RE: Claimed Returns--Leaving Item attached to patron

["William Gray" <wgray@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Eeva,

We never went that route. When our patrons claims return an item, we
remove the item from their card and set its status as "z"--as you see
with the option of leaving the item on the card, there are a few snags.
In the end, we take the patron's word for it that they returned an item
to us. However, one can also look at the total number of claims returns
on a patron's card to see if its happening too much, but there are two
schools of thought on that: 1. That only the total number matters, and
2. That the total only matters as part of the ratio to total items ever
checked out (the smaller the ratio, the better, but a large number of
claims retunes isn't significant if the patron has had a large number of
items checked out over the course of their record with us).

Claims Returns has been an issue with us, in that we've tried to find
ways of lowering the number, both by automating more check-in tasks and
training our staff.  Unfortunately, no system reliant upon staff can be
100% foolproof (especially when using computers as out of date as hours,
which means Millennium runs slower and allows for more mistakes to
occur).

I've really tried to wrap my brain around this whole issue, and the only
conclusions I came to about resolving the whole Claims Returns issue are
these:

1. Just accept Claims Returns, without question, every time, and hope
they turn up. We've had instances where we tried to call a patron's
bluff, so to speak, that they hadn't returned an item, and we found it
(or more) on our shelves. Meaning, the patron was "right".

2. Have patrons responsible for returning and checking in their own
items. As soon as you put the responsibility squarely on the patron's
shoulders, you effectively remove Claims Returns, since if an item is
showing as not returned to the library, it's because the patron really
didn't do so. There are technical hurdles to this option, of course; it
helps if you have an automated book drop, as with RFID technology, that
gives printed receipts for all returned items; also, one could
conceivably set up self Check-In stations for patrons to check in all
their own items (again, RFID would be easiest), though the question
arises of where to put the checked-in books, items on Hold, etc. In any
case, once such a system was up and running, anytime a patron says "but
I returned that", library staff can say with complete confidence, "No,
you are mistaken. Check at home." If the item isn't checked in, its
because the patron didn't. Not to sound too adversarial with those we
are trying to serve, but it allows the library to wash their hands of
the situation and charge for the missing book with no chance of being
wrong.

Our library is slowly heading in the direction of option number 2 above.
We plan on upgrading to RFID, and installing an automated book drop. A
big part of this choice is to lessen the physical handling of materials
by staff, but automating check-ins will help resolve claims returns
issues. Of course, without having full support from administration, we
might never get to the point of having all checkins done by patrons,
even though that would be ideal. We might just have to live with claims
returns...

I hope I've been helpful.

William Gray
Library Technical Assistant
Lending Services, Greenwich Library

-----Original Message-----
From: Eeva Stierwalt [mailto:eeva.stierwalt@xxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 1:46 PM
To: innopac@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Claimed Returns--Leaving Item attached to patron

Good Afternoon!  We're just testing the possibility of leaving the item
checked out to the patron and charging fines and bills when a patron has
claimed to have returned an item.  However, we are concerned about the
scenario where a patron comes in just days before an item is billed and
claims to have returned it.  We claim it returned and the item gets a
Status "z". The item then goes to billing and the claimed returned
status is removed by the system from the item STATUS field BEFORE the
"on search file" is processed...  We wonder if the item ever does show
up in the "on search file" in this case and if not, how do people handle
these claims that don't then show up as claims???  Do libraries generate
additional bills in the instance that a billed item is claimed
returned...or do their patrons pay the bill and then later get
reimbursed if the item is found???  Thank you for sharing your policies
and workflow with us!  Kind regards, Eeva

Eeva Stierwalt
Information Systems Specialist
Automated Collection Management
London Public Library
251 Dundas St.
London, ON  Canada  N6A 6H9
t 519.661.5156
f 519.663.9013
e eeva.stierwalt@xxxxxxxxxx


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