Although library users could be very careful in ensuring that all the books that they want to borrow are properly checked out at the self-help stations and the books borrowed are shown on a loan receipt, the alarm system may still be activated when they walk out of the library. This is because if an * or © appears on the loan receipt next to an item, the library users are expected to bring the book to the customer service counter to 'update the record'. Otherwise, the alarm system will be activated.

The false alarm not only embarrasses users who do not read the receipt, but also causes inconvenience to them as they will have to walk to the counter to have the books checked by NLB staff and untagged the book.

The NLB should review the need to require borrowers to bring the book with the remark * or © to the counter to seek its staff assistance since the book is already properly checked out from its computer system. It appears to me that it is an internal problem that could be solved using currently technology.

For example, those books with the remarks could be shown in a daily report when they are checked out and its staff could follow up on whatever action is required in the backroom without causing alarm and inconvenience to borrowers. This will also reduce the need for its staff to attend to such false alarms and hence could focus their attention on genuine cases of people 'smuggling' books out from the library.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when dealing with such an internal problem. I hope that the NLB will be able to solve the problem for the benefit of users and staff.

Goh Kian Huat