If a borrower receives a notice regarding a lost item and she/he believes it was returned, they should contact the Circulation Department who will initiate a search for the item within the library. If the item is found, it will be removed from the borrower's record and there will be no charges. Until the book is in hand, however, it cannot be removed from the borrower's record.
When a piece of library material is lost, the loss should be reported promptly to the library. If the material is then found or returned to the library, we can notify the borrower promptly. In the meantime, the borrower should search for the item and contact anyone who might have borrowed it from them. If the item is not found, the borrower will be charged for cost of a replacement copy, plus a $35.00 processing fee.
Replacement costs are charged for lost items. For books, this charge is set at what Books in Print currently lists as its cost. If the book is out of print, or otherwise unavailable, a default charge of $60.00 (plus the $35.00 processing fee) is charged. If a lost item is found and returned within one year of payment, the replacement charge will be refunded, but not the processing fee.
The Odum Library cannot accept a borrower-supplied replacement for a lost item in lieu of the replacement cost.