Library writes off $918,354.81

Almost $1 million in fines and fees are being purged from Las Vegas-Clark County Library District records, as approved by officials earlier this year.

Wait, how much? Exactly $918, 354.81.

Despite a figure high enough to give horror author R.L. Stine goose bumps, library officials aren't cringing. The write-off has become an annual routine for the district since 2004.

"It's a number that takes your breath away, but you have to put it in context," said executive director Jeanne Goodrich.

There are 13.5 million items in circulation every year within the district, she said, and there is bound to be some loss, especially when your business is sharing information and materials for no charge.

By loaning a book, magazine, CD or DVD, you have to trust that the renter will return it, she said.

But for a variety of reasons, people sometimes don't, she said. Although the library won't allow for theft without a fight, the losses have to be written off at some point.

"After five years and it's not deemed collectible, it's a matter of just getting it off our books, like any business does," she said.

Although clearing the books is one priority, the district always is anxious to retrieve books.

Since 2000 when the district automated its system, it has employed the services of a collection agency to help cut down on losses by finding books and collecting fines, said deputy director and chief operating officer Robb Morss.

In the past decade, the collection agency has recovered $4.61 million in items and an additional $3.38 million in fines, according to library district records.

Unique Management Services Inc., of Jeffersonville, Ind., specializes in working with libraries and charges fees based on the amount of people "sent to collections," Morss said. The company tracks national databases to find the new addresses of people who have moved.

In 2008, the district paid Unique Management $192,000 for services, down from the $253,000 it paid in 2004.

"We're doing a bit better than breaking even," Morss said.

Because Las Vegas is such a transient community, people often change addresses without remembering to return their books, he said.

"Household items get packed in a box, and they find it much later, sometimes when they're already gone," Morss said.

Without the help of an agency to find those people, Morss said, the district must wait for people to come back to a library and update their contact information.

"Our hands are pretty much tied unless they contact us," he said.

Sari Feldman, president of the national Public Library Association, said many large libraries have been experimenting with collection agencies to retrieve materials.

Because of the bad economy the past several years, libraries don't have the same resources to re-purchase their inventories, she said.

"We need to make sure we have materials for the next customer," Feldman said.

There are hidden costs associated with restocking inventories, she said, including costs for cataloguing, shipping and processing.

That's why it's even more important that libraries stress the importance of returning materials, said Morss.

Even though a library is free to use, it's not cheap to maintain, he said.

"Public libraries are all about sharing materials and resources," he said. "And we appreciate people who bring back our materials on a timely basis."

Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.