"check shelves"

[Peter Murray]

--On Friday, July 16, 2004 3:09 PM -0700 "K.G. Schneider" 
<kgs at bluehighways.com> wrote:
> I was looking at a number of web opacs (note how I carefully work in
> the Web connection) when I saw something that bothers me because I
> see it far too often now:
>
> CHECK SHELVES	

The trend of thinking, at least in the three times I've been in 
discussions about an on-stacks status code (present employer excluded), 
is that "Available" makes a promise that the patron will find the item 
on the stacks.  "Check Shelves" is a weaker social contract that the 
patron will likely find the item on the shelves, but we can't promise 
it (it may be on in a reshelving area, on a reading table, misshelved, 
etc.).

(By the way, my current employer uses the phrase "Not Checked Out", 
which is more of a statement of fact rather than a suggestion as to its 
availability.)


Peter
-- 
Peter Murray                      http://www.pandc.org/peter/work/
Assistant to the Director for Technology Initiatives  860-486-6771
University of Connecticut Libraries            Storrs, Connecticut