The overdue and lost loan profiles monitor long overdue loans and turn them into lost loans when applicable. The profiles send progressive reminders to the patron as well as creating fees and user blocks. The profile setup allows for flexibility to apply the rules based on type of loan and the amount of time that the loan is overdue. Library staff can easily configure up to five different letter texts for overdue notices; Alma then uses a second letter to notify patrons when the item's status is converted to lost.

To complete fulfillment tasks outlined in this document, you must be assigned one or more of the following roles:

• Circulation Desk Manager
• Circulation Desk Operator
• Circulation Desk Operator – Limited

Alma automatically changes items to lost status based on the configured lost loan profiles. For most items, that depends on how the overdue and lost loan profiles have been set. The Overdue and Lost Loan job runs every night at 10 PM, changes the statuses, and sends the Ful Overdue and Lost Loan Letter to the patrons.

If a patron contacts you and says that that they lost the item, you can manually change the status of the item to lost status and bill the patron for the replacement cost of the item.

Manually setting an item status as Lost:

1. On the Patron Services page (Fulfillment > Checkout/Checkin > Manage Patron Services), locate the patron that borrowed the item.  
2. On the Patron Services page, select the Loans tab.
3. In the Loan display drop-down list, select All Loans and then select the item that is lost.
4. For the lost item, select Lost from the row actions list.

5. The Lost Item dialog box opens with the fine/fee information.
6.  Select OK. The status of the loan changes to lost. The Active Balance for the patron updates. Alma sends the Ful Lost Loan letter to the patron.

If a patron claims that they have returned an item, you can change the item’s status to Claimed Returned in the same place where you can change the item’s status to Lost.

To claim an item was returned:

1. On the Patron Services page (Fulfillment > Checkout/Checkin > Manage Patron Services), locate the patron that borrowed the item.  
2. On the Patron Services page (see Selecting a Patron), select the Loans tab.
3. In the Loan display drop-down list, select All and then select the item that is claimed to have been returned.
4. Select Claimed return from the row actions list.

5. Optionally, add a note about the item. The value of the Loan Status column changes to Claimed returned.

To mark a lost item as “claims returned”:

1. Select the ellipsis > Found item to remove the lost status.
2. Select Claimed return.

When you receive a lost item, the best practice is to use Fulfillment> Return Items to return the item. Alma removes the loan from the patron’s account and deletes the replacement fee for the item. If you delete the loan, Alma will change its status to missing, which is not desirable, and will change its status in Alma Analytics to Inactive.

To renew a lost item:

1. In Alma, retrieve the user's record and locate their list of all loans in their fulfillment activity.
2. In their list of checked out items, locate the item they have checked out that is in lost status, that you wish to renew for them.
3. For that item, click the row action ellipsis button, and choose the option for Found Item. This will return the status to Normal and will automatically forgive the patron's replacement fines (as long as the item became "lost" in Alma and was not lost from back in Sierra. If the item was lost in Sierra, fines will need to be reviewed by a supervisor.

After using the Found Item option, use the ellipse menu options again for the item to either Renew, or, to Change due date to select a future date.

When a patron pays for a lost item, the item changes to a Lost and Paid status and is removed from the active loans list rather than remaining in a Lost status.

Sierra loans/bills: The "Lost and paid" process type does not work for items that were marked lost or billed in Sierra. Fines and items may have migrated to Alma patron record from Sierra; however, while Alma knows the patron has the item charged, and that the patron owes a fine for that item, the fine and the loan are no longer or connected.

To change an item's status to Lost and Paid:

1. Choose Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services.
2. Enter the patron barcode to locate the patron record.
3. Select the Pay button next to the Active Balance on the top of the page.

4. Select Specific Fines.
5. Select the fines or fees for the desired item from the list.  The payment method is online, the transaction number should be copied from the paid notification, and the note should be "Paid at Treasurer's Office." If a replacement copy has been submitted, note: "Replacement Copy Submitted."
6. Select Send.
7. Confirm the payment.

The item is removed from the patron's list of checked out items. The item's process type changes to Lost and Paid (see screen shots below).

Be sure to select specific fines!  It is best if each item is marked paid individually:

When an item has been declared “lost and paid” in Alma and the item is returned, the system will display side notes related to the return (Lost item check-in…):

Screenshot of manage item returns

The item status is changed to “Item in Place” and the credit is added to the Fines and Fees report. 

Note:  Most of the processes listed above will generate email letters (notices) to the patrons regarding the status of the items checked out to the patron, whether billed, lost, paid, or returned. 

Note about “processing fees” or invoice fines in Alma:

• As of July1, 2022 the University of Arkansas library no longer charges Lost Item Processing fines or overdue fines for any fulfillment transaction.  (ILL does charge fees but these are currently entered as manual charges.)
  • It is possible that some Lost Item Processing fines migrated from Sierra to Alma, but these should have been cleared.
• For items that were assigned the Lost process in Sierra and the Lost process was migrated to Alma:
  • Alma will NOT automatically remove the lost replacement cost for the item when the item is returned.
    • Library staff should give the item(s) to a supervisor who will need to review the Sierra patrons and fines report (See \\nautilus\User Services\Alma Bursar) to manually record the transaction and determine if an adjustment will be sent to the Treasurer’s office.
• For items that were assigned the Lost process in Alma:
  • Alma automatically removes the lost replacement cost for the item when the item is returned.
  • Alma does not automatically remove any overdue fines. Overdue fines should only be charged for special types of collections such as reserves or short-term loans.