Everett Library To Offer “Clean Slate” For Many Past Transgressions

Did you used to have an Everett library card but you ran up a few overdue fees or had a lost item and stopped visiting? Has your account been inactive for at least ten years? Soon you’ll be able to come back inside the library and get your borrowing privileges back along with a shiny new Everett library card.

Today the Everett City Council approved a resolution on a library in-active account policy. Historically, Everett Public Library has maintained inactive accounts with charges totaling greater than $25.00 indefinitely. Patron accounts with charges totaling less than $25.00 are deleted after three years of inactivity.

An inactive patron account is defined as a library card that has not been used to check items out, renew items, access subscription databases, or complete a variety of online account activity in a given time frame. When charges were greater than $25.00 the account was sent to a collection agency and the charge was likely reflected on a person’s credit report where it would remain for seven years. Changes to credit reporting standards changed last year and patrons are no longer reported for non-payment of library fines.

Currently the Everett Public Library has about 9000 accounts in their unpaid database. With the implementation of this new policy the Everett Public Library on a rolling basis will waive charges and delete patron accounts that match the following criteria…

• Last activity date on patron account is 10 years in the past or greater
• Account charges are greater than $25.00 and less than $1000.00

Everett Public Library will retain patron accounts matching the following criteria…

• Account charges greater than $1000.00
• Patron account contains staff-created notes that identify the patron has a history of library account abuse

Patrons with accounts fitting these criteria are essentially in a “banned” status and can’t use EPL materials

The library says their Board of Trustees believes the procedure to purge inactive, delinquent patron accounts will allow Everett Public Library to increase service opportunities by creating a “clean slate” for customers who have not used library services for over ten years and want to return.