Montgomery County Public Libraries uses a collection agency, Unique Management Services, to collect outstanding overdue bills and items. Customer accounts are sent to the collection agency when the overdue/bill item is 60 days old, and the cost of the overdue items, the amount of outstanding fines, and/or the combination of overdues and fines totals $25 or more.

Customers are notified by the library via paper notice or email when materials are 21 days past due. If customers do not respond within two weeks and if the total amount owed for overdues and/or fines on the account is $25 or more, a pre-letter is mailed to the address in the customer record. The pre-letter lists the overdue titles and due dates as well as the cost of the overdue items. Any unpaid fines on the customer’s record will also be listed. If there is no response after this letter, customer accounts are sent to Unique Management Services, Inc and the collection process begins. At the time the account is referred to the collection agency, an additional non-refundable fee of $10 is added to the customer account.

The collection agency contacts customers with delinquent accounts until the account balances are at zero, or until arrangements are made for repayment of amounts owed and return of overdue materials.

Montgomery County Public Libraries offers its card holders several ways to manage accounts so that materials do not become overdue and so that accounts are not turned over to the collection agency:

1. Customers may renew most library materials in person at any branch of the Montgomery County Public Libraries;

2. Customers can call the automated renewal phone line at 240-777-0007, 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except when maintenance downtime is announced);

3. Customers can access the Your Account link on the library's website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library, 24 hours a day. seven days a week (except when maintenance downtime is announced);

4. Customers can return materials 24 hours a day to any branch's book drop; and

5. Customers can pay fines or fees by cash or check in person or by credit card online.

Customer Responsibility

Customers are expected to notify the library about changes to their address, phone number, or email address. Customers are responsible for their accounts and for collection-agency referral fees even if they have not received notices because of incorrect address or email information in our database.

Customers are expected to pay for overdue fines at the time the materials are returned. The library does not mail or email bills or notices for accounts with outstanding fines.

The library offers email overdue and reminder notices as a courtesy to library card holders. We cannot guarantee that customers will always receive these email messages. Interruptions in service for technical reasons, spam filters at the Internet Service Provider, filled mailboxes, and the timetable each customer has for checking email all contribute to missed messages. While we will do everything we can to assure that library card holders will receive our messages, the library holds customers responsible for tracking the due date on checked-out materials and for paying assessed fines if the material is not returned or renewed on time, whether or not an email reminder or overdue notice was sent or received.