Overview
Overview
Patrons incur fines on borrowed items which become overdue. The fines do not become payable until the borrowed item is returned at which point the patron may be blocked from further borrowing if the fine owed is greater than £10.00.
The project proposal stated that £90,000 has been taken in fines last year but this figure is now understood to include cash payments made for print credit and is likely to be a considerable over-estimate.
- The Library charges fines on overdue borrowed items in order to deter Library patrons from retaining items beyond the due date: the objective is to ensure lending items are available to all patrons to borrow, and so maintain the circulation of lending stock.
- Library patrons currently pay overdue fines in cash at Library Helpdesks or by chip and pin at Main Library and Noreen and Kenneth Murray Library Helpdesks.
- Payments are often of very small amounts, mainly coinage. All this money is recorded in tills, counted, bagged, collected and then processed by the Cash Office. These interactions are not counted in Quick Call statistics.
- Patrons with outstanding fines of £10 or more are blocked from borrowing: if the Helpdesks are closed there is no way to pay fines to continue borrowing.
- Large sums of outstanding fines are not paid: when patrons leave the University, only those with fines or fees (other charges) over £25 are contacted before leaving to request payment and many do not comply.
- Library patrons can already pay for print credit online but many continue to pay in cash at the Library helpdesks.
If the cost to the university of accepting small online payments is prohibitive then patron behaviour may not result in the expected success criteria as patrons may wait till their fines exceed the minimum payment before clearing fines. The costs of handling online payments, and the levels of fines and numbers of those exceeding any proposed minimum payments will therefore be investigated at an early stage.
Executive Summary
The project will carry out business analysis to document the current processes and procedures, and work with the business to document the new processes and procedures which would be required in order to enable patrons to pay library fines online and to reduce or eliminate cash payments made via Library Helpdesks.
The project will then deliver new processes and procedures enabling patrons to pay library fines online.
This will:
- encourage patrons to return items sooner, ensuring returned items become available to other patrons
- ensure fewer patrons are blocked from further borrowing due to unpaid fines
- reduce the amount of staff time required to deal cash payments made via Library Helpdesks
- enable the university to recover outstanding fines from patrons who are about to leave the university.
Business Objectives and Project Deliverables
No | Description | Priority | Notes |
O1 | Business analysis of business requirements. |
| |
D1 | Scope analysis including an investigation of available methods of taking online payments for fines and/or fees. | HD | |
D2 | A Business requirements document, detailing prioritised requirements. | M | |
| D3 | Architecture Document (ADA) | M | |
O2 | Online payments of library fines and fees |
| |
D4 | A method allowing patrons to pay fines online and in real time and integrating with university core finance systems. | M | |
| D5 | A method allowing patrons to pay fees online and in real time and integrating with university core finance systems. | M | |
D6 | A process to update patrons on the status (success/failure) of the online payment of a fine. | M | |
| D7 | A process to update patrons on the status (success/failure) of the online payment of a fee. | M | |
| D8 | A method ensuring fines are cleared and borrowing unblocked when a fine has been paid, this to happen in real time. | M | |
| D9 | A method ensuring fees are cleared and borrowing unblocked when a fee has been paid, this to happen in real time. | M | |
| D10 | A process to update patrons on the status (success/failure) of the clearing of a fine and unblocking of borrowing. | HD | |
| D11 | A process to update patrons on the status (success/failure) of the clearing of a fee and unblocking of borrowing. | HD | |
| D12 | A method allowing patrons to use credit currently held for paying for other university services ( eg printing) to pay library fines and fees. | D | |
| 03 | Enabling auditing, logging and troubleshooting. | ||
| D13 | The ability for staff to monitor and troubleshoot payment activity. | M | |
| D14 | The ability for staff to audit and report on activity and payments. | M | |
| O4 | Change to Business processes | ||
| D15 | A procedure to add true replacement cost and associated admin cost before fees become payable |
Success Criteria
Deliver a process enabling patrons to pay fines online.
Deliver a process enabling patrons to pay fees online, once true replacement and associated admin costs are applied.
Reduce time spent by library staff collecting cash payments for fines and fees.
Reduce number of patrons who are blocked from further borrowing due to unpaid fines and fees.
Reduce the amount of unpaid fines and fees owed by patrons who are about to leave the university.
Allow auditing and troubleshooting of payments made against fines and fees, and the updating of associated patron records.
Improve the student experience by allowing students to pay fines and fees when the Library heldesks are closed.
Scope
The project will deliver a method by which patrons may pay library fines and fees online.
The project seek advice from the supplier of the 3M machines in order to deliver a method ensuring a future project can enable payments via the 3M machines.
The project will investigate what methods are suitable to allow the payment of fines and fees online.
The project will not deliver a method to make payments via the 3M machines in the library.
The project will not enable payments of fines or fees incurred by patrons to interlibrary lending.
The project will not deliver a method to resolve or refund disputed fines or fees paid.
Category
The project is discretionary.