Once again you all have great advice. I am taking everything into
consideration and discussing it with the full time librarian. This may be
especially
helpful to the newbies like me. Many thanks!!!
My original post:
Here is another question regarding inventory. I am a part time librarian and
work with a full time person.
We will do inventory without a doubt, but when is my question. Our last full
day with the students is June 20. They have a 1/2 day on the 21. In the
past, the SLMS has closed the library the first or second week in June. This
does not go over well with the teachers or administration. When do you think
would be the best time for inventory? We use Mandarin M3. I welcome your
suggestions.
TIA
Rose Ann Heilemann, SLMS
Errick Road Elementary School
******************************************************************************
********************
NEVER closed the library for inventory. In fact, inventory is a LOT easier
when books are circulating. Here is why:
During inventory you want to account for each book, right? If a book is
checked out to a student, it is accounted for. If a book is on the shelf and
scanned into inventory, it is accounted for. So scan fewer books and do the
inventory section by section while the books are circulating. You can easily scan
the
smaller sections in a day or so. Block that section off while you scan. Run
the "partial" inventory for that section. Print out the report of what is
missing. Go on to the next section and open back up the one you just did. The
students will be delighted, the teachers will be delighted, and you won't have to
scan nearly as many books.
Carol Simpson, Ed.D.
Assoc. Professor - School of Library & Information Sciences
University of North Texas
******************************************************************************
********************I know of librarians that close at the end of May when
school goes to the end of June. Crazy! I have learned that I really only need a
week to shelf read and inventory, and this includes doing all the other
year-end work like running overdue reports and so on. One year I gave myself that
week only and figured I could just not open the first few days back if I
didn't finish, but it never came to that. Knowing that I had only a week made me
work faster and more efficiently to finish in time.
******************************************************************************
********************All items are due on May 9th. Inventory begins May
10th. Students last day is May 25th. These are system wide dates. It works
really well. If they do not like it, they are welcome to contact the Assistant
Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction.
They don't usually argue with things that come from above my head.
Cristal
**********************************************************************************
I don't know anything about Mandarin M3, but every library database that I
have worked with allows you to do inventory at the same time you circulate.
Because the computer knows that which books are checked out, it assumes the
whereabouts are known and these books are not marked lost or missing. If a book is
checked in during inventory it will either be marked into inventory or you can
scan it with your inventory wand/scanner and then put it back on the shelf (or
if you'd rather--on a separate cart to be reshelved after you are finished
with inventory). Any books that get checked out should register as checked out
and the database will know where it is--even if it was already scanned for
inventory or not. If you can set your database to do a "partial inventory" you can
break the job down into smaller sections and do them as you go. In my
district, people run inventory at all different times. Hope this helps!
Barbara Johnson, Librarian
Arnold Middle School
******************************************************************************
********************I do inventory without ever closing the library. We
limit student access to sections of the library as we inventory the books there.
We do reference last (during final exams), so those are always available. We
get some of the yellow Caution tape that the custodians have to block off
areas. We start inventory about the third week of May and continue through finals.
We stop circulating books at the end of the first week of May, and the last
day of school is June 9. The last day for classes to use the library is May
30, but we continue to allow students to come and finish projects, assignments,
and read magazines.
Lee D. Gordon
Librarian
Sierra Vista High School
******************************************************************************
********************My 2 cents worth;
Inventory does take time but it is certainly easier to do for those who have
automated libraries. (for those who still don't you have my full symphathies).
Another very time consuming (but very necessary) activity is to shelf read.
Putting the two together works for me. There are times that I print out a
very small section, say the 340s and shelf read, inventory just that prior to a
class coming in to work on supreme court
cases for example.
It also doesn't have to be done all at once, after closing the library. I do
mine in chunks, during Terra Nova testing I did the 900s. During the parent
conference days I did another section.
For all of the reasons already listed I believe that doing an inventory is
necessary and I do some whenever I can. (The video collection hasn't been done
in ages though). I want my database to be as accurate as possible. Students
won't go to the database if they don't have a reasonable expectation that it is
somewhat accurate. We are doing a collection age evaluation for the district.
Since they gave us funds to purchase new science materials, I want that section
to be accurate. When I report my statistics I want it to show the maximum
effect the funding had on my collection.
Last part of my soap box, book stores do inventory. They see a need to have
their "collection" and their "database" correct not just for bottom line. They
also do it so they can tell customers whether or not they have the book on
hand.
Deborah J. Stafford
Gen. H.H. Arnold High School
******************************************************************************
********************
I don't try to inventory the entire collection at once, but rather inventory
just one section at various times throughout the school year--just Reference,
just Biography, just Fiction, just Dewey. Your "inventory window" for a
section is whatever your circulation period is, but scanning a single section of
what's on the shelves can usually be done in a single day. Don't worry about
what's checked out--obviously if it was checked out it's there. Run your
initial inventory reports when finished.
During the remainder of the inventory window, put returned books for the
section you just inventoried on a cart and set it aside. When the cart is full,
inventory the books before shelving. Depending on which section it is, the
cart will fill up every few days or not until your window for that section is
ended. Run a second set of reports to pick up discrepancies.
Finally, run an overdue report the day after your inventory window. Since
you set your inventory window to correspond with your circulation period,
anything checked out before your initial scan of the books on the shelves is now
overdue. Inventory whatever's in that section that appears on the overdue
list--you have to enter the numbers by hand, but hopefully there aren't too many.
This has worked for me the past two years and hopefully will work for you.
Barbara Paciotti, SLMIS
Barbara Bush MS, Irving TX
******************************************************************************
********************I don't know anything about Mandarin M3, but every
library database that I have worked with allows you to do inventory at the same
time
you circulate. Because the computer knows that which books are checked out,
it assumes the whereabouts are known and these books are not marked lost or
missing. If a book is checked in during inventory it will either be marked into
inventory or you can scan it with your inventory wand/scanner and then put it
back on the shelf (or if you'd rather--on a separate cart to be reshelved after
you are finished with inventory). Any books that get checked out should
register as checked out and the database will know where it is--even if it was
already scanned for inventory or not. If you can set your database to do a
"partial inventory" you can break the job down into smaller sections and do them as
you go. In my district, people run inventory at all different times. Hope this
helps!
Barbara Johnson, Librarian
Arnold Middle School
******************************************************************************
******************** I still go for the last two weeks of school (Iactually
get 10 days including the 1/2 day at the end.) This is my chance to really get
the libraries (I have three) in order, to pull damaged books that make it past
our volunteers, and check on the collection in
general. When we come back in the fall the library is organized and ready to
face the new year. I let teachers have items right up to the last full day of
classes and students until about three days before the year ends but nothing
new goes out once I get to the inventory time. By then all projects should have
been turned in and we are winding everything down. I do have a K-5 schools.
My teachers moan and complain too until they see how hard I work at this.
Most come around without too much prodding. After all everyone has a different
job and
they need to let me do mine.
******************************************************************************
********************
If inventory/ stocktake is seen in its broader sense as being an opportunity
to evaluate and map your collection as well as being accountable for the
amount of money a library swallows each year, including your salary, then I cannot
understand how any professional cannot undertake this part of our duties.
There is a list of reasons for doing a stocktake at
http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au/resource_centre/policies/inventory.htm
compiled from suggestions by teacher-librarians in Australia and the US
Barbara Braxton
--------------------------------------------------------------------
All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation.
LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/el-announce/
LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LM_NET
Mailing List Home