The Library is using this agency to improve their procedures for securing the return of overdue books and materials so that those resources will be available to other library patrons. A secondary reason for using the material recovery agency is to assist in the collection of outstanding fine balances.

When patron accounts reach a balance of $25.00 or more with no payment activity in 60 days, Unique Management Services, acting on behalf of the library, will contact referred patrons by letter and by telephone to remind them to visit their local branch libraries in order to resolve problems with their library accounts.

If patrons contact the Library to resolve any issues with their accounts during the 60-day grace period, then there is no impact. If patrons fail to take action within that time period then their accounts may be referred to Unique Management Services for further action. If an account is referred, a $10 service charge will be added to the patron’s account balance.

Once an account is referred to the agency, an additional $10.00 referral fee will be added to the patron account.

No, the maximum overdue fine per item will not change either prior to, or after, an account has been referred to the materials recovery agency. The maximum fine per item remains either $6.00 per item or $10.00 per item, depending on the type of item.

No, the patron cap amount will not change. Once a patron owes more than $10 on an account, the patron will not be allowed to check out additional materials until the account is resolved.

At this point, the contract between the City of San Antonio and Unique Management Services specifies that no patron accounts will be referred to credit reporting agencies.

Definitely not! The Library has contracted with Unique Management Services largely due to their success rate in assisting libraries to recover overdue library materials.

The San Antonio Public Library will collect all money. Unique Management Services will send letters and make telephone calls to direct patrons to visit their local branch libraries in order to clear any problem situations with their accounts.

The San Antonio Public Library has several ways for you to determine the status of your account. On each visit, library staff let patrons know if they have any account irregularities, such as outstanding fines, overdue books, etc. Using the Library online service, you can access your personal account information. Using the Library telephone service, you can call (210) 207-6121, or toll-free at 866-432-8950, and use the automated system to determine your account status. Finally, you may call the Library’s main information number, (210) 207-2500 and request status. Please remember that privacy laws prevent library staff from providing individual item titles by phone. They can provide you with any existing balance on the account.

When you check out library materials, you receive a receipt showing the date the items should be returned to the Library. If you have provided an email address for your account, the Library will send you an email message 3 days prior to the item due date. If the item is not returned by the due date, we will send an overdue notice by email or regular mail, 7 days after the item was due. If the overdue notice is ignored, a bill notice will be sent when the item becomes 21 days overdue. An additional 39 days will elapse before the account is referred to the materials recovery agency, allowing a total 60-day grace period from the time the account becomes past-due until it is referred.

The most common question from Library customers is why a notice is not sent before an item is 7 days overdue - it is because this would be a cost-prohibitive practice, and our records show that most patrons return their items on time or within that 7–day period.

At that point, you should expect to receive a series of written notices and telephone calls from Unique Management Services customer representatives. Their effort is centered on directing patrons with delinquent accounts back to the library to clear up any issues with their accounts.

Library materials that are less than 20 days overdue may be returned at any branch location inside the building or in the book drop. Fines will be assessed to the patron account and may be paid at that time or on the next visit. We recommend that you return books that are 21 days or more overdue in person inside the library. This will assure that the books are returned in a prompt manner and the proper assessment to the account occurs.

You can pay fines and fees on your account at any San Antonio Public Library. Payment can be made in person using cash or check. You may also send your payment by check to:

San Antonio Public Library
Attn: Fiscal Office - Accounts
600 Soledad
San Antonio, TX 78205-1208Please make the check payable to San Antonio Public Library and print your library card number legibly on the memo line of the check.

Under current policy, if a patron has reached a maximum fine balance of $10.00, or a patron has library materials that are more than 21 days overdue, borrowing privileges are temporarily suspended. The privileges will be restored once the account is returned to good standing.

Library resources are for everyone, which means library users have a responsibility to return library materials on time and in good condition. The fine and fee policy is not in place to penalize our patrons. It is designed to encourage patrons to return library materials on time so that these valuable resources are available to others, who have an equal right to use them.

The Library understands that we all have occasional difficulty making payments. While full payment on accounts is appreciated, we realize that it may not be possible for all patrons. That is why we offer an option to set up a plan so that a patron can pay in installments on a schedule that is acceptable to both the patron and the Library. As long as a patron continues to make scheduled payments, the Library will extend limited borrowing privileges during the payment process and the account will not be referred to Unique Management Services. Contact your local library for full details.

This is a fee added on to a patron’s account by the library to cover the cost of using the services of Unique Management.

To avoid fines or service fees, simply return your borrowed materials on time or renew them before the due date. There are several options for renewing materials: online, by phone at (210) 207-6121 or toll-free at 1-866-432-8950, or in person at any San Antonio Public Library location. If you experience difficult in renewing materials, please contact us online or at (210) 207-2500.

A complete list of library locations and service hours is available at www.mysapl.org/locations.aspx, or you may call (210) 207-2500 during business hours.