Post date: Apr 29, 2015 3:19:10 PM
It seems to me that there is a misunderstanding regarding what would be considered a lost umbrella vs a stolen umbrella.
If a patron has “left” the umbrella in a public place and it was gone when they returned for the umbrella, then it is not a theft where we would waive the fees. In a case like that, it was their lack of responsible behavior with our material that caused the item to be stolen. They would not expect to leave a library book in a lounge or restroom and not feel responsible if it was taken, so why would we handle the loss of the umbrella any differently.
To me a true theft would be that the item was stolen out of a locked room/vehicle/locker, etc. In other words, it was not left out in the open where anyone can just pick it up.
If someone reports to you that the Library Umbrella that they checked out was stolen, please do not encourage them to file a police report unless you can determine that it was truly an act of theft against the person. If it was, then likely they will have already filled out a police report because there was more than a missing library umbrella involved.
Any questions, you know where to find me.