Recently Asked Questions (RAQs)

What are the legal requirements, or best practices, for libraries handling lost or unclaimed property, i.e. patron items left inadvertently at the library?

For items like lost library cards where the owner’s identity it easy to find, we look up the patron record and attach a note to it, then place the card in Lost & Found. But what about things like electronics? We’ve had a lost cell phone in L&F for several months now. I assume for privacy reasons we should never access the phone in an attempt to learn the owner’s identity?

Three area directors I’ve asked said that after one month, they give unclaimed phones to their local police department. Is this a legal requirement or simply a best practice? What about other found items, like money? Can money, after a period of time, be given to the library’s Friends group or kept by the library itself, or should it be turned over to the police as well?

Thanks.