Hello all!
I assisted my neighborhood farmers market in setting up a nutrition-focused lending library (which is awesome!) however we are having some difficulty ensuring that the patrons return the books.
When patrons check out the books, we suggest that they bring them back in 1 month, write down the due date for them on a slip of paper, and track their checkout on a recipe card. They only provide us with their name and a telephone number.
Of course, life happens. If patrons are a couple months late, we understand. However, if the books never come back, this is an issue.
Despite repeated telephone calls, many patrons have still not returned books, over 6 months later. Unfortunately, the farmers market does not have the budget to replace these books nor does it have the budget to offer incentives to encourage patrons to come back.
I'm curious what you would do in this situation. Part of me does want to "donate" some kind of incentive, and so I am open to suggestions for that as well.
Thanks for your time, I appreciate it!