SHARE member libraries were surveyed to explore different options for an updated payment and billing policy for collecting fines. When patrons travel from the home library to another SHARE public library (reciprocal borrowing), they sometimes have fines that need to be paid before they can check out materials. The current policy states that fines can be kept by the transacting library, with fees for lost or damaged items sent to the owning library.
With the existing policy, it is not clear if fine-free libraries should either accept fines, even though they are fine-free; waive the fines, since it is their revenue; or accept the fines and send the revenue on to the patron’s home library. This has caused some confusion between members.
The member survey analysis did not provide a clear member preference, so the SHARE Circulation & Resource Sharing Committee and SHARE staff looked at this question from these angles:
- What would cause the least disruption or change from existing policy?
- What would cause the least amount of work for member libraries?
- What would be in line with previous recommendations and SHARE philosophy?
- We want to encourage the best possible customer service for all SHARE patrons.
- We place a high emphasis on library autonomy and the right for libraries to manage their own patrons.
- We do not want to encourage patrons “library shopping” or put our member libraries in conflict with each other.
1. Waiving Fines
The home library is responsible for any decisions regarding changes to a patron’s account since they have issued the fines. This follows current SHARE policy regarding patron blocks: “Any block established via the patron record will not be overridden by a transacting library.” This recommendation is based on the SHARE philosophy of library autonomy and the right for member libraries to make independent decisions about their patrons and their items. This is also to prevent patrons from gaming the system.
Suggestion to add to the existing Payments Policy: Unless the patron is changing jurisdictions, the decision to waive a fine for overdue items belongs to the home library. Do you agree/disagree? Should there be a set amount where the transacting libraries can waive fines?
2. Collecting Fees at the Transacting Library
Suggestion: The transacting library should allow patrons to clear their record by paying amounts owed. This provides good customer service and is in line with existing SHARE Managing Overdue and Lost Items procedures.
3. Keep or Mail Fines
Suggestion: The transacting library may keep paid fines, even if they are a fine-free library, though they can choose to develop a local policy to set a threshold and send fines to the home library. This again respects local autonomy, while also keeping the solution simple and in line with our current Payments and Billings policy: Any fine collection by reciprocal lending libraries may be kept by the transacting library. Libraries may choose to set a specific threshold and return fines above the limit to the loaning library. They may deduct postage and handling fees.
Member Comment
Please submit member comments about the above suggestions by December 7, 2022. All member comments will be reviewed and a decision will be made at the next SHARE Circulation & Resource Sharing Committee meeting on December 8, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. All members are welcome to attend. Please register in L2.
Comments
Waiving Fines
We are a fine-free library, I feel that, since we have the right to collect fines charged at other libraries, we should also have the right to waive those fines incurred by our patrons. This does not include fees for lost or damanged materials.
Waiving Fines
My library is fine free on juvenile material for our patrons. I would not waive the fines on another library's patron account... but I will continue to waive fines on juvenile material that we bring in from other libraries for my patrons. Those libraries were never going to see that .50 or even $3.00 for that fine paid to my library for their item so I am finding it hard to follow why suddenly this matters. I would also ask, is there a report that can be run so that Library A can see the fines paid to Library B for items owned by Library A?
1. Suggestion to add to the existing Payments Policy: Unless the patron is changing jurisdictions, the decision to waive a fine for overdue items belongs to the home library. Do you agree/disagree? (this question is kind of confusing. I will not waive fines on another library's patron account but when my patron requests juvenile material and it comes from another library and is turned in late, I will waive that fine because the patron is mine) Answer is DISAGREE. Should there be a set amount where the transacting libraries can waive fines? Are we saying per patron or a monthly total? Again, I go back to is there a report that tracks this?
2. Suggestion: The transacting library should allow patrons to clear their record by paying amounts owed. This provides good customer service and is in line with existing SHARE Managing Overdue and Lost Items procedures. Answer is AGREE. It seems the worst customer service we could give is to send a patron back to another library when the patron is willing to pay for the item right there. When this happens at my library, my staff print out what is needed and let me know that for example, "a patron paid for a book belonging to Belleville so we need to send the money to Belleville."
3. Yes I agree.
Waiving Fines
I agree with the spirit of Gary's comment above.
Diving deeper, it is very difficult for front line staff to remember the different fine thresholds for the various libraries. Some patrons get blocked at 0.10, others at 10.00, and everything in between. I wish this threshold could be standardized, but I realize that is highly unlikley to happen anytime soon.
We view any peron who walks through our doors as "our patron" and strive to treat them as equally as we would anyone else. I dislike the idea of having to apply different customer service standards to different folks. Along these lines, I echo Jill's question above...why does this suddenly matter?
And why don't we want patrons "library shopping?" Don't we all shop for servies all the time (restaurants, salons, gyms, etc.)? At the end of the day, home libraries are still supported by their patrons' taxes, regardless of where those patrons choose to transact. Fine revenue typically makes up arond 1% of a library's overall budget, let's not make this harder than it needs to be.