Collection Agency Settings (Admin>Parameters>Circulation - Sierra)

Owned by Tammy Poquette, created
Last updated: Apr 15, 2024
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This documentation explains the functionality and data elements of the Collection Agency Settings table.

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Collection Agency Settings Table Overview

You can contact the Marmot Help Desk for help if you cannot view this table.

Table Explanation

The entries in this table specify when to report patrons with delinquent payments to a collection agency. These parameters are only valid when your library works with a collection agency such as Unique.

View the Collection Agency Settings by going to Admin, Parameters, Circulation, Collection Agency Settings in Sierra

Functionality Information

The maximum number of entries allowed in this table is 500. Additionally, the non-required fields within an entry on the table can be left blank – the system will still generate a report even if the non-required fields are blank. Library staff work with Marmot staff to set up the criteria.

Data Elements

Data Elements table for more information on which fields are required and which fields are not required. Please communicate with your Collection Agency representative as they can help determine what information to include in these fields to meet your needs.

Collection Agency Settings screen contains columns for all the information in the table below

Element

Description

Element

Description

Name

A name that identifies the entry (35 characters or less).

Home Library

The values in the HOME LIBR field to which the entry applies.

You can enter up to 100 location codes from the Branches table. A blank entry represents all branch locations.

PTYPES to Include

The P TYPE(s) that are eligible for inclusion in a New Submissions report.

A blank entry represents all P TYPES specified when setting up the Collection Agency Report product.

Minimum Owed

On a patron’s account, the sum of the fines generated between the Absolute or Relative Start Date and Absolute or Relative End Date must be greater than or equal to the Minimum Owed value.

Relative Start Date

 

 

A sliding parameter indicating the earliest fine assessment date the system uses when calculating whether the patron is eligible for inclusion on the New Submissions report. This parameter appears when the Relative Dates entry is set to Yes.

For a patron to be eligible for inclusion in the New Submissions report, the sum of the patron’s fines assessed between the specified Relative Start Date and Relative End Date values must be greater than or equal to the amount specified in the Minimum Owed data element.

This data element accepts whole numeric values, representing days. Every time the New Submissions report is generated, the system counts back the number of days specified in this parameter from the report generation date and uses the resulting date as the fine assessment period start date.

For example, if the report is run on 8/7/23, and the system is using a Relative Start Date of 90, it will include patrons who have reached the minimum owed threshold 90 days prior to the report being run, i.e. on 5/7/23.

Relative End Date

A sliding parameter indicating the latest possible fine assessment date the system uses when calculating whether the patron is eligible for inclusion on the New Submissions report. This parameter appears when the Use Relative Dates data element is set to Yes.

For a patron to be eligible for inclusions in the New Submissions report, the sum of the patron’s fines assessed between the specified Relative Start Date and Relative End Date values must be greater than or equal to the amount specified in the Minimum Owed data element.

For example, if the Relative End Date is set to 30 and the Relative Start Date is 90, a report ran on 8/7/23 will include patrons who have reached the minimum owed threshold between 90 and 30 days prior to the report being run, i.e. between 5/9/2023 and 7/8/23, and who have not already been reported.

Absolute Start Date

The earliest possible calendar date the system uses when calculating whether a patron is eligible for inclusion on the New Submissions report. This parameter appears when the use Relative Dates data element is set to No.

For a patron to be eligible for inclusion in the New Submissions report, the sum of the patron’s fines incurred between the dates specified in the Absolute Start Date and Absolute End Date parameters must be greater than or equal to the amount specified in the Minimum Owed data element.

An example of an of Absolute Start Date is: January 1, 2023.

Note: If this setting is left blank, the system treats it as January 1st, 1970.

Absolute End Date

The latest possible calendar date the system uses when calculating if the patron is eligible for inclusion on the New Submissions report. This data element appears when the Use Relative Dates data elements is set to No.

For a patron to be eligible for inclusion in the New Submissions Report, the sum of the patron’s fines incurred between the dates specified in the Absolute Start Date and Absolute End Date data elements must be greater than or equal to the amount specified in the Minimum Owed data element.

Note: If this setting is left blank, the system treats it as the current date.

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Collection Agency New Submission & Update Patrons Report

Collection Agency Reports contain information about delinquent patrons, that is, patrons who have unpaid fines and/or overdue books. If your library has acquired the Collection Agency Report product, Sierra enables you to create and send electronic reports on delinquent patrons to a collection agency. Please note that these reports can also be set up to run automatically without any staff action.

New Submissions Report

Lists patrons for which the collection agency should create accounts. When this report is sent, the system automatically modifies all of the patron records included in the report so that the patrons cannot check out any more items.

This report lists all patron records that:

  • Meet the criteria specified by the current Collection Agency setting.

  • Have not previously been included in a Collection Agency Report.

  • Are not marked for Collection Agency Exclusion.

Updated Patrons Report

Lists patrons whose circumstances have changed since they were last submitted to the collection agency (for example, patrons who paid their fines or returned overdue books).

This report lists all of the patron records that:

  • Belong to a location and P TYPE specified by the current Collection Agency setting.

  • Have previously been included in a Collection Agency Report.

  • Have a different value in their MONEY OWED fixed-length field since the last Updated Patrons Report was prepared.

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Collection Agency Exclusion

Specific patrons can be excluded from Collection Agency Reports if necessary. Instructions for this process are located in the following documentation:

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