Click on image to view letter
Courtesy
In the letter, the You-attitude was adopted and readers were provided with benefit materials. Courtesy is important in this context as the NLB seeks the cooperation of library members to provide and promote responsible use of public library resources.
The letter was sent about 2 months before the new policy would be in place from 1 April 2009. This allows members to clarify any doubts and also to make arrangements to settle their fines and fees.
Correctness
While there were no errors which distracted the reader from focusing on the message, the claim that "if you return items on time, or do not accumulate fines and fees, then you will be unaffected by this change" might not be entirely true as the new policy of the renewing items for free would affect members who return items on time.
Conciseness and Clarity
In the letter, important information was clearly highlighted with appropriate bolding and underlining of the some part of the text. This helped readers to identify the main points by adding weight and clarity.
Click on image to view letter
An additional point to note was that a comic strip was included at the back of the letter. It presented the library policy changes in a concised and humorous manner.
Coherence and Cohesion
The writer informs the reader of the rationales behind the changes to current policies throughout the letter. The rationales were mentioned as an introduction at the beginning of the letter and was mentioned again after the changes to the policies were shared. However, the line "If you have already paid, please ignore this letter." suggests that NLB is more concerned with members paying their fines on top of all the rationales.
Concreteness
Specific and relevant information, such as the date in which the new policy will be in effect and the exact amount of fines and fees in the receipent's account, was provided. Also, the elaboration on the renewal of different type of library resources helped readers to better understand the new renewal charge system.
Completeness
In general, the letter is complete to a large extent. Members were informed of the changes to the library policies and on a personal note, it urged me to clear my fines. Perhaps members could be reminded of the various means of paying their fines and of how convenient they are in addition to the current content.
I personally feel that the comic strip is very suitable for such a letter that is supposed to provide information. While scanning through the blog post, the first thing that caught my eye was the comic strip and I read it before anything else. Not only was it concise, it was also clear as I had no doubts as to what it was trying to say. In addition, the text below the comic strip also serves to reinforce the idea that it is trying to bring across.
ReplyDeleteIt must be noted though that such comic strips are only suitable for slightly informal letters. Although they may be able to achieve their purpose in a formal letter, it may be viewed as slightly inappropriate.
Hi
ReplyDeleteI agree that the comic strip is useful in conveying information on the changes in the library policy, especially for people who have varying proficiencies in the English language. It is also interesting to note that other government boards also make use of comic strips to convey information in a concise manner. If I remember correctly, the CPF Board also used comic strips to complement letters in informing the public on GST packages and other payouts.
Overall the letter was well written as the points were presented in a direct and systematic matter. There was no beating round the bush and you can certainly get the message that they are trying to convey the very first time you read it. This is especially true where the policy changes on renewal of library material is concerned. Just recently I received an e-mail regarding the policy changes of a certain organization of which I am a member and the content of the e-mail was terribly confusing. In the end I have to speak to them directly over the telephone to clarify a lot of issues.
ReplyDeleteI thought the language of this was very clear although I think the reasons behind the new policy should have been explained fully in the first paragraph. The meaning of 'responsible use of resources' is not obvious.
ReplyDeleteThe lay out of the letter is a bit messy too. Some attempt at setting it out with a nod towards symmetry. The font and size are goo though.
Mrs Richardson