Library Collection Management

Maintain -- Support Materials

District Guidelines for Collecting and Submitting Money for Lost or Damaged Materials

Funds collected for lost or damaged materials are deposited in the School's revenue account. The LMS may expend these funds, with administrative approval, to replace library materials.

1. Bills for lost books can be sent –
   • Anytime after the book is 4 weeks overdue
   • On the day after the final due date in June
   • At the request of the student or parent when book is reported lost or damaged
2. Print Fine Notice from Follett Reports. You may alter the Follett bill statement's wording for your school. Go to: Follett -System Setup / Circulation / Notices / Bill for Overdue and edit the text of the notice in the gray box.
3. Follow the District Reimbursement Policy for lost or damaged materials, included in the Instructional Materials Policy.
4. Cash or checks made out to the school can be accepted.
5. A student remains responsible for any lost or damaged materials when:
   • Transferring to another district
   • Transferring to another school in our district
   • Graduating to another level, e.g., middle school to high school
6. The LMS or designee will inform the new LMS by email, noting materials the student needs to return or pay for. The new LMS will help students remember their obligation to their former school.
7. Elementary & Middle School: Money is paid to the school secretary, receipted and sent to Accounting. School Secretary retains copy of the district receipts. The Librarian keeps a log or spreadsheet in the library, which includes the date, student name, title, barcode number of book, amount paid, and district receipt number. (Example below)

8. High School: Money is received & receipted in the library using a district receipt book. It is deposited monthly to Accounting. Accounting returns a district receipt for the monthly deposit, which is attached to the library's copy of the receipt log.
9. Book is checked out to Patron “Paid (current year)”. Some Libraries add the receipt number to the Copy Record in the title line in case the book is found and returned.
10. Paid titles remain in the system until the LMS chooses to delete them. Keep a record of deleted items for two years.
11. If a Paid title is found, and the student is still enrolled, the secretary (or LMS at High School) submits a district refund form. The form is forwarded to Accounting.
12. Individual schools have the option to accept, in lieu of monetary payment, school service time, a replacement copy of the lost book, or a comparable replacement. A record of the alternate payment should be kept, but does not need to be receipted.
13. Libraries may also charge fines for damage to library materials and overdues. The LMS should keep a record on a miscellaneous fines sheet. The maximum fine for an overdue item is $3.00.

Month/Year ________________ Miscellaneous Fines Collected   Log #_____

14. The Accounting Department enters the money submitted by the school into a revenue account for that school. At the discretion of the school principal, that money can be used to replace lost materials in the library.

Note: You cannot spend money out of a revenue account. It is actually a “credit” toward your library's general fund budget. When submitting orders based on your revenue account, specify the general account fund number on your order, with a note that you are using the revenue account credit.

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