Darla can’t find the book she has checked out. She thinks she lost it, but wants to keep looking until next week. You hope she finds it!

In the end, though, she can’t find it, and you have to declare it Lost. But what about that extra week the book was overdue? Is Darla going to be charged overdue fines for that time?

WHAT IS A LOST ITEM

What's changed?

Prior to version 7.18.8, overdue fines for lost items were a bit complicated, because the process was dependent on your Circulation Rules > Overdue preferences:

• Charge Overdue Fines on Lost Items. Overdue fees will continue to accumulate on lost items up to the max fine set by the item's policy preference.
• Returned Lost Item Fee. When a lost item is returned, the patron will be charged a set amount for administrative processing fees.

There wasn't a lot of wiggle room if you needed to charge one patron for an overdue item but not another; either your library charged overdue fines, or it didn't. And if a lost book was returned, there was no way to charge an overdue fine in addition to the Returned Lost Item fee. So we fixed it.

New! As of 7.18.8, we've removed the Overdue preferences in favor of a more flexible, simplified process. Here are the big changes:

1. Two Processes. To avoid confusion, the Lost Item Fee is processed independently from the Overdue Fine. Two processes, two receipts.
   
   • When an item is declared lost, the Lost Item fee is processed first and the Overdue Fine is processed second, if applicable.
     
     
2. Overdue Fines. When an item that was thought to be lost is later returned, an overdue fine is calculated retroactively from the original due date.
   
   • The patron is responsible for this fine, up to the their limit set by their Overdue Patron Policy setting:
     
     • Fines limited by item cost. The overdue fine will not exceed the replacement cost of the item.
     • Maximum fine for overdue item. The overdue fine will not exceed the amount specified here.
   • The operator can forgive (waive) all or part of this fine in the Overdue Fine window when processing the bookdrop or later in Circulation > Charges tab > History subtab
     
     

Losing an item

When an item is declared lost, it is checked out to the Lost Copies system patron to remove it from circulation and flag it for later removal. In Circulation, there are two ways to report an item is lost:

Lost Copies system patron

If you know barcode of the lost item(s), use this method:

1. In Circulation, choose Check In/Out (.) mode.
2. To pull up the Lost Copies system patron, type 1 in the command line and press <enter>.
3. Type the barcode of the copy was lost, then press <enter>.
4. Next, if the item was checked out to a patron, Alexandria will calculate fees and fines. 
   
   

Declare Lost

Is the patron in front of you? Use this method:

1. In Circulation, open the current patron to the person who lost the item.

2. On the bottom half of the screen, click the Circulation tab and then the Renewals subtab.

3. Select the copy in question, then click Declare Lost.

4. Are you sure you want to declare this item lost? If this is the correct copy, click Yes.
5. Next, Alexandria will calculate fees and fines.

Fines and Fees

You will only see the Overdue Fine window if the item has accrued a fine, and you will only see the Lost Item Fee window if the item has a set replacement cost. Payments for these charges are made separately. The librarian can waive some or all of the charges by entering an amount in the Forgiven fields.

1. Overdue Fine: Enter or adjust any of the charges or payments for this transaction, then click Process.
2. Lost Item Fee: Enter or adjust any charges or payments for this transaction, then click Process.

If you choose Cancel to close either window, the item will still be declared lost and any applicable fines and fees will be posted to the patron's account. Later, the librarian can go to Circulation > Charges tab to apply a payment or forgive a charge.

Returning a lost item

Sometimes an item that was lost is found and returned, at which point the librarian will bookdrop the item into circulation or check it out to someone else.

If the patron returns the item in Self-Service mode, or if the operator doesn't have the right security preferences to process the charges, any accrued fines or fees will be posted to the patron's account automatically. When an inventory script

Any accrued fines or fees will be posted to the patron's account automatically in these cases:

• The patron returns the item in Self-Service mode.
• The operator's security preferences do not allow them to process charges.
• An inventory script is imported.
• Circulation mode is set to Inventory Bookdrop Suppressed or Inventory Suppressed.

If you no longer want to bookdrop the item, choose Cancel. Otherwise, click Continue.

Behind the scenes, Alexandria will recalculate the overdue fine for the patron who lost the item, and apply it to their account — but you wont see the overdue fines window yet.

In the case of suppressed dialogs or inventory scripts, YES is chosen automatically because we assume they have the book in front of them.

Prior to 7.18.9

When an item is returned:

1. The librarian will bookdrop the item into circulation or check it out to someone else.
2. Alexandria will ask if the lost item has been found. Choose Yes. The copy barcode entered (31879 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets') is registered as lost. Has it been found?
3. Lost Item Found. If Returned Lost Item Fee is checked in your site's Circulation Rules preferences, a fee will be charged for the item's return. Enter or adjust any charges or payments for this transaction, then click Process.
4. If payments had been made at the time the item was lost, the librarian will be alerted. To refund previous payments, go to  'x payments were made, go to History to refund’
5. If the library preference is on, the patron is  charged a "Returned lost item fee"
6. Success! The item is back in circulation.

There is NO WAY to charge overdues instead; in fact if you were devious, you’d tell the Librarian it was lost, keep it for an extra 2 weeks, then come in and say it was ‘found’! in order to avoid fines.

7.18.9 and later

Process Found Item

This is your opportunity to refund or forgive remaining charges, and charge any additional fees associated, as required.

This window shows you exactly what was charged, what was paid or forgiven when the item was lost originally, and the balance owed. Any previous payments made for this item can be refunded to credit, and the some or all of the remaining lost fee can be forgiven. If you need to charge an additional fee, enter that amount in the last field.

Enter or adjust any of the charges or payments for this transaction, then click Process.

Overdue Fines

When an item that was thought to be lost is later returned, an overdue fine is calculated retroactively from the original due date. The patron is responsible for this fine, up to the their limit set by their Overdue Patron Policy setting:

• Fines limited by item cost. The overdue fine will not exceed the replacement cost of the item.
• Maximum fine for overdue item. The overdue fine will not exceed the amount specified here.

The operator can accept the patron's payment and/or forgive (waive) all or part of this fine here. If no payment or a partial payment is made now, the rest of the fine can be paid or forgiven later in Circulation > Charges tab > History subtab.

Enter or adjust any of the charges or payments for this transaction, then click Process.

Security Preferences

Each Security Groups can be assigned their own set of preferences that determine what kind of access to the program those users are permitted. Preference settings are listed in order of least to most access, and a higher level of access includes all lower access features. For example, if the Circulation > Charges preference is set to Forgive Charges, that user is also given the Make Payment and View permissions. 

These settings apply to lost and overdue fees: 

Learn More

• Blog:
  Pass Over Overdue Fines (Alexandria)

  • preferences
  • fines
  • lost
• Blog:
  End-of-year tips: Item clean up (Alexandria)

  • end-of-year
  • lost
  • discarded
  • inventory
• Blog:
  When does an overdue item become lost?  (Alexandria)

  • preferences
  • policies
  • lost
  • overdue
• Blog:
  Feeling lost?–Handling lost and discarded items (Alexandria)

  • lost
  • discarded
  • charges
• Blog:
  Lost books? Remind your patrons about them! (Alexandria)

  • reports
  • notices
  • lost
• Blog:
  Lost, Discarded — Hidden! (Alexandria)

  • auto-hide
  • researcher
  • preferences
  • lost
• Blog:
  Renew, Lost, Delayed? (Alexandria)

  • circulation
  • lost

Glossary

Circulation > Charges tab

• Charges subtab = Current charges owed on the account
• History subtab = The patron's financial history, which includes payments, refunds, credits, and forgiven charges.