University Relations has come up with a new way for students and faculty on campus to locate missing items.

A recently-created lost and found Web site, http://www.iastate.edu/lnf, allows people to post descriptions of their lost items.

The Web site — co-created by Diana Pounds, communications manager of university relations, and Sly Upah, systems analyst of academic information technologies — is intended to increase the efficiency of getting lost items returned.

“It’s a big campus, and a lot of people lose things,” Pounds said. “It is an easy way for people to get the information out and quickly get things back.”

Those who wish to list lost items must log into the site with their university net-ID.

“We wanted people to authenticate to a secure site,” Upah said.

Upah said the login process was important so people listing items would have some accountability.

Formerly, those who had lost something could contact Central Stores or ISU Surplus, but Norm Hill, manager of stores and materials in the Central Stores, said the process was inefficient.

Hill said in the past, many people were uncertain about where to turn in items they had found or report items lost.

“Right now we’re trying to get it all in one spot,” Hill said.

Alexander Aspeotis, junior in biology, said he thought not enough students were aware of the new Web site, but he was optimistic about its future.

“Listed items are on the page for two weeks so they will be reminded of what people lost,” Aspeotis said.

Hill said he encourages people to bring found items to Central Stores, located in the General Services Building, so they can be catalogued and matched with items listed on the Web site.

He said he does not advise students to list items they find on the Web site.

By bringing found items to Central Stores, the chances of the item being returned to its rightful owner are greater, Hill said.

“The site is more for people who’ve lost something so there’s no game playing,” Hill said.

Several found items are still listed on the page, Pounds said. She said it is uncertain whether these posts will continue to be allowed.

All posts stay on the page for two weeks and can be re-entered if the missing item is not recovered.