Budgeting for your library
Material Recovery makes a difference.
Unique’s Gentle Nudge Material Recovery is an important piece of the toolbox for libraries of any size. It’s an investment in your materials, your patrons, and your staff. Getting materials back in circulation while unblocking patrons is the ultimate win-win for both the library and users of the library. Discover why Gentle Nudge from Unique is the most of the most successful ways to allocate important budget dollars.
Our proven approach is at least budget neutral, meaning that it will pay for itself in recovered materials, saved staff time, and patrons returned to the library.
For libraries fighting for every dollar in their budget, retrieving unreturned materials can significantly reduce operating expense associated with asset loss and replacement.
Unique will guarantee in writing that your library will never lose money by using Gentle Nudge—your savings will always exceed the cost of our service. (Guarantee depends on library settings and method of referral)
Protect your collection.
With tightening budgets and rising costs, materials are more valuable than ever. Gentle Nudge from Unique offers a cost-effective layer of protection to your collection. It’s more cost-effective to get materials back than to replace them. Using a proven Material Recovery process reflects stewardship to the collection while protecting the library’s budget.
Thanks to the material recovery service Unique provides, staff does not have to spend time or budget dollars reordering and restocking materials. Items are easily returned and recirculated via the Gentle Nudge process, allowing staff to be available for other library responsibilities.
Did you know that for every 4 patrons referred to our Gentle Nudge service, an additional 3 patrons are being impacted? Our recent case study found that there are 3 items of material waiting on hold for every 4 long overdue accounts. Patrons waiting with materials on hold are the silent majority affected. Learn how Unique’s Gentle Nudge material recovery service effectively communicates to help long overdue patrons get back in good standing and materials back for all patrons to enjoy.
Long Overdue Patron Calculator
Enter your library’s annual material circulation and fines policy and hit ‘Calculate’ to estimate how many of your patrons are long overdue and the number of other patrons who are being negatively affected.
Get patrons back in the library.
The ALA’s spearheading of fines free policies for public libraries is to allow more patrons to use the library, and to make it more accessible. This policy goes hand-in-glove with Unique’s Gentle Nudge. Our goal is to aid the library in recovering materials and unblocking patrons. Unique’s approach often “gets through” to patrons when the library can’t.
Active Patrons is a key metric when it comes to budgetary decisions. Make sure that blocked patrons aren’t detracting from your user numbers, and instead return blocked patrons to active users of the library.
Our data analysis shows that 76% of patrons return to active users of the library.
Fact vs Fiction: What Material Recovery does, and doesn’t do
The Gentle Nudge Material Recovery Service from Unique Management Services meets the unique
needs of libraries by effectively recovering assets while preserving patron dignity and goodwill. Our process saves you time through extensive automation while remaining budget friendly. Check out the stats and the facts on Material Recovery from Unique.
TechProtect from Unique
TechProtect provides a more direct option for communicating with library patrons compared to our standard Gentle Nudge™ program. TechProtect uses a mix of communication references to offer more flexibility and variability in our process to retrieve libraries’ more valuable assets like Wi-Fi hotspots, tablets, e-readers, and Chromebooks.
Want to learn more? Let’s get in touch.
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Solutions designed to improve patron communication, strengthen collection access, reduce staff workload, and support library growth.
Fine-Free Gentle Nudge
Recover long-overdue materials while preserving patron goodwill. Restore access, return items to circulation, and support the goals of a fine-free library.
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MessageBee
Connect with patrons through email, SMS, and voice messaging from one library-focused platform. Improve outreach through the channels patrons use every day.
Patron Services
Expand patron support with live phone and chat assistance. Reduce frontline workload while providing timely answers and a better patron experience.
New Mover Service
Reach new residents soon after they move into your community. Targeted postcards build awareness, drive registrations, and help grow library membership.
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Material Recovery
Bring valuable materials back into circulation through proven library outreach. Improve collection availability while maintaining positive patron relationships.
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Verified Borrower Registration
Simplify online card registration through automated identity verification. Reduce staff work, improve data quality, and give eligible residents faster access.
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Automated Borrower Renewal
Renew eligible borrower accounts while validating patron information behind the scenes. Reduce repetitive tasks and maintain uninterrupted patron access.
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Explore solutions that improve communication, increase efficiency, strengthen patron relationships, and support library growth.
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