Our First Automated Inventory: A Learning Experience
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The document summarizes the library's experience conducting its first automated inventory in over 10 years. It describes the initial strategic plan, challenges encountered during implementation, and adjustments made. The inventory was completed over several rounds and resulted in over 172,000 items being scanned. Issues addressed included disorganized shelves, barcodes in the wrong field, and missing items. The process helped improve procedures and item records.
Our First Automated Inventory: A Learning Experience
- 1. Our First Automated Inventory A Learning Experience June L. Power, MLIS UNC-Pembroke
- 2. In the beginning… … the inventory date was void.
- 3. Overview Why Inventory? History Strategic Plan What Actually Happened Wrap-up
- 4. History of Inventory at UNCP Last complete library inventory conducted in 1994 when UNCP became an III library All previous inventories were completed manually A Percon B321 scanner had been purchased, but automated inventory had not been implemented due to technological difficulties in using the B321
- 5. Why is Inventory Necessary? Patrons and staff misshelve items
- 6. Why is Inventory Necessary? Patrons hide items
- 7. Why is Inventory Necessary? Items are reshelved without being checked in Items are missing Items have an incorrect status (either on shelf or in the system) Items have errors in their item record Patron claims item returned
- 8. Strategic Plan Equipment Procedures Timing Tracking Follow-up
- 9. Strategic Plan - Equipment Percon B321 Only one scanner Only one file at a time Must directly upload files from scanner Required training on use of scanner Laptop with notepad and barcode scanner Multiple scanning stations possible Multiple files can be generated at one time and saved for batch uploading Files can be uploaded from any desired storage media, direct ftp transfer, or e-mail Training unnecessary
- 10. Strategic Plan - Procedures Perform test scans of small file sizes – 10-20 items Begin scanning collection for inventory processing Reconcile inventory reports and correct shelving and item record errors (Of course this plan changed as we learned things along the way…but more on that later.)
- 11. Strategic Plan - Timing Begin scanning the general circulating collection at the beginning of the spring semester Complete in one semester Scan folio, juvenile, and reference collections over the summer break (This part of the plan also changed as the rest of the plan was altered.)
- 12. Strategic Plan - Tracking Scanning Log Progress Reports
- 13. Strategic Plan – Follow-up Statistical reporting By collection Number of hours Number of items By staff person Integration into workflow Annual inventory schedule Student worker training guide http://www.uncp.edu/home/powerj/studentscanning.pdf Job description revisions Staff training
- 14. Strategic Plan – Follow-up Documenting inventory processing procedures Processing Inventory Reports http://www.uncp.edu/home/powerj/processinginventory.pdf Reading and Correcting Inventory Reports http://www.uncp.edu/home/powerj/readcorrectinventory.pdf
- 15. What Actually Happened…or When Plans Change Test files Automated inventory scanning – Round 1 Manual shelf-read Automated inventory scanning – Round 2 Project Barcode Automated inventory scanning – Round 3
- 16. What Actually Happened…or When Plans Change – Test Files Test files with the laptop set-up were scanned in groups of 10-20 and saved to removable media (flash or floppy drives) Test files copied to local server space (F: drive) Test files successfully processed in text-based Innopac as per procedures in III manual (see relevant manual pages at end of presentation)
- 17. What Actually Happened…or When Plans Change Began cautiously, scanning only a few files of about 300 items each Had staff complete scanning – not student workers in case any problems First stumbling block – files did not process – shelves too disorderly Automated inventory scanning – Round 1
- 18. What Actually Happened…or When Plans Change Manual shelf-read Conducted during Spring 2006 semester Printing shelf lists – general, reference, folio, and juvenile collections Establishing three tier process – to be done, completed, and post-processing Post-processing to update item statuses Enforcing time limits Tracking
- 19. What Actually Happened…or When Plans Change Began cautiously, scanning only a few files of about 300 items each Had staff complete scanning – not student workers Made sure sections scanned were in order first Second stumbling block – files did not process – two barcodes Automated inventory scanning – Round 2
- 20. What Actually Happened…or When Plans Change Conducted July – November 2006 Many item records had two barcode fields - accession number and barcode Cataloging procedures had accession number first and barcode on books second Barcode order had to be switched to enable successful file processing Cataloging and circulation staff worked to correct over 100,000 item records manually over the course of several months – cataloging provided lists of records needing to be modified To save time created macro under special project specific login/password Project Barcode
- 21. What Actually Happened…or When Plans Change Steps to edit: Type "b" to set the index, type the accession number, click search or press enter. Click once in the second barcode field b. Select Edit Select Move barcode up Save/close Type "b" to set the index and type the next accession number. Project Barcode
- 22. What Actually Happened…or When Plans Change Macro: %PGDW%%Alt+e%H%Alt+q%b Translates into: Selecting edit from the toolbar (%Alt+e) Selecting the move up command in the edit menu (%H) Quitting (%Alt+q) Selecting b to search for the next barcode (%b) F12 was our macro key Project Barcode
- 23. What Actually Happened…or When Plans Change Steps became: Type "b" to set the index, type the accession number, click search or press enter. Click once in the second barcode field b. Enter F12 Enter “y” Enter the next accession number. Project Barcode
- 24. What Actually Happened…or When Plans Change Retested processing with files of about 300 items each Files processed successfully!! Full scale inventory was begun Librarians, staff, and student workers participated in scanning Automated inventory scanning – Round 3
- 25. Possible Errors Spaces in file name File empty Bad data – transfer failed No item record to match barcode Check digit missing Check digit not capitalized First or last call number is not in order More than 10,000 items between first and last items
- 26. Statistics Began successful scanning in December 2006 and finished in May 2007 Collection Totals General Circulating 377.75 scanning hours 138, 096 items scanned Folio 11 scanning hours 5, 741 items scanned Juvenile 21 scanning hours 5,673 items scanned Reference 31 scanning hours 12,856 items scanned Approximately 3700 items subsequently determined to be missing
- 27. Follow-up Took Summer 2007 off as a reward – circulation staff treated to lunch Fall 2007 – student workers began re-scanning the General Circulating collection to be continued indefinitely as part of regular duties – 1 hour per student per week Circulation Assistant processing and reconciling inventory reports weekly as part of regular duties Semester breaks will be used to scan reference, folio, and juvenile collections Tracking logs still kept to determine progress and participation
- 28. Thus the inventory date was created… … and it was good.
- 29. Relevant Manual Pages Inventory Dates, p. 102577 Inventory Control, p. 102566 Comparing Scanned Inventory Data to Shelf Lists, p. 102571 Producing the Inventory Report, p. 102575 Processing PC and Portable Reader Transactions, p. 102551 Printing the Shelf List, p. 102567 Inventory Statuses, p. 102576
- 30. Works Cited Unshelved Comics from Overdue Media www.overduemedia.com/ Failure Poster from Despair, Inc. http://despair.com/ Presentation Available Online http://www.uncp.edu/home/powerj/inventorypresentation.pdf