Introduction to Charging and Discharging
Charging and discharging are commonly used terms in library science. These words describe the processes involved in borrowing and returning books. Specifically, they refer to the activities of issuing books to readers for a defined period, allowing them to take the books home for reading, and then returning the books to the library. The charging and discharging method encompasses all the operations related to these transactions, including the recording of information about each borrowing and returning activity.
Historical Background of Library Circulation
In the early days of libraries, books were stored on shelves, and patrons were not allowed to take them home. This restriction posed no issues with the process of issuing books. However, as the number of books and readers grew, a charging system began to be introduced, though it didn’t require much consideration at the time. Keeping track of who borrowed which book and when it was returned was relatively simple.
In 1850, after the establishment of public libraries in England, it became permissible for readers to take books home. Prior to this, library services were primarily focused on allowing people to read books on-site in a limited capacity. There was, in fact, no established system for patrons to sit and read within the library itself. Thus, the practice of borrowing books to take home emerged even before the relevant legislation was enacted.
Evolution of Charging Systems:
A. Early Charging Systems (Antiquated Methods)
Some antiquated charging systems from that era are also known. They are:
1. Day book method
2. Ledger method
3. Dummy method
4. Temporary slip method
5. Card method
1. Day Book System: In the day book system, accounts of returned book issues were initially recorded in draft form, and later transcribed into a fixed ledger. Each member had a dedicated page in this ledger, similar to a shop ledger. This page included the member’s name, address, details of the borrowed book, and proof of return, among other information.
2. Ledger system: As the number of books increased day by day, the number of libraries also increased and so did the number of readers. As a result, the issue system changed a bit. The daily draft book was replaced by the ledger system. These were assigned one page for each reader. In it, a number of cells were cut and relevant information was recorded there. A sample of a page is given below:
User’s name:
Address :
| Serial No. | Date of issue | Author’s name | Name of book | Return date | Librarian’s signature |
3. Dummy Method
In the laser method, if a reader needed to locate an out-of-print book, they had to flip through page after page of the laser records to find out who had the book, which was time-consuming and tedious. The Dummy method emerged as a potential solution to this issue. In this method, a wooden dummy was placed on the shelf to represent the book, with a ruled paper attached to it that contained all the necessary details. Although this method was straightforward, it was still challenging to find information at a glance because there were numerous book addresses located at the back of the library.
4. Temporary Slip System: The disadvantages of one system led to the emergence of a different one. Therefore, the temporary slip system was born from the disadvantages of the dummy system. In this case, the name of the book, member number, name and address of the member were written on a piece of paper at the time of issue. The slips were kept at the issue counter according to the date or chronological system or according to the member number. Later, when the book was returned, they were destroyed or returned to the member.
5. Card system:
Through this evolution, the indicator system and the card system were born in the case of book issuance. The card became a temporary slip, with some semblance of permanence in the temporary. Just as the slip system was introduced instead of the old demand, the card system was introduced again instead of the old system.
B. Modern Charging Systems
Gradually, the popularity of the library continued to increase. Along with this, the number of users also increased. Various changes were made in the charging system to save the reader’s time. The names of the different types of charging systems used today are mentioned below:
- Semi-Manual Systems
- The Browne Charging system
- The Network Charging System
- The Detroit –Self Charging System.
- The Dickman Book Charging System
- Gaylord Charging System
- Advanced Manual Systems
- Photo Charging System
- Audio charging System
- Wayne County Charging System
- Double Call Slip Charging System
- Double Record Charging System
- Classification-Based Systems
- Accession Number Charging System
- Colure Card Charging System
- Ranganathan’s Reader Ticket’s Method
- IBM Circulation Control System.
- Computer Charging System.
The charging and discharging method has evolved from simple manual record-keeping systems to advanced computerized systems, ensuring efficient tracking of library transactions.
This evolution reflects the growing need to save time, improve accuracy, and enhance user service in modern library management.
