How Koha 3.18 Handles Lost Statuses

by Nicole C. on Mar 4, 2015

Back with the release of 3.12 I wrote this guide but there are new preferences now that mean I should update the process. One of the most common questions we still get about Koha is how lost statuses are handled. Hopefully this handy guide will be of use in that area.

If the long overdue cron job is running with these settings:

misc/cronjobs/longoverdue.pl --lost 60=2 --charge 2 --confirm

The following actions are taken:

• charges the patron the replacement price from the item
• marks the item ‘long overdue’
• item retained on the patron’s current checkouts list
• when checked in the item is marked ‘not lost’
• when checked in the patron is refunded the lost fee (if the RefundLostItemFeeOnReturn preference says so)
• when checked in the item is removed from patron record

If the long overdue cron job is running with these settings:

misc/cronjobs/longoverdue.pl --lost 60=2 --charge 2 --mark-returned --confirm

The following actions are taken:

• charges the patron the replacement price from the item
• marks the item ‘long overdue’
• item removed from patron’s current checkouts
  • If patron reading history is kept it will still appear there
• when checked in the item is marked ‘not lost’
• when checked in the patron is refunded the lost fee (if the RefundLostItemFeeOnReturn preference says so)

If you go to the detail page and click on the items tab on the left and then mark the item lost the following happens:

• item marked ‘lost’
• charges the patron the replacement price from the item (if WhenLostChargeReplacementFee is set to charge)
• patron refunded fines that were accrued on the item (if WhenLostChargeReplacementFee is set this way)
• item removed from patron’s current checkouts
  • If patron reading history is kept it will still appear there
• patron refunded when item checked in (if the RefundLostItemFeeOnReturn preference says so)
• item status changed when checked in

If you go to the detail page and click on the items tab on the left and then mark the item lost and paid for the following happens:

• item marked ‘lost and paid for’
• charges the patron the replacement price from the item (if WhenLostChargeReplacementFee is set to charge)
• patron refunded fines that were accrued on the item (if WhenLostChargeReplacementFee is set this way)
• item removed from patron’s current checkouts
  • If patron reading history is kept it will still appear there
• patron refunded when item checked in (if the RefundLostItemFeeOnReturn preference says so)
• item status changed when checked in

If you go to the detail page and click on the items tab on the left and then mark the item missing the following happens:

• item marked ‘missing’
• charges the patron the replacement price from the item (if WhenLostChargeReplacementFee is set to charge)
• patron refunded fines that were accrued on the item (if WhenLostChargeReplacementFee is set this way)
• item removed from patron’s current checkouts
  • If patron reading history is kept it will still appear there
• patron refunded when item checked in (if the RefundLostItemFeeOnReturn preference says so)
• item status changed when checked in

If you go to the detail page, click on the Edit > Edit items button, click Edit next to the item you want to edit and then mark the item with any lost status the following happens:

• item marked with the lost status
• the patron record remains untouched