Library lost and found software for the circulation desk.
Library lost and found software records what patrons leave behind and helps return it. With vFound Lost & Found the desk photographs each find, patrons search the library's own page or report a loss, and staff check every claim and record each return. It costs US$75/month per site, billed yearly at US$900.
vFound Lost & Found is library lost and found software for the circulation or information desk: staff photograph the phones, chargers, bottles and USB drives patrons leave behind, and each item gets a record, a shelf and a date to keep it until.
Patrons search the library's own page or report what they lost, and staff check each claim against the private record before anything is handed back.
Reviewed
Picture your guest website.
Try your name and colours. Watch it become yours.
Illustrative preview. Your web address is confirmed during setup.
Fit and limits
- Who it is for
- Libraries whose desk holds what patrons leave behind.
- Price
- US$75/month per site, billed yearly at US$900. 14-day free trial we set up with you, then yearly by invoice.
- What it replaces
- A paper logbook, a spreadsheet or a drawer of found items, with a photographed, searchable record.
- What it does not do
- It does not connect to your library catalogue or circulation system.
- It takes no payments from guests. If an item goes by courier, your team arranges it and records the tracking in vFound.
- Only with vFound Enterprise
- More than one site, single sign-on, two-step sign-in, deployment in your own country and guest SMS and WhatsApp alerts are only available with vFound Enterprise, which is scoped and priced for your organisation. What Enterprise includes
Key facts
| Price for one site | US$75/month per site, billed yearly at US$900. Prices in EUR, GBP, CAD and AUD |
|---|---|
| What is included |
|
| Limits | No limit on records, team members or storage. Other limits: up to 6 photos per found item, 500 storage bins, 2,000 rows per found-item CSV import, 100 emailed-in photos a day, 10 API keys and 25 webhook addresses. |
| Languages | Guests see pages and emails in 13 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish, Turkish, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Arabic. The staff workspace is in English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Italian and Arabic. |
| Where data is held | Hosted by OVHcloud in Singapore, with an encrypted copy of backups in Canada. When AI assistance is on, vFound AI reads the photo or text in Australia. Deployment in your own country comes with vFound Enterprise. |
| How to start | 14-day free trial we set up with you, then yearly by invoice. Request a trial |
Facts from the field
Figures and rules published by operators, regulators and industry bodies, each linked to its source.
- Kanawha County Public Library dates and stores lost and found items for 14 days, and physically destroys or disposes of unclaimed USB drives after that. Kanawha County Public Library
- Clackamas County's library asks for a description of a lost item before it is claimed, may ask for identification before releasing wallets, phones or ID cards, and holds items for 30 days. Clackamas County
See the whole lost and found journey in one short film.
See everything in vFound Lost & FoundA charger left in a study room
Found at a study room
Libraries collect small, similar-looking items all day. The record should say which charger is which before a patron asks for it.
Read more
- 1Log
A photo and a shelf
Staff add the item with a photo and note where it was found and where it is kept. vFound AI can draft the listing for staff to check.
- 2Search
The patron looks online
The patron searches the library's page, or with a photo of the same charger, and sees likely matches suggested by vFound AI.
- 3Return
Checked at the desk
The patron's claim asks for details only the owner would know. Staff compare them and record the return with a name and a time.
USB drives and ID cards
“Perdí mi mochila azul junto a la piscina.”
I lost my blue backpack by the pool.- Brand matches your private record
- Laptop inside, as your team noted
A suggestion only. You decide.
A USB drive or a library card can carry personal information. List the item without its photo, or keep the photo private to staff, and ask a verification question only the owner could answer.
Read more
When the keep-until date passes, record whether the item was returned, donated or disposed of. vFound records what your team did; it does not wipe or destroy a drive.
Branches and the central library
“I think that’s mine.”
Brown leather wallet · circulation desk
“There’s a small star stitched inside, next to the card pocket.”
- Guest submits a claim
- Your team verifies ownership
- Return arranged and recorded
With vFound Enterprise, each branch runs as its own site and network matching can suggest that a report made at one branch matches an item found at another. Staff decide, and an item can be sent between branches on the record.
Check the fit for your library
Read more
| Your requirement | Fit | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Patrons search found items online | Yes | On the library's own page in thirteen languages, with photo search. |
| Keep found items off the public page | Optional | With Keep found items private on, patrons report what they lost and staff reply. |
| Unclaimed items donated on the record | Yes | In numbered batches with a certificate. A disposal can need a witness. |
| Several branches | Enterprise | Each branch is its own site. More than one site is part of vFound Enterprise. |
| A connection to the library catalogue | No | Lost and found is separate from your catalogue and circulation system. |
Try a busy afternoon in the trial
In the 14-day trial, log a fictional charger, a water bottle and a USB drive with its photo kept private. Claim the charger as a patron, accept it and record the return, then mark the bottle for donation.
How vFound Lost & Found works
From the shelf to its owner in three steps.
- 1
Photograph it. vFound AI writes it up.
AI drafts the details for your team to check. Its privacy guard checks that photo; staff review every photo before publishing.
- 2
Guests find it themselves.
Your branded website lets guests browse photos in thirteen languages. AI adds search keywords in seven languages to photo-filled listings and suggests likely matches.
- 3
Verify privately. Return on the record.
Claimants answer details only the owner would know. Your team checks, books the pickup or ships it, and every return is logged.
Everything a lost and found desk needs.
- QR signs and labelsA sign for the desk, a label for every bin and item.
- Lost reports that keep watchingGuests describe a loss once and hear when a match comes in.
- Pickups and shippingGuests book a pickup time or add a delivery address.
- Custody on the recordBins, approvals, signatures and disposal certificates.
- Thirteen languagesGuest pages, emails and claim messages translated.
- Reports and insightsReturns, busy spots and a weekly summary by email.
See everything in vFound Lost & Found
Photograph found items, publish them on your own guest website and return them to their owners.
Its own page has the film, the use cases, each screen and the answers to common questions.
See everything in vFound Lost & FoundOne workspace for everything your desk looks after.
Frequently asked questions
How much does vFound Lost & Found cost for a library?+
US$75/month per site, billed yearly at US$900, after a 14-day free trial we set up with you. Items, team members and storage are unlimited. A library system with several branches needs vFound Enterprise.
Can library patrons search for lost items online?+
Yes. Patrons search the library's own page, in thirteen languages or with a photo, and claim privately. The library can instead keep its found items private, so patrons report what they lost and staff reply.
What should a library do with a found USB drive?+
List it without its photo or keep the photo private, and ask a verification question only the owner could answer. Record its return or disposal in vFound; destroying any data on it stays your library's own procedure.
Can a report at one branch match an item found at another?+
With vFound Enterprise and network matching switched on, yes. vFound suggests the pair, staff decide, and the item can be sent to the other branch on the record.
Does vFound connect to our library catalogue system?+
No. Lost and found runs separately from your catalogue and circulation system, so patron borrowing records stay where they are.
Who checks a patron's claim before an item is handed back?+
Library staff. vFound AI can compare a claim with the private record and flag answers that do not add up, but a person decides every return.
Every charger back with the right patron.
Request your free trial: a 14-day free trial we set up with you, then yearly by invoice.
Request your free trial