Koha How-To
New Options for Tracking Lost and Claims Returned Items
by Kelly McElligott on Feb 16, 2021
Two new options have been added to the already existing System Preference, MarkLostItemsAsReturned.
Coming in 20.05- the ability to remove a lost item from a patron's account when receiving payment for this lost item.
Coming in 205.05.09-the ability to remove an item that has been claimed returned.
System Preference
The system preference, MarkLostItemsAsReturned, documented here:
New Functionality with Lost Statuses in Koha
will now have two new options that will allow libraries to 'return' a claimed item and/or a lost and paid for an item and remove it from the patron's account.
For libraries that would like to see their Claimed items be removed from the patron's account at the Claim process, the option is called "when marking an item as a return claim".
For libraries that would like to see their lost items when they are paid for to be removed from the patron's account, this option is called "when receiving payment for the item"
Claims Returned
Originally when the functionality of Claims Returned was introduced into Koha, when a library marked the item Claimed- the item would stay on the patron's account until it was checked in.
Now with this, new option added to the System Preference, MarkLostItemsAsReturned, libraries can choose to have items that are Claimed to be removed from the patron's account when it is claimed.
By default, this option will not be marked on the System Preference, if a library would like Claimed items to be removed from the patron's account when marking it claimed, that option will need to be chosen at the System Preference level.
Process
If a library would like to remove the Claimed Item from the patron's account, here are the steps:
1. Update library's system preference, MarkLostItemsAsReturned to include "when marking an item as a return claim".
2. Make sure Claim Returned system preferences are set up:
3. Go to a patron's check out page, and mark and item Claimed.
4. The item will be removed from the Patron's account and will appear under the Claim Tab.
5. The item will display "Claim".
6. If/When the item is returned, the same process will remain the same, Koha will alert the staff that this was a claimed item. The staff can then go into the patron's account and resolve the outstanding claim.
When Receiving Payment
This is currently how Koha works, so by default, this option will be marked in this system preference. But there are libraries that would not like the item to be removed from the patron's account after it is paid, so now that option is available. Again, this is how Koha currently works, once the lost item is paid, it is removed from the patron's account-so this option will be marked on this system preference by default.
See more details about Koha 20.05:
Read more by Kelly McElligott