Using Innovative’s Inventory Module for Library Stock-take : PolyU Library’s Experience

1. Using Innovative’s Inventory Module for Library Stock-take : PolyU Library’s Experience Camilla Chang Assistant Librarian (Systems) Pao-yue Kong Library The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

2. Outline • Background • Our Goals • Know Our Records • Prepare for the Inventory - Hardware & Software • Our Work Flow • Inventories • Transfer Inventory Files • Before Generating the Report • Generate Inventory Report • Inventory Report Statuses • Follow-up Actions • Inventory Results • Summary

3. Background • Recommended by PolyU Internal Audit Unit • Audit Report on Review of Acquisition & Disposal of Library Materials in March 2006 • Inventory Module is ready for use • Innopac Inventory Module installed since we migrated to III in 1997 • Regular shelf-reading but no organized inventory for many years

4. Our Goals • Target our Inventory on a small scale collection – we select LC classification Class R (Medicine) • heavily used collection • a manageable size - contain 98,381 items • a fair representative of the collection - 8% of the entire Library physical holdings • To cover all kinds of materials in different collections • included books, av materials, serials, reference, .. • To minimize the disturbance to users • To complete the inventory project by the end of August

5. Know Our Records • Different Call Numbers e.g. Call no. for books : RC1 .G72 e.g. Call no. for av materials : AV TV Program Solution : separate inventory reports for different call number ranges • No Call Numbers e.g. Dummy checkin record Solution : add information to local call number field to reflect the type of materials

6. Know Our Records • Record with no attached holdings e.g. ebooks, online journals Solution : move bib location to a temporary location • Items shelved in call number order Solution : use barcode scanning method to compare with Innopac’shelf-list via Innopac Inventory Module • Items not shelved in call number order Solution : check manually against the printed copies of Innopac shelf-list

7. Prepare for the Inventory • Meetings with library staff • Conduct pilot runs • Generate statistics and trial inventory reports • Study the trial inventory report • Design worksheet & workflow • Study how our barcode scanners work with Innopac Inventory module • Calculate the battery life and file size limit of the portable barcode scanners • Prepare workstation for file upload and printing • Shelf-reading before the inventory • Calculate no. of staff required for the inventory • based on the no. of items/team/hour • Allocate staff members by team

8. Hardware Preparation • 30 Apollo A38CX portable barcode scanners • 40 charged batteries • 9 download and FTP workstations • Printer for report printing

9. Software Preparation • Generate inventory report & update Inventory Date (INVDA) field • III’s inventory control module • For transferring inventory data file • any FTP client software • For update record and item STATUS field • MilCat Global Update

10. Our Work Flow Generate reports & update INVD Identify & correct errors FTP data files Scan barcodes ERR missing ERR wrong loc ERR msh ERR ST ERR no item rec ERR os, but co

11. Inventories • 6 August 2006 Sunday - Library closed for summer • 66% of the R class stock was checked on that day • Other stock-taking took place from 3 Aug to 18 Aug 2006 • Total 98,381 items were inventoried • Took up a total of 551 man-hours involving 85 staff members spread out in 6 days

12. Transfer Inventory Files • Transfer the data file to III’s circbatch directory /iiidb/circbatch Note : Use the upload menu if your Library brought III’s B321 Percon Portable Barcode scanner • Name the transferred file to rdi_your_filename.ftpc Note : No need to re-name the file if your Library brought III’s B321 Percon Portable Barcode scanner • Use telnet mode to access the Inventory Module • C > CIRCULATION subsystem • A > ADDITIONAL circulation functions • P > PROCESS PC transactions • C > COMPARE inventory to shelf list

13. Before Generating the Report • Make sure each file’s first and last record call numbers are in order • check before start scanning each inventory file • or, check or modify the first and last entry of the inventory file in the Inventory module • Define the “off-shelf status” for each collection report • status such as missing, withdrawn, claimed return … • Define location codes for each collection report • Use “Location Served” list to define the locations for each collection Eg. PolyU’s Circulation collection include cir - normal cir item cirlb - cir item large book

14. Generate Inventory Report

15. Generate Inventory Report

16. Generate Inventory Report

17. Generate Inventory Report

18. Generate Inventory Report

19. Inventory Report Statuses • OK on shelf On-shelf: The item's physical location matches the shelf list, or the status of the item is NOT an "off-shelf" status. • OK checked out Checked out: The item is checked out and not on the shelf. • OK ST = [code] STATUS = [code]: The item's STATUS field is non-blank, and the item is not on the shelf e.g. Item was marked “withdrawn” in INNOPAC database and the item was not on the shelf. Status is OK.

20. Inventory Report Statuses • ERR missing The item is not checked out and its STATUS is blank and therefore should be on the shelf, but it is not. • ERR msh Mis-shelved: The item is physically out of sequence according to the shelf list. If it belongs at another point within the range of this inventory report, the line number of its correct position will be given (e.g., msh, #15). Mis-shelved within range (correct line positions are shown):

21. Inventory Report Statuses • ERR mshMis-shelved within range This error appears mostly due to the inventory report follow the system input order for title with more than one item. e.g. Title RD92.A38. Report suggested item order : v.10, v.6, v.7, v.8, v.9 Scanner captured : v.6, v.7. v.8, v.9, v.10 System Input Order : ITEM    2 > COPY #: 1; LOCATION: circp; VOLUME=v.10; BARCODE=0000800902082 ITEM    3 > COPY #: 1; LOCATION: circp; VOLUME=v.6; BARCODE=0000800514291 ITEM    4 > COPY #: 1; LOCATION: circp; VOLUME=v.7; BARCODE=0000800514309 ITEM    5 > COPY #: 1; LOCATION: circp; VOLUME=v.8; BARCODE=0000800517187 ITEM    6 > COPY #: 1; LOCATION: circp; VOLUME=v.9; BARCODE=0000800884595

22. Inventory Report Statuses • ERR msh Mis-shelved out of range (correct line positions are not shown): • ERR no item rec There is no Item record in the system for the given barcode. INNOPAC shows the barcode and call number for the next record in the database. This error appears mostly due to scanner mis-read the barcode. e.g. Item barcode in DB is 0000805524816 Scanner captured 0000805544816, hence reported ERR no item rec

23. Inventory Report Statuses • ERR os, but co On-shelf but checked out: The item was found on the shelf but the system shows it as checked out to a patron. • ERR ST = [code] STATUS = [code]: The item has a code in the STATUS field which the library has specified as an off-shelf status, but the item was found on the shelf. e.g. The item was marked “missing” in INNOPAC database but now appeared on shelf. • ERR wrong loc Wrong location: The item's location code differs from that of the first and last items in the range.LAST ITEM SHELVEDThe item was the last correctly shelved item; followed by an ERR msh item.

24. Follow-up Actions • Studied each line item in the Inventory Reports carefully to identify problems and trouble-shoot errors • Verified the Missing errors in the Inventory Reports to determine if they were scanner misread or genuine missing messages. • Searched for the missing items. • Continued searching the missing items for one month before marking withdrawn and placing replacement orders. • Tidied up the shelves with correct call number shelving order. • Verified, updated and took appropriate actions on the items with off-shelf status. • Re-labelled wrong or worn out barcodes and call numbers. • Updated bibliographic and item records. • An inventory date was recorded in the INNOPAC database for each record checked.

25. Inventory Results • Item Missing • As of 7 September 2006, a total of 281 items (0.29% of the R Class items) were found missing. • No Item Record • 12 items (0.01%) were found without item barcodes. • Items Mis-shelved • 527 items (0.54%) were shelved in wrong order either within or outside the concerned call number ranges.

26. Inventory Results • Items on Shelf but Have Checked out Status • no item was found. • Off-shelf Items Found on Shelf • A total of 14 items (0.01%) with off-shelf status were found on shelves. 8 items marked “Missing” and 6 items marked “Withdrawn” were found. • Items with Wrong Location • 143 items (0.15%) were shelved in wrong sections or locations.

27. Summary • We spent a total of 928.25 man-hours in stock-taking 98,381 items. Only 281 items were found missing from the shelves. • The inventory was time consuming and labor intensive but in return our catalogue are more accurate and stacks are cleaner after the exercise. • The experience that we gain from this exercise can be used in the next inventory which will save lots of preparation time. • The Innopac Inventory Module provides more features and function then we expected but still need to improve on the error report. • The brief error report does not provide enough information for a beginner. The full error inventory report provides full details but also use lots of paper.

28. Thank You