[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] How does your consortium handle money?

[Sharp, Chris]

Hi Judy,

> In our North Texas consortium, all the libraries are separate
> entities, and their governing bodies consider it important that each
> library receive its overdue fines and payment for lost items. Our
> policy is that patrons can pay fines at any library, but the money for
> circulation fines goes to the library that owns the circulating item.
> When we set up the consortium, we decided that we would transfer money
> between libraries every three months to settle up.
>
>
> Our process has been to run an Evergreen report showing all the
> payments taken in during the quarter, manually identify the ones where
> circulation fines were paid at libraries other than where the
> circulating item was owned, and total up what each library pays and
> receives in the quarterly settlement. Figuring out the amounts for the
> quarterly settlement turns out to be a time-consuming process for the
> staff person that does it (me). Then we have bookkeeping overhead for
> invoices and checks to each library. As the number of libraries in the
> consortium grows, the process is going to get worse.
> 
> 
> The last two quarters less than 2% of the payments have been involved
> and the total money transferred (for all 14 libraries) has been
> between $600 and $700. The time involved to figure out the settlement
> isn't worth it, but the local governments aren't likely to back down
> on the requirement. Faced with budget cuts and staff cuts, I'd love to
> find a way to eliminate or speed up this process.
> 
> 
> How have other consortia approached this issue?


When PINES was formed in 1999, the member libraries agreed that they would allow fines to be paid at any PINES library without the need for reimbursement.  The thought was, as I understand it, that it was not worth it to transport such small amounts of money between libraries and that it all comes out in the wash.  PINES libraries do send payments of lost and damaged fees back to the item-owning library, remitting monthly.

I'm not sure it will help you make your case, but you can point out that the majority of libraries in the state of Georgia have agreed on this sort of arrangement.

Hope that helps!

Chris
 
> 
> 
> Judy Daniluk
> 
> Technology Consultant, North Texas Library Partners
> 
> 6320 Southwest Blvd., Suite 101, Fort Worth, TX 76109
> 
> jdaniluk at ntrls.org 817-201-6778 (cell) 817-377-4440 (office)
> www.ntrls.org

-- 
Chris Sharp
PINES Program Manager
Georgia Public Library Service
1800 Century Place, Suite 150
Atlanta, Georgia 30345
(404) 235-7147
csharp at georgialibraries.org
http://pines.georgialibraries.org/