Libraries Turning to Collectors Though Numbers Unknown

An increasing number of libraries are turning to collection agencies in order to recover back fines and loaned materials. Though there are no known recent surveys on libraries that have employed collection agencies, the practice “is not uncommon anymore,” Loriene Roy, president of the American Library Association, Chicago, said in an interview with insideARM.

“Though you’ll see some occasional stories of people returning items that have been overdue for 50 years, the reality is that it is hard for some libraries to keep materials on the shelves,” Roy said.

Some libraries can lose a substantial amount of materials in a single year, said Roy, who points to a report that the San Francisco library system lost $500,000 worth of materials in a 12-month period several years ago.

“That’s not a small portion of their budget,” Roy said.

The costs are more than just losing a book that might sell at a bookstore, Roy added. Library materials often have a more expensive, sturdier binding than bookstore offerings so the materials can be used several times without being damaged. There’s also the personnel cost of handling materials, including cataloguing and indexing.

As a result, libraries have tried tightening lending practices, with tighter restrictions on how long materials can be used, and quicker notifications on overdue materials. As reported in insideARM, other library systems have even going to local police authorities to issue citations, ("Unpaid Fines a ‘Joke,’ so Library Asks Cops for Collection Help," March 12).

But beyond going to police, the libraries have found that in order to recover outstanding fees, the resources of a collection agency are often needed. “They [collection firms] have specialized training in this area, [librarians] don’t,” Roy added. So those libraries that haven’t employed collection firms are likely to be considering it, she added.