1. Announcements

2. Consolidated Billing Committee’s report on Cornell Collections – Carmen Blankinship

3. Committee appointments, 2008/2009 – Reports from liaisons and brief confirmation of dates etc.

Attendees

Carmen Blankinship, Adam Chandler, Xin Li, Mary Ochs, Jean Poland, Pat Schafer, Kornelia Tancheva, Kizer Walker, Scott Wicks

Announcements

June 25^th Meeting is canceled

Pat forwarded the Usability and User Services Committee proposal to Anne Kenney

LTS interview presentations will take place over the next couple of weeks

Committee Appointments

The end dates for committee members extending their terms will be 2009

Consolidated Billing

The Consolidated Billing Committee proposed changes in the procedures used to track and collect outstanding fines / fees and use Cornell University Collections.

Summary of changes:

1. The staff of the Library Public Services Office (Olin/Kroch/Uris Access Services) will assume a campus-wide administrative role in coordinating, processing, and tracking patron bills that are sent to Cornell University Collections (CUC). The office will:

• send monthly reports of open bills to unit libraries for their review
• send eligible bills to CUC and maintain records centrally
• be the contact with CUC for all communications about library accounts

2. Only fines totaling $25 or more per patron will be sent to CUC. Cumulative     fines under $25 will be forgiven monthly. This decision was based on a cost benefit analysis. (See attached)

3. The library will include a statement in the warning letter to patrons about the addition of a 25% fee if the bill is unpaid by the date specified and is forwarded to Cornell University Collections.

4. The library will include a second overdue notice in the reminder process. This will improve communication with our patrons.

Justification for changes:

1. Sending accounts to CUC is a complex and difficult procedure that has resulted in many units using the service inconsistently, or not at all.

• Consolidating the process within one administrative office will enable us to pursue collection efficiently, consistently and in the most cost-effective manner.
• Training will be simplified: for billing staff in the unit libraries, training will be designed to meet only that part of the process that will involve their participation (checking the monthly reports). Training for LPSO staff will be focused on their more complex administrative role.

2. The suggested procedures will streamline and consolidate referrals to CUC. Accounts for patrons with outstanding fines at multiple libraries will be combined. In addition, consolidation will eliminate the need for CUC to communicate with multiple library units.

3. By warning patrons about the additional fee, the library will enable Cornell Collections to pursue collection of the CUC fee from patrons rather than from the library. This change will simplify administrative work for library accounting and for CUC.

Units will retain discretionary authority over their bills. The proposed procedures allow unit libraries to review, adjust, or forgive all outstanding fines before the accounts are sent to CUC.