What is a lost and found log?
What is a lost and found log? A lost and found log is the record a desk keeps of each item handed in: what it is, where and when it was found and who found it.
Updated
What public guidance asks desks to write down
Coventry University’s guidance, opened on 4 November 2026, tells staff to record the date and time an item was received, add a description, record the owner’s name if known, note where it was found and assign a unique reference number.
Binghamton University’s policy lists the same kind of details: where the item was found, the date and time, the owner’s name if known and the finder’s name. It says a record of the transaction is retained for three years by the University Police.
Garden City Community College’s procedure asks its secretary to document as much as possible, including the date, the time, the location where the item was found and who found it.
An invented entry to show the shape
Black umbrella, found in the lobby at 17:40 on 3 March by the doorman, reference 0312, shelf B. This entry is made up for illustration.
Keeping the log with vFound
vFound Lost & Found keeps the log as a photographed record. Staff photograph each item, vFound AI drafts the listing for them to check, and bins, approvals, signatures and disposal certificates are recorded as the item moves on.
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