I have a book coming to me from Alaska so I know that it probably needs more than the average time to get to me.  What happens if the system marks it lost because I have not acknowledged it received?  I hope it get here before then but I want to be prepared to do the right thing.

You just wait.  If I've sent a book, and the system marks it lost, I contact the requester to let them know that I actually did ship the book, and hope that it arrives shortly.  (Everyone doesn't do this).  Most of the time people who live in AK, HI, PR and APOs know that their books take a long time to arrive, and they just wait also.  I shipped a book to HI a few weeks ago, and it arrived the day after PBS marked it lost.  It was marked received and all was well.

When the books arrives you just go to your ARCHIVES file, and mark it received.   Good luck. Pat

There is a section in the Help Center called I received a book that was 'lost in the mail' that will explain the process step by step.

I would check to make sure there are other copies in the system. It won't order another one for you if there are. But if there are no other copies, it'll put the book on you wish list.  So be sure to check on that.

Kay, you should read the info on Melanie's link.  If the book goes lost, make sure the system doesn't order you another copy.  When the book arrives, mark it received from your transaction log.

I recently received a book from Hawaii, although I live on the west coast the book still arrived a few days after the PBS system marked it lost (this is apparently quite common).  A couple days before the book was due to go 'lost' I pm'd the sender and let her know the book had not been received yet but was watching and would mark the book as soon as it arrived.  She pm'd that living outside she was familiar with mail delays and was not concerned yet.  The book arrived a couple days after the system marked it lost, so I logged it in from my transaction archive.  The package was mailed with counter postage, dated exactly the day the sender marked it mailed.

If the sender does not contact you, feel free to open a friendly discussion (PBS encourages communication in the case of problem or potential problem swaps).  You will both probably feel better for the contact, instead of feeling like the other member isn't doing their job correctly.

I've mailed 2 books to Alaska and both made it to the requestors in time, even though I live on the east coast.  I wouldn't worry too much.  If it is late, just follow the advice above.