POLICY STATEMENT
Occasionally a customer believes that they have returned an item or items that are checked out on their account, or the account shows items checked out to the customer that they believe were never checked out. The library has an established process to locate the item and resolve the issue of outstanding items on a customer’s account.
DEFINITIONS:
Claims returned– A customer acknowledges that they checked out the item(s) on their account, but they believe they returned the item(s) to the library.
Claims never had– A customer does not believe that they checked the item out. The item will be in a “claims returned” status on the customer’s account.
REGULATIONS:
A customer may become aware of an item that has been declared overdue on their account when checking out materials or through an overdue notice.
If the customer claims the item was returned or never checked out, circulation staff will fill out a claim returned/never had form on the date the claim is made.
Circulation staff will initiate a search for the item that the customer claims was returned and ask the customer to continue to look for the item as well.
Customers may continue to check out and use their library card during a 35-day search period from the date the customer notifies the library.
Items Found
If the item is found in the library within the 35-day search period, circulation staff will send a letter to notify the customer and put a message on their library account. The item and any charges will be cleared from the account.
Items Not Found
If items are not found within the 35-day search period, the item is declared lost and the customer is responsible for paying for the cost of the item and a processing fee. (See
CIR-4 LOST AND DAMAGED ITEMS)
Customers may not check out additional items or use library computers until the costs of lost items are resolved.
Claims returned/never had items that are not found, cannot be cleared from a customer’s account without approval of the Circulation Manager or Circulation Supervisor.
The library maintains history of how many “claims” a customer has made. Multiple claims may result in the loss of borrowing privileges.
Approved by the Board, January 29, 2009, rev. August 29, 2016