore of
correlating a book's call number
against the charge-out card. It is a
position of higher discretion, one in
which all who border in and around
the University community should
take note, it is hardly an equitable
issue to denounce a library for its
shortage of new books when it has
a full time task accounting for its
present volumes.

How many of us, in the rush for
time, wanted nothing more but a
book or two without all the fuss?
After all, we do live under the
honor system.

The Door Checker, therefore,
makes us aware that we have a
responsibility to cooperate. If, as
Mr. Read states, that the Door
Checker only monitors call
numbers, and saves us from undue
fines, then it is a by-product, if not
the job, of his cool imagination.