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LLC: Effective Practice Guide

Supporting Effective Practice in our Library Learning Commons in SD57

Why We Inventory

Inventory is an important tool for Teacher-Librarians

  • It keeps the catalogue correct
  • It helps locate missing resources

Inventory should be done consistently, but not constantly. Most collections are good to inventory on a cycle. Your cycle will depend on the library size and collection complexity. A sample cycle:

  • Year 1: Non-fiction
  • Year 2: Fiction
  • Year 3: Textbooks
 Pro-Tip! If you find something that has fallen out of the catalogue, make a careful evaluation of whether to recatalogue the item or move it to a classroom collection.

Notes on Inventory and Locations

Before beginning inventory you should make a plan of what the inventory you are doing is going to be.

E.g. Is it a particular item type (e.g. Fiction, Non-Fiction, Professional) or a location (AV, Book Room, Novel Sets).

It is important to know whether there are mixed types in a location. If things have been removed from that physical location but not moved from the catalog location there will be discrepancies.

In Workflows you can go to Item Search and Display and choose the options icon:

To change your search limiters. If you are unsure what the location name is, please ask and we can assist you with what locations are active at your location.

Organizing your locations beyond your main library collection is helpful, but only if the locations stay up to date.

Why is this important? Well if you go into your AV room for inventory expecting it to only be AV equipment but it is also where kits have been located, you will be shocked when you complete the inventory and receive your lists.

If you know of locations that used to be active at your school but are not (e.g. You consolidated book rooms) please let us know. That way we can make sure your database reflects what is actually true about your collection. It's not automatic, we need you to tell us when things get moved.

Doing Inventory

SYMPHONY – WORKFLOWS  – INVENTORY

 

  • Always email "DLC Inventory" (find in MS 365 directory) in advance when you are planning to inventory your collection.
  • Login to WorkFlows
  • Under Special on the left side bar,  click on Inventory Item (the last wizard)
  • Begin scanning.
    • List of items inventoried will show on your screen.
    • Any item that is not discharged will have a status “Item Checked Out” displayed on the screen. Place these items aside and discharge them at the end of your inventory (after reports are received).
    • If an error message “Item Not Found in Catalog” displays on the screen, place item aside and if you would like it added back into your collection send it to the DLC for cataloguing.

WHILE DOING INVENTORY YOU CANNOT CHECK OUT OR DISCHARGE FROM THAT LOCATION (EASY, FICTION, NONFICTION ETC.)

 

When you have completed your inventory contact "DLC Inventory" with the following information:

  • Location you have inventoried (Easy, Fiction, Nonfiction etc. )
  • Date you started inventory
  • If you were not able to complete an entire location please indicate the call number range that you did do. For example, Nonfiction 000 AAA to 399.999 ZZZ or Easy AAA to FZZ, etc.
  • You will then receive two reports that will list your missing items.
    • The DATE report lists missing items that have previously been inventoried
    • The NEVER report lists missing items that have never been inventoried.
      • Items on the NEVER list could be newly catalogued and maybe in-transit to your school from the DLC. Check processed items from the DLC against the NEVER list when they arrive.
  • Once you have checked for the missing items and determined that they are indeed lost the items MUST be checked out manually by you to your current year’s lost user (XXXLOST 2018-2019)
    • The lost items will stay charged to the lost user for the following year. If an item is found it can be discharged and be ready to put back on the shelf. After the year the items will be removed from the system.

 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Cathy Drew