Widener Library will stop renewing books by telephone as of March 5, Associate Librarian Foster M. Palmer announced this week. In addition, because of what he termed an "unprecedented" demand for books, none may be renewed more than once in the future.
"Unlimited telephone renewals have encouraged hoarding," Palmer said. "Inaccuracy resulted from the fact that people did not always get book numbers right on the phone. The new policy should mean that more books will be available when asked for."
Palmer estimated that the library has handled 350 telephone renewals in an average day, with calls occasionally reaching the rate of one every minute. A record was set on a day last January in which over 1000 were received.
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