FAQs

The SLC policy on billing for lost Alma resource sharing items states that Alma resource sharing items can be declared lost if:

• the item more than 120 days overdue
• the item has been in transit between SUNY libraries for more than 45 days

Once an item is declared lost, libraries should follow the workflow outlined below:

• Identifying lost items (lending library)
• Requesting an invoice from a lender (borrowing library)
• Declaring an item lost (lending library)
• Declaring an item lost (borrowing library)
• Notifying the lending library of payment (borrowing library)
• Completing the resource sharing request (lending library)

 

The following roles are needed to do the work detailed below:

• Fulfillment Services Operator (scoped to resource sharing library) - changing resource sharing requests statuses, sending and dismissing active messages
• Circulation Desk Operator (scoped to resource sharing library) - declaring resource sharing loans lost
• Physical Inventory Operator (scoped to resource sharing library) - adding replacement costs to resource sharing item records

 

Identifying Lost Items (Lending Library)

To identify items that can be declared lost per SLC policy, run the following Analytics reports. Shared versions of these reports can be found in /Shared Folders/Community/Reports/Consortia/SUNY/Resource Sharing

• Lending RS Requests - 45 Days In Transit
• Lending RS Requests - 120 Days Overdue

 

Requesting an Invoice (Borrowing Library)

If a resource sharing item is damaged or lost before it is eligible for billing per SLC policy, the borrowing library can use the following workflow to request an invoice from the lending library. 

1. Find the borrowing request in your Borrowing Requests list, click the ellipsis next to the request, and then click the General Message link.  A General Message window will open.

 

2. Enter a note to the lending library explaining the situation and then click the the Send button. A general message will be sent to the lending library. 

 

3. Check the box next to the borrowing request, click the Actions link at the top of your borrowing requests list, click the Change Status link, select Reported Lost Item to Partner from the Change Status dropdown, and then clicking the Change Status button.

 

Declaring an Item Lost (Lending Library)

Once an item can be declared lost, the lending library should use the following workflow to update the item and resource sharing request status and notify the borrowing library that the item has been declared lost. 

1. Click the ellipsis next to the lending request and then click the Lost link. The Lost Item window will open. 

 

2. Enter the invoice amount into the Current Lost Fee field, enter a note explaining why the item is being declared lost and how the replacement invoice will be sent into the Message field, and then click the OK button. A general message will be sent to the borrowing library, and the lending request status will change to Lost and Fee Communicated. The item's process type will change to Lost Resource Sharing Item.

 

Declaring an Item Lost (Borrowing Library)

Once the lending library declared an item lost, an active general message will be attached to the borrowing request. This message should contain the reason the item was declared lost, the replacement cost, and the method by which the replacement invoice will be sent. If your user lost the item and needs to be charged, take the following steps to declare the item lost, charge the item's replacement fee to your user, and dismiss the general message. If the item was lost in transit or lost by library staff, skip ahead to Notifying the Lending Library of Payment (Borrowing Library).

1. Look up the user in Manage Patron Services and change the Loan Display dropdown to All Loans. If the TOUs for your resource sharing loans have a Lost Item Replacement Fee, move on to step 2. If the TOUs for your resource sharing loans do not have a Lost Item Replacement Fee, click the barcode of the lost item. The Physical Item Editor will open. Add the replacement fee to the Replacement Cost field and then click the Save button.

 

2. Click the ellipsis next to the item that has been declared lost, and then click the Lost link. A Lost Item message will appear. Click the OK button to complete this process. The status of the loan will change to Lost and the Ful Lost Loan Letter will be sent to the user.   

Note: If the loan was already declared lost by your Overdue and Lost Loan Profiles but no fine or fee was assessed, use the Found Item function to undo that and then declare the loan Lost again.

 

3. To remove the active note sent by the lending library, go to the borrowing request and click the Messages link. The request's will open in a window to the right, and Alma will automatically scroll down to the General Messages section of the request. Click the Dismiss link beneath the general message and then click the Accept button that appears.

 

4. Change the status to the borrowing request to Declared Lost By Partner.

 

Notifying the Lending Library of Payment (Borrowing Library)

Once the borrowing library has sent payment to the lending library, they should delete the loan, notify the lending library by sending a general message stating that payment has been sent, and complete the borrowing request.

Note: If the user returns the lost item before the borrowing library sends payment to the lending library, the replacement fee will be waived and the request will behave as a normal borrowing return. Deleting the loan once payment has been sent to the lending library will ensure that the fee remains on the user's account even if they return the item.

1. Go to Manage Patron Services, change the Loan Display dropdown to All Loans, click the ellipsis next to the loan, and click the Delete Loan link. A Confirmation Message window will open. Click the Confirm button to complete this process. The loan will be removed from the user's record, but the fine/fee for the loan will remain on their account, and the loan history will still be accessible through the Fine/Fees tab of their user record (this data will also be available via Analytics).

 

2. Go to the borrowing request in your Borrowing Requests list, click the ellipsis next to the request, and then click the General Messages link. The General Message window will open. Enter a note letting the lending library know payment has been sent into the Message field and then click the Send button.

 

3. Go back to the Borrowing Requests list, check the box next to the request, click the Actions link, click Change Status link, select "Request Completed" from the Change Status dropdown, and then click the Change Status button.

 

Completing the Resource Sharing Request (Lending Library)

Once the lending library has received payment from the borrowing library, they should notify the borrowing library that payment was received via email or phone.  They can then update the request status to Request Completed.  If they wish, they can also suppress or withdraw the lost item. 

1. Once you receive payment from the borrowing library, go to the lending request in your Lending Requests list and click the Messages link. The request's will open in a window to the right, and Alma will automatically scroll down to the General Messages section of the request. Click the Dismiss link beneath the general message and then click the Accept button that appears.

 

2. Click the check box next to the lending request, click the Actions link, click the Change Status link, select "Request Completed" from the Change Status dropdown, and then click the Change Status button. The request will be removed from your lending requests list.