First, a definition of each:

• Lost materials are checked out and lost by a patron.

• Missing materials are not checked out, but cannot be found in the library.

To declare an item lost, first pull up the patron's account. Click on the Items Out button. In the Items Out listing, right-click on the appropriate item, and select Mark Lost (By Patron). Evergreen will bill the patron for the cost of the material, plus any local processing fees.

If the patron then later finds the lost item, library staff will need to possibly void the billing, refund payments, and/or assess past due fines according to local and PINES policy. The variation of possible outcomes of this are too many for the software to handle automatically.

When the item is marked lost under the patron's Items Out, it remains checked out to the patron until the bill for the lost item is paid or the item is checked in. You will notice under the patron's Bills that the item is marked red indicating that the item is still checked out.

To mark an item as missing, first search the catalog and locate the correct title. Click Actions for this Record, and select Holdings Maintenance. In the Holdings Maintenance screen, drill down through the owning library and call number to the missing copy. Right-click on the appropriate item, and select Edit Item Attributes. On the Item Attributes screen, click on Status, and change it to MISSING.

Enhancements are planned to make marking an item missing a top-level option.