College and Research Libraries


Good Will and Confidence 
In the July 1974 issue of this journal, Michael Bommer and Bernard Ford 

discussed the uncalculated expense a library incurs through its inability to 
serve when it cannot produce a document it is supposed to have or obtain 
a replacement for one lost through theft. They term this cost "good will or 
confidence." 

In a related article in the September issue, Jay B. Clark pointed out how 
readers at the Houston Public Library had lost confidence in that library's 
catalog because it no longer accurately reflected the library's holdings. This 
fact prompted the library to inventory its collections and remove cards 
from the catalog for items no longer present. 

A different viewpoint of this subject is given in the current issue. In their 
article "Project Library Ripoff," Clyde Hendrick and Marjorie E. Murfin 
summarize students' views on the mutilation of library materials. The 
thoughts they present are disquieting-if not surprising: for example, the 
students in their study do not consider mutilation a serious offense. They 
are not much concernep about being caught if they do mutilate materials; 
nor would they act if they saw someone else mutilating a book or periodical. 
Coupled with these thoughts· is the general widespread underestimation by 
the students of the cost and effort needed to replace or repair multilated 
items. 

To cope with this problem, Hendrick and Murfin recommend a major 
program of information for library users. The program, to be repeated 
periodically, would emphasize the financial costs our institutions incur 
through mutilation. Additionally, they recommend warning signs and un-
obtrusive surveillance in critical areas of the library. Bommer and Ford's 
article is directed toward a more impersonal form of surveillance designed 
to, discourage theft-the use of an electronic security system. 

We have thus seen that there are two aspects to "good will and con-
fidence" -readers, with that uncertain feeling, not sure the items they wish 
will actually be on the shelves or otherwise available, and library staff 
undertaking programs of information and installing security devices to 
protect the material under their care. Each group suffers from this loss of 
good will and confidence. With that knowledge, however, we can approach 
our daily tasks with more realistic expectations and do the best job we can. 

R.D.J. 

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