Greetings,

We’re wondering what process you use for handling patron accounts with overdue items. We recently discontinued our contract with a collections agency (we were pretty much breaking even) and we’re bringing the process in-house. Looking for insight on the following questions…

- What’s your timeline for contacting patrons / blocking their account / charging them for the item? How many times do you contact a patron before/while/after you take action on their account?

- What means do you use to contact the patron: mail, e-mail, phone call, text?

- Is there a designated staff person who carries out these procedures, or are the tasks shared by staff?

- Any tips on how to be compassionate and flexible while following policy?

Any help you can give is appreciated! You can reply off-list and I’ll compile responses to share.

Deborah Haak