WHEN AN ITEM HAS BEEN DECLARED LOST OR MISSING, THE SEARCH FOR THE ITEMS
BEGAN IMMEDIATELY.  YET, THE TIME SPAN BETWEEN THE FIRST SEARCH AND THE
NOTICE "BILL FOR NONRETURNED ITEM" IS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 YRS., WHICH WE
HAVE FOUND TO BE TOO LONG OF A PERIOD.  THE BIBLIOGRAPHERS WOULD LIKE TO
KNOW AS SOON AS THE LAST SEARCH HAS BEEN DONE TO DECIDE WHETHER WE SHOUL
D REPLACE THE ITEMS.  ALSO, WHEN THE ITEM IS CHARGED TO MISSING (CLAIMED
RETURNED) WE CAN THEN BILLED THE PATRON FOR AN ITEM THAT HAS NOT BEEN LO
CATED. (BILLING SOMEONE FOR AN ITEM THEY CLAIMED RETURNED OVER A YEAR AG
O I FOUND TO BE QUITE ASININE!!)

THEREFORE, WE ARE PLANNING TO SHORTEN THE PERIOD SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 3 - 6
MONTHS FOR BOTH THE LOST AND MISSING PATRON.  I AM OPEN TO ANY SUGGESTIO
NS/OPINIONS.

THANKS.

S. CARMEN MATIAS
CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR
TULANE

This is in response to "NOTIS LOST/MISSING PATRON".  We are
in the process of converting from LS\2 automated library system
to DYNIX.  On LS\2 our last notice was sent when an item was
42 days overdue.  This was the billing notice with the price of
the book displayed.  When this notice goes out several things
happen: if the paton is a student they are blocked from
registration and from obtaining transcripts; if they are
non-students they are sent to the Credit Bureau; circulation
staff continues to search for the book for about 3 more weeks
and after that time the item record is sent to acquisitions for
reordering.  This procedure has worked quite well for the past
6 years.  We should have somewhat the same procedure on DYNIX.
I would love to hear from other DYNIX users.

Bonnie Bowen
Circulation supervisor
VC/UHV Library
Victoria, Texas
vliba...@vicvx2.Vic.UH.Edu

From: L. Klarenbach                  I.T.S.440 Cameron Library,
                                     University of Alberta
We do not have NOTIS, but we bill our patrons when an item is 35 days
overdue, or 1 month after an item has been reported missing/claimed
returned.  At least patrons remember the item.  We also find when they
see the amount owing (replacement cost + $30.00 processing fee) they
look harder for the lost item and often find it.

Getting the item back is what we really want to accomplish, and most
often we are successful.

                                       Loretta(403)492-5282
___________________________________lklar...@vm.ucs.ualberta.ca