Processing Damaged Items

1. Identifying Damage Upon Delivery

• If an item arrives damaged:
  
  • Assess the severity of the damage.
  • If heavily damaged and unsuitable for circulation:
    • Contact Owning Library
    • Recapture any holds.
    • Add a Temporary Item-Level Alert and/or fill out Resource Sharing Damage Slip to document the damage.
    • Return the item to the owning library.
  • If mildly damaged but still usable:
    • Contact Owning Library
    • Add a Temporary Item Alert to track the condition.
  • If undamaged:
    • Forward the item to the patron as usual.

2. Handling Damaged Items Returned by Patrons

• Check item notes to determine if it was previously marked as damaged.
  
• If no prior note and damage is minor (requires repair):
  
  • Contact the owning library for guidance.
  • Add a Temporary Item-Level Alert and/or fill out Resource Sharing Damage Slip to document the damage.
  • Return the item to the owning library for evaluation.
    
• If the item is heavily damaged or beyond repair:
  
  • Contact the owning library.
  • Update the status to Lost/Damaged in the system.
  • Add a Patron Alert stating the item was returned damaged.
  • Check if library accepts patron replacements 
  • Collect replacement (check owning Library’s policy) or payment from the patron.
  • Send the owning library the replacement through delivery with note or a check for the replacement fee through mail (don’t send check through delivery).
    
• If unsure how to proceed:
  
  • Contact the owning library for clarification.

3. Handling Damaged items Returned to Owning Library Through Delivery

• Check for resource sharing damage slip and/or item alert

• If no prior note and damage is minor (requires repair):
  • add a Temporary Item-Level Alert to document the damage.
• If the item is heavily damaged or beyond repair:
  
  • Update the status to Lost/Damaged in the system.
  • Add a Patron Alert stating the item was returned damaged.
  • Contact circulating library
  • Send Item back to circulating library with Resource Sharing Damage Slip
  • Circulating library collects replacement (check owning Library’s policy) or payment from the patron.

Send the owning library the replacement through delivery with note or a check for the replacement fee through mail (don’t send check through delivery).