Charges and Accounts

Damaged Items

NOTE: Any item covered in a hazardous substance (mold, bugs, mildew, gasoline, body fluid) should not be kept on the damaged shelf. Place in a secure ZipLoc bag.  Copy down the barcode number, then discard the item outside in the dumpster.  Add a charge to the Patron Account immediately.  Make a note when you add the charge that it had to be disposed of due to its condition.

Your Items Returned Damaged to You

1. Location notifies patron that item is damaged and there will be a charge
2. Location Adds charge to the Patron Account
3. Location attaches a copy of the damaged notification to the item and places on appropriate shelf
   1. If patron pays for item, location gives item to patron
   1. After 30 days, location pulls the item and discards it

IndyPL or Other Location Items Returned Damaged to a Shared System Location

1. Patron returns damaged IndyPL item to Shared System location
2. Staff member writes down patron name and attaches note to item.
3. Location notifies patron that item is damaged and there will be a charge
4. Location Adds charge to the Patron Account
5. Location checks item out to Damaged Shared System Card – 21978066743818
6. Locations fills Shared System online form:  https://forms.gle/LhtQQHEDT1cmHUsK6
   1. Sh Sys receives notice that form has been filled in
   1. Sh Sys withdraws item from system
7. Location attaches a copy of the damaged notification to the item and places on appropriate shelf
   1. If patron pays for item, location gives item to patron
   1. After 30 days, location pulls the item and discards it

Your Items Returned Damaged to a Branch

1. Patron returns damaged Shared System item to branch
2. Branch fills out IndyPL’s “Damaged Item Form” 
3. After filling out the damaged form, branch attaches it to the damaged item
4. Branch composes and mails a damage letter
5. Branch charges the patron
6. Branch checks item out to Damaged Shared System Card – 21978066743818
7. Branch fills out Shared System online form:  https://forms.gle/LhtQQHEDT1cmHUsK6
   1. Sh Sys receives notice that form has been filled in
   1. Sh Sys withdraws item from system
8. Branch attaches a copy of the damaged letter to the item and places on appropriate shelf
   1. If patron pays for item, branch gives item to patron
   1. After 30 days, pull the item and throw away

Waive Codes

Waive Code	Description and Required Proof
DEA	Death – Death of the patron or of an immediate family member (spouse, child, parent, or sibling) that occurred during the week the materials were due
EAL	Waiver of charges for patrons in the Earn and Learn program who reach appropriate milestones
FDI	Found Items – Materials that missed the check-in process and were later found on the shelf.  Waiver of the processing fee does not need a code.
HDS	Hardship Cases – At their discretion, Branch Managers & Circulation Supervisors may waive charges under hardship circumstances
HOS	Hospitalization – Patron or immediate family (spouse, child, and parent) were in the hospital at the time the materials were due. Must provide a copy of the admission or discharge papers to verify the dates of hospitalization
Identity Theft	For IndyPL staff, there is a form to be completed.  Please follow your location’s protocol if you come across an incident of Identity Theft.  This code can be used when a patron claims that their identification was stolen and used without their knowledge to obtain a library card.
JAL	Incarceration – You will have documentation from the school for this.  Send an email to sharedsystem@indyp.org if you have questions.
LBA	Lost Book Adjustment – Used when patrons are paying less for a lost book (price match new item on Amazon or other retail site)
MFC	My First Card –Fees are waived for all MFC cards
NDS	Natural disaster
STF	Staff – Errors made by staff which need to be corrected
STL	Stolen Items – Patron must pay $50.00 or $60.00 if in debt collection, use this code for replacement costs exceeding $50.00 or $60.00 for materials stolen from the borrower’s possession while checked out.  Borrower must provide a copy of the police report made at the time of the theft specifically stating that Library materials were stolen.  Does not apply to materials checked out on a lost or stolen borrower’s card.
	CODES USED BY INDYPL
BKD	Bookdrop – Items that should have been checked in under Free Days mode
BKM	Book Mobile
BKR	Bankruptcy – Fines and value of materials will be waived. All bankruptcies are processed through (CBSS). If you receive bankruptcy letters, forward to CBSS – Attn. Tonya Franklin. Patrons who list INDYPL in their bankruptcy proceedings are immediately eligible for full library privileges.
FST	Waiver for patrons eligible for the “Fresh Start” program
FTPU	When an item is not found on the expired holds report
GPH	Resident of Group Homes – Includes group home residents and foster children
INZ	InfoZone – InfoZone materials returned outside the county (you won’t use this, but you might want to know what it means!)

Approved waives are acceptable reasons for waiving charges on a borrower’s account. Usually, the patron must provide documentation about the qualifying event at a branch. At a school, you are likely to know the reason from the teacher or school office.

Note:  Always review the patron’s transaction summary prior to waiving any fees

Use the following list of approved waive codes when waiving charges in Polaris. These codes, staff initials and branch name are to be used in the Note field.