2018-102 Library RevenueDate: August 10, 2018 Report No. 2018-102
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Information on Denton Public Library fines and other revenue.
BACKGROUND:
All fees and fines collected by the Denton Public Library go to the General Fund. Additional
revenue generated by the Library deposited in the General Fund includes nonresident fees, printing
and copying charges, 3D printing charges, replacement card fees, and sales of earbuds and flash
drives. The total budgeted General Fund expenditures for the Library in FY 2017-2018 is
$6,123,612.
In FY 2016-2017, the Library collected the following in overdue and lost/damaged item fines:
• $82,158.97 in overdue fines;
• $15,350.56 for lost or damaged items;
• $14,908.42 payments made via online payment system that include overdue, lost, and
damage charges; and
• $4,411.71 for collection fees charged by Unique for collection services.
Denton Public Library policy and procedures follow City of Denton Code of Ordinances regarding
the return of borrowed materials (Code 1966, § 2-54; Ord. No. 2006-305, § 1, 11-7-06; Ord. No.
2015-281, § 1, 9-15-15) and maximum fines (Ord. No. 2013-236, § 1, 9-17-13). The Library’s
Circulation Services Policy clarifies overdue notice procedures:
Overdue Notices
As a courtesy, the Denton Public Library attempts to notify customers whenever they have overdue
materials.
• At five (5) days overdue, an overdue notice is sent via email, text-messaging, through the
library’s Telephone Notification System, or via the U.S. mail.
• At twenty eight (28) days overdue, the customer will receive a printed notice of
unresolved charges via the U.S. mail.
• At forty five (45) days overdue, the customer will receive a billing statement via the U.S.
mail that reflects the replacement cost for each item.
• If after fourteen (14) days from the date of the billing statement a customer does not
resolve their outstanding fees and they are in excess of $10.00, the account is referred to
a collection agency. A collection fee of up to $15.00 is charged to the customer’s account
at this time.
• Not receiving an overdue notification does not exempt the customer from paying
outstanding fees.
The Library began using Unique, a collection service for libraries, to assist in recovering materials
and fines for past due accounts in 1997. Since then, materials worth $94,128.25 have been returned
Date: August 10, 2018 Report No. 2018-102
to the Library and $558,338.52 in overdue fines have been recovered. Library staff runs a monthly
report to identify accounts with charges of $10.01 or more that are at least 60 days old from the
time the item was due. Staff reviews those accounts for accuracy prior to sending the report to
Unique and assigning the collection fee. Library fines are not sent to credit reporting agencies and
do not affect any patron’s credit. In 2015, the National Consumer Assistant Plan established that
Library fines would not appear on consumer credit reports.
The Library’s number one goal in regards to overdue materials is getting items returned and back
into circulation for other citizens to enjoy. To reduce barriers to checking out or renewing
materials, the Library has implemented the following customer service features to make it easier
to manage their Library accounts.
• Overdue notifications may be sent via automated phone call, e-mail, or text. Patrons
verify contact information and notification preferences annually when their accounts are
renewed.
• Patrons opting for e-mail or text notifications also receive a reminder notification 5 days
before items are due. Phone reminders are unavailable with our current telephone
notification system.
• When checking out materials, a receipt with due dates is provided at all staffed circulation
desks and is an option at all self-check terminals.
• Materials may be turned in to any Library branch 24/7 via book return drops. Materials
are returned in real time, so items returned on their due date at 11:59 p.m. are not overdue.
• An item may be renewed if there is no hold on it. Renewals may be made in person at
the circulation desk or at a self-check terminal, over the phone during Library operational
hours, or 24/7 online. At least one library branch is open 70 hours per week to facilitate
in person or over the phone transactions.
• Fine payments may be made online 24/7 by logging into “My Account” via the Library
online catalog.
• In late 2018, the Library’s integrated library system software will release an update that
provides automatic renewals on items without holds. The Library hopes that the
automatic extension will help reduce overdue occurrences for busy patrons. The Library
will publicize the new feature and procedures once it is implemented.
STAFF CONTACT:
Jennifer Bekker, Director of Libraries
(940) 349-8753
Jennifer.Bekker@cityofdenton.com