Michigan Live sure does have alot of library stories. This one is about how The Georgetown Township Library is now using a collection agency for fine collection.
Patrons with more than $50 in lost or long-overdue materials from the Georgetown Township Library could end up with a black mark on their credit report.
The Township Board recently approved a proposal by library officials that will allow the library to start a program to recover some of the more than $22,000 in materials owed by patrons.
Of the amount owed, $18,637.67 is owed by patrons in the library service area; the remainder is owed by patrons from other libraries and through interlibrary loans.
Library officials hope to begin the program by May 1 for 131 patrons with outstanding bills of at least $50. They expect to recover $11,880.67 through the program.
Michigan Live sure does have alot of library stories. This one is about how The Georgetown Township Library is now using a collection agency for fine collection.
Patrons with more than $50 in lost or long-overdue materials from the Georgetown Township Library could end up with a black mark on their credit report.
The Township Board recently approved a proposal by library officials that will allow the library to start a program to recover some of the more than $22,000 in materials owed by patrons.
Of the amount owed, $18,637.67 is owed by patrons in the library service area; the remainder is owed by patrons from other libraries and through interlibrary loans.
Library officials hope to begin the program by May 1 for 131 patrons with outstanding bills of at least $50. They expect to recover $11,880.67 through the program.
Library turns to collection agency to recoup losses
Thursday, February 17, 2000
By Sharon M. Covieo
The Grand Rapids Press
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GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP — Patrons with more than $50 in lost or long-overdue materials from the Georgetown Township Library could end up with a black mark on their credit report.
The Township Board recently approved a proposal by library officials that will allow the library to start a program to recover some of the more than $22,000 in materials owed by patrons.
Of the amount owed, $18,637.67 is owed by patrons in the library service area; the remainder is owed by patrons from other libraries and through interlibrary loans.
Library officials hope to begin the program by May 1 for 131 patrons with outstanding bills of at least $50. They expect to recover $11,880.67 through the program.
The remainder of the money owed is by patrons with less than $50 in materials, said Library Director Sheryl VanderWagen.
\”We would rather have the materials back. Getting the materials is more important to us, but if the materials are gone, we will take the money,\” she added.
Once the library has exhausted standard recovery procedures, such as mailing two overdue notices and a final bill, the library\’s circulation and online catalog system will turn the accounts over to a collection agency using DebtCollect.
DebtCollect is a software package that allows for the automatic transmission of data to an outside agency for the recovery of lost and long-overdue items.
The library will enter into a free 90-day trial with Unique Management Services Inc., a national collection agency that has served only libraries since 1994.
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