CHICAGO (WBBM) -- If you haven't paid off your library fines or have a book or DVD that needs to be returned, you may want to listen up.
WBBM Jennifer O'Neill reports.
More than two dozen area library systems are now using an Indiana-based collection agency to round-up late fines and missing materials, and for some patrons - it could hurt their credit.
Some of the local libraries that use Unique Management Services include Arlington Heights, Elmhurst, Niles and Oak Park.
Spokesman Kenes (key-nes) Bowling says they usually only go after patrons who have racked up a balance of 25- dollars or more - and only after the library has made attempts to recover their losses.
He says they don't report a patron to a credit agency until they've tried to contact them for about four months, and once the person pays up - he says there's virtually zero impact on their credit.
An unpaid library obligation on a person's credit report will prevent that person from securing credit because it's an open account, but Bowling says the balances are usually small and should have little to no bearing on their credit.
He says for virtually every library nationwide there's only a very small percentage of people who are non-compliant.
He says most libraries who use their services recover about half of their annual losses.
According to a spokesman at Unique Management Services, here's a list of at least some of the local cities and towns who's libraries use their services:
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Algonquin Area Public Library District
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Arlington Heights Memorial Library
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Asher Library of The Spertus Institute of Jewish
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Aurora Public Library
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Barrington Area Library
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Berwyn Public Library
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Bloomingdale Public Library
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Bradford/Anderson/Oglesby Public Library
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Carol Stream Public Library
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Cary Area Public Library District
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CCS (Cooperative Computer Services)
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Central Citizens Library District
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Champaign Public Library
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Chicago Ridge Public Library
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Chillicothe Public Library District
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Cook Memorial Public Library District
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Crestwood Public Library District
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Crete Public Library District
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Crystal Lake Public Library
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Decatur Public Library
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DeKalb Public Library
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Des Plaines Valley Public Library District-Crest Hill
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Des Plaines Valley Public Library District-Lockport
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Dupage Library System
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Elk Grove Village Public Library
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Elmhurst Public Library
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Evanston Public Library
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Fremont Public Library District
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Gail Borden Public Library District
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Galesburg Public Library
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Geneva Public Library District
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Glenview Public Library
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Glenwood-Lynwood Public Library District
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Green Hills Public Library District
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Harvard Diggins Public Library
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Homewood Public Library District
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Huntley Area Public Library District
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Indian Prairie Public Library District
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Johnsburg Public Library District
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LINC (Lincoln Trail)
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Lincoln Library
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Lyons Public Library
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Marengo Public Library District
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Matteson Public Library
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McHenry Public Library District
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Metropolitan Library System
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Mount Prospect Public Library
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Naperville Public Libraries
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Niles Public Library District
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North Suburban Library District
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Oak Park Public Library
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Palatine Public Library District
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Pekin Public Library
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Peoria Public Library
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Plano Community Library District
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Prairie Trails Public Library District
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Quincy Public Library
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Rockford Public Library
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Rock Island Public Library
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Round Lake Area Public Library District
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Skokie Public Library
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St. Charles Public Library
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Sugar Grove Public Library District
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The Urbana Free Library
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Town & Country Public Library District
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Vernon Area Public Library District
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Warren-Newport Public Library District
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Warrenville Public Library District
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Washington District Library
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Waukegan Public Library
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Woodstock Public Library
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Zion-Benton Public Library District
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Lake County, Indiana
Michigan City, Indiana
LaPorte County, Indiana
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