Koha Question of the Week: How Do I Block Returns of Paid-For Items?

by Hebah Amin-Headley on Mar 24, 2023

Each Friday, we will bring you a new Koha Question of the Week. We will select real questions that we receive and share the answers with you!

Question: How Do I Block Returns of Paid-For Items?

Answer:

In the past, libraries have had to develop creative workflows to block returns -- and specifically the automatic generation of refunds in Koha -- of lost items that have been paid for. Some workarounds have included blanking out or altering barcodes so that the items cannot be checked in.

A system preference, BlockReturnOfWithdrawnItems, can help solve that problem. When an item is paid for, the staff member can then mark the item as withdrawn. With the BlockReturnOfWithdrawnItems system preference set to "Block returning of items that have been withdrawn," Koha will block the return with a message and explanation why:

This blocks the item from being checked in and resolving a lost status, potentially triggering refunds that may not be permitted by library policy or that need to be processed through a business office.

Additional Resources

Other Lost Item Refund options: Monday Minutes: Refund Lost Update