Salt Lake City's library system is hiring an outside collection agency for some muscle.

But bounty hunters collecting library booty this isn't.

Instead, the library hired an Indiana company noted for its "gentle" approach. Plus, the city won't be referring culprits to credit agencies - even if they spurn the collection agents' attempts.

Those agents, by the way, aren't trained in arm-twisting. Unique Management recruits from a Southern Baptist Seminary in nearby Louisville, Ky.

"They're very pastoral in nature, really talking to patrons, helping them understand," said Nicole Atkins, Unique's chief operating officer. "That's what our business is founded on. We want somebody that has that gentle approach, is nurturing by nature."

Unique Management won't start working Salt Lake City cases until Sept. 18. The library will have an amnesty period from Sept. 1 through 17, forgoing late fees on any materials returned overdue during that period. But patrons with past balances still will have to pay up.

The agency won't be the first stop on the collection route. Patrons can sign up for a free e-mail alert to remind them three days before materials are due. At the two-week overdue mark, the library will send a notice. At five weeks, patrons will be billed for the materials. After seven weeks, the library will refer the matter to Unique Management, and the patron will be charged a $10 processing fee.

That fee will cover the library's contract with the collection agency. The contract's value was not available Wednesday.

Library spokeswoman Colleen McLaughlin said the point is not to punish.

"We just want the materials to come back so other people can use them," she said. "We're here to serve the patrons as best as possible. We didn't want to be heavy-handed about it."

Library patrons are understanding.

"It's a good idea to approach it without harassing people," Joe Egbert said Wednesday while leaving the Main Library. "It creates an environment where people are comfortable and would like to return."

"It seems a little like intimidation maybe," said Sarah Church, after taking her son to a story-time event. But "they need to recover those books."

Andrea Barlow is one with many fines. She blames them on forgetfulness. "I know they're right. It's their books. I have to give them back."

McLaughlin couldn't say how many materials are missing from the library stacks or how much money the library is due. She said the move to hire a collection agency came because the system is circulating so many items - 3 million. When they aren't returned, the library has to replace them.

Missing material is a national problem. Unique Management counts 750 public libraries on its client list.

One of those is Salt Lake County's library system, which has had a contract with the company for three years and refers patrons once they have more than $25 worth of overdue fines or are 60 days overdue.

In the past three years, the collection agency has worked on 34,768 accounts with a 68 percent success rate, according to the county.

The county system has collected $1.05 million in fees and returned materials; it paid Unique Management $347,000.

"It's actually worked out very well," said Jim Cooper, director of the county library system.

The polite approach works for library patrons, he added.

"They're taxpayers."

hmay@sltrib.com

Overdue fines:

Salt Lake City: Books - 20 cents a day; videos & DVDs - $1 a day; audiobooks - 20 cents a day

Salt Lake County: Books - 15 cents a day; videos & DVDs - $1 a day; audiobooks $1 a day

Sources: www.slcpl.lib.ut.us and www.slco.lib.ut.us