Best Practices and Procedures Lost and Damaged Items DS42606

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Best Practices and ProceduresLost and Damaged
ItemsDS4/26/06
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I-Share Guidelines For Processing Returned Lost
Items

• All I-Share libraries are responsible for
  discharging returned items to stop fine accruals
  before sending the item on to its next
  destination, whether to your own library location
  or another
• I-Share library location

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• When processing returned items that have reached
  the status of Lost, library staff must make
  manual updates to patron records in order to
  reconcile their accounts and counters. The
  procedures that follow will describe workflows
  for the most frequently encountered Lost
  scenarios.

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• Processing Locally Owned Lost Items

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Discharge

• Start the Discharge Process
• If the item is Lost Voyager will immediately
  notify the operator with the Item Blocks and
  Information

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• At this point, workflow may differ according to
  the Operators security level and/or your
  librarys workflow decisions.
• If the Operator has low-leveled security, click
  cancel and set the item aside for a Supervisor to
  process
• or
• If the Operator has low-level security, click OK
  to create an exception, click cancel at Clear
  Lost Status, then staff with appropriate
  authority can use the next mornings Item
  Related Exceptions Report to clear the patron
  record.
• From the Item Exception Report use item barcode
  to pull up Item record to find Outstanding
  Fines/Fees and which Patron owes them.

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• If the Operator has the appropriate security to
  complete the
• entire process click OK . A status pop up box
  will display.
• Click Yes to remove the Lost Item status. Proceed
  to clear
• the patron record.

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• To go to the patron record
• If your library uses discharge alerts to note
  patron information at the time of discharge you
  will see the patron name and barcode.

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• If your library does not use discharge alerts to
  note patron information you can still find out
  who the patron is if your discharge screen is
  still open.
• Click on Discharge from the toolbar
• And click on Go to Borrowing Patron

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• Patrons Record will appear

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• Click on Fines and Fees icon
• This will open the Patron Fines/Fees screen. Make
  sure the Fines/Fees, Demerits Location is opened
  to the All Locations.

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• Highlight the Item replacement fine and click
  post to display the Post Against Fine/Fee Screen
• Post Against Selected This will only forgive the
  fee that you have highlighted and not post from
  the Patrons total fines. Choose Forgive as the
  posting type. Fill in the amount to be forgiven.
  And click OK.

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• Click on Patron Counters icon
• Set Patron Counters screen will display
• Decrement the Lost Item counter by 1 and click
  OK.

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• Libraries that use the Lost Items counter to
  track the number of items a patron is allowed to
  go to lost status and do not want to see the full
  patron record may choose to begin with the item
  record.
• From the item record screen click on Item from
  the top screen menu bar and select Outstanding
  Fines to bring up the Outstanding Fines for this
  Item screen. Click on Patron Fines and the Patron
  Fines/Fees screen will display. Post against the
  selected fee, choose Forgive, enter amount and
  click on OK.

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• Libraries using Voyagers Bursar Transfer System
  (BTS)
• Bursar Transfer System (BTS) is a program used to
  externalize a librarys billing and crediting to
  an outside billing agency such as the university
  Bursar. BTS exports fines/fees from Voyager to a
  data file that is then used by the university
  Bursar office.
• Library fines/fees are then included in the
  patrons campus bill.
• The patron fines information is only listed on
  the Patrons Fines and Fees Outstanding screen if
  the charge has not been transferred using
  Voyagers BTS. When lost item fines/fees are
  transferred through BTS they move from
  Outstanding Fines/Fees to Fines/Fees History and
  can no longer be seen by patrons in My Account.
  Once the charge has been picked up by the BTS,
  the link between the item and patron is gone and
  the patron information is no longer on the Item
  Exception Reports.
• Create and use a report that lists items that are
  currently lost, and that include the patron
  information. Maintain that report regularly and
  search against it for the returned lost item to
  find the patron information. Or, run a daily
  report of everything thats lost, and compare
  todays report with yesterdays to cull out
  everything that was lost yesterday, but isnt
  today. Once fines are transferred you must
  select Bursar Refund as the posting type to
  waive them.

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• Processing Lost Items That Belong To Other
  I-Share Libraries

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• The I-Share practice of UB Integration of patron
  groups in
• each others databases avoids the issue of the
  UB Lost
• counter in the HOME patron record. The UB
  counters in the
• HOME record will not cause threshold blocks
  because we
• dont implement UB Policies in System
  Administration.
• Threshold blocks are controlled by the counters
  in the stub
• records in the individual library databases.
  Decrementing
• the appropriate stub record counters when dealing
  with Lost
• Item returns may be important if the library has
  set a very
• low block threshold for UB users.

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• Start the Discharge Process
• If the item is Lost Voyager will immediately
  notify the operator with the Item Blocks and
  Information
• Click OK

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• Important If the item belongs to another library
  ALWAYS CLICK NO at this point.
• It is critical that the Lost status remains on
  the item so that staff at the owning library will
  be able to identify and process the item
  correctly upon its return to the owning location.

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• Attach a note notifying the home library that
  this item has the status of Lost and prepare
  the item for delivery back to the appropriate
  owning library.
• Making your note on a long strip of brightly
  colored paper that will stick out of the book
  will help ensure that it is seen.
• Sample slip

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• The owning library receives the Lost item. The
  item has been appropriately flagged, so the
  Operator knows this is an item that has been
  discharged remotely, but still has the Lost
  status associated with the item. IMPORTANT At
  this point, workflow may differ according to the
  Operators security and/or a librarys workflow
  decisions
• If the Operator has low-level security, set the
  item aside for a Supervisor to process, using the
  steps below.
• OR
• If the Operator has low-level security, discharge
  the item to remove the in transit status and
  set the item aside for Supervisor to process.
• If the Operator has the appropriate security to
  complete the entire process, follow the steps
  below to clear the patron record.

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• Discharge the item to remove the in transit
  status and route the item in at the home library.
• In the Circulation module, click on the "Item"
  icon at the stop of the screen and scan the
  item's barcode.
• From the item record, click on the line graph
  icon to open the item status window.
• With the Lost-System Applied line highlighted,
  click on the red down arrow to remove the Lost
  status. Click OK.

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• Select Item/Outstanding Fines from the top
  screen menu bar to bring
• up the Outstanding Fines for this item screen.
  If there is more than one
• fine listed, select (highlight) the appropriate
  patron and click on Close.
• Click on the Patron Icon from the screen top menu
  and the full patron record will appear.

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• From the Patron record Click on the Fines/Fees
  icon in the patron record to bring up the
  Patron Fines/Fees screen.
• Highlight the Lost Item Replacement fine and
  click Post to bring up the Post Against
  Fine/Fee screen.
• Forgive the selected amount and click OK.

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• You must click Selected if you are not forgiving
  the total of all
• fines/fees.
• Choose forgive from the posting type drop down
  box.
• Fill in the amount with the amount of the item
  fine record being cleared .
• If your library does not decrement the lost item
  counter the process is
• complete.

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• Libraries that use the Lost Items counter to
  track the number of items a
• patron is allowed to go to lost status and do not
  want to see the full patron
• record may choose to begin with the item record.
• From the item record screen click on Item from
  the top screen menu bar and select Outstanding
  Fines to bring up the Outstanding Fines for this
  Item screen.
• Click on Patron Fines and the Patron Fines/Fees
  screen will display.
• Post against the selected fee, choose Forgive,
  enter amount and click on OK.

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• For libraries that do decrement the lost item
  counter
• From the Patron Record
• Click the Counters icon to bring up the
  Set Patron Counters screen.
• Decrement the Lost Item counter by 1 and click on
  OK.

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I-Share Guidelines For Damaged Items

• Millions of items are charged and discharged
  across our Circulation desks as well as sent all
  over the state and beyond. Its inevitable that
  items will end up damaged from use. Some items
  will be slightly damaged and can still be loaned.
  In order to keep track of the condition of our
  items the following practices are recommended

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• Locally Damaged Items

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• Charging Out
• Check items before sending when possible glance
  through items to see if there is any
  highlighting, underlining or writing.
• Check to be sure any accompanying items are
  included ex. cds, maps etc.

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• If the book is damaged or missing an
  accompanying piece and it is still acceptable to
  charge out
• Set up a routine for your staff to notify the
  supervisor or other
• authorized staff member of the condition of the
  item.
• Allow staff to charge out the item to the patron
  if the item is slightly
• damaged. Your home policy determines what is
  considered acceptable to loan. Ex.
  highlighting, underlining, a torn page.
• Have staff mark down the barcode number of the
  item so the supervisor can go into the item
  record and add a note regarding the condition of
  the charged out item.

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• Adding an Item Note
• From the Item Record screen in Voyager click on
  the Notes icon
• and enter a note regarding the item.

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• If you want the item to come back to a supervisor
  or other staff person
• tag the status Circulation Review to prompt the
  action.

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• Discharging
• Before discharging
• Glance through the book to see if there is any
  highlighting or other damage that was not present
  when the book was charged out.
• Check to make sure all accompanying items are
  returned with the book.
• If there is damage to the book that wasnt
  present upon checkout or accompanying items are
  missing click on the patron icon from the item
  record screen to find out who had the item
  charged out.

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Follow your home policy for collecting for
replacement items or charging for repair.
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• After Discharging
• If you notice that an item is damaged or missing
  an accompanying piece
• after you discharge the item AND your discharge
  screen is still up, highlight the
• item on the discharge list and click on the
  patron icon. Alternatively you can
• click on the Discharge option on the Voyager
  Task bar and choose Go to
• Borrower to see who the borrower was.

Follow your home policy for collecting for
replacement items or charging for repair.
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• UB and Damaged Items

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• Before Items Go Out - Lending
• Check items before sending glance through items
  to see if there is any
• Highlighting, underlining or writing
• Check to be sure any accompanying items are
  included ex. cds, maps etc.

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• If the book is damaged or missing an accompanying
  piece
• and it is still acceptable to send
• Place a post it note in the book stating what is
  damaged or missing
• so the Borrowing Library is aware. This is also
  a good practice when intentionally sending a book
  with out the accompanying piece.
• Place a note in the item record of the book
  stating what is damaged or missing so you, the
  Home Library, are reminded when the book when the
  book is returned what condition it was in when it
  was sent. You may also set the item status to
  Circulation Review to prompt staff.

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• When Items Return - Lending
• Before discharging glance through the book to
  see if there is any highlighting or other damage
  that was not present when the book was sent out.
• Check to make sure all accompanying items are
  returned with the book.

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• If there is damage to the book that wasnt
  present upon sending or accompanying items are
  missing
• Check the In Transit details from the item
  record - Item menu options or Routing slips to
  see what institution the patron was from that
  borrowed the book.
• Contact that institution if book needs to be paid
  for or replaced.
• If Hold slips were left in the book you will know
  who had borrowed the item.
• If the institution does not know who had borrowed
  the item then it will be up to the two
  institutions to decide on an outcome.

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• Upon Receipt Borrowing
• Glance through books to see if there is any
  highlighting or writing.
• If so check to see if there is a note from the
  sending institution.
• If not place a note in the book stating the
  condition the item was received in.
• Contact the sending institution to notify them of
  the condition and to add a note in the item
  record of the condition.
• If an item is severely damaged notify the sending
  institution, do not process for your patron, and
  send back to the home library.

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• When Items Return - Borrowing
• Before discharging
• Glance through book to see if there is any
  highlighting or damage that was not present when
  the patron picked it up
• If so, do not discharge.
• Contact lending institution and send the book
  back to the lending library.
• Lending library will send invoice to UB patron
  for replacement of book. Patrons home library
  should suspend the patrons record in Voyager
  Circulation and place holds on patrons
  university records until item is replaced or paid
  for.

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• If the item has already been discharged
• Check for hold slips that will have the patron
  and library information.
• If there is no documentation contact the lending
  library. It will be up to the two institutions to
  decide on the outcome
• Attach a note with the condition of items sent or
  received.
• Making your note on a long strip of brightly
  colored paper that will stick out of the book
  will help ensure that it is seen