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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Generate Inventory Report INNOPAC Inventory Function P > PRINT shelflist, with circulation status C > COMPARE file of barcodes to shelflist T > TRANSFER file of barcodes to a Review File Q > QUIT Choose one (P,C,T,Q)

Generate Inventory Report INNOPAC Inventory Function Files To Compare Date Created # of Items 1 > rdi_msinventory.ftpc :20PM > rdi_msinv2.ftpc :49PM 1 File #1 selected I > INCLUDE only items at CIR Inventory 2006 S > Off-shelf STATUS codes A > List ALL items E > List ERRORS only

Generate Inventory Report SHELF LIST INVENTORY REPORT Tue 21 Mar 2006 for LOCATION CIR Inventory 2006 Beginning barcode and call # BF637.B4 A Ending barcode and call # BF637.C45H Total number of items that exist in this range 298 Number currently checked out 44 Number of items with off-shelf status 34 Number expected to be on the shelf 220

Generate Inventory Report A. Number of barcodes in input file 200 B. Number of barcodes in input file that do not belong in this area of the shelves 4 C. Number of barcodes in input file that are in wrong place in this area of the shelves 13 D. Number of barcodes that are MISSING from the input file 15

Generate Inventory Report DETAIL REPORT FOR LOCATION CIR Inventory 2006 Status Call Number Title 1. OK on shelf BF637.B4 A Xin ling gai 2. OK on shelf BF637.B4A64 Applications of cond 3. OK checked out BF637.B4 A Behavior modificatio 4. OK on shelf BF637.B4B Behavior modificatio 5. OK checked out BF637.B4 B Behavioral intervent 6. OK on shelf BF637.B4B453 Behavioral self-mana 7. OK ST = w BF637.B4B47 Behavior modificatio 8. OK checked out BF637.B4 C Don't sweat the smal 9. ERR missing BF637.B4 C Bie wei xiao 10. OK on shelf BF637.B4H64 I would if I could a ERR msh, # BF637.B4J44 Learning theory and ERR msh, # BF637.B4H84 c.2 Human behavior and i 11. OK on shelf BF637.B4H84 Human behavior and i 12. ERR msh BF637.B4H84 c.2 Human behavior and i

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. Status Call Number Title 9. OK ST = w BF637.B4B47 Behavior modification

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): Status Call Number Title 83. ERR missing BF637.B4 M Behavior modification Status Call Number Title 43. OK on shelf BF637.B4H64 I would if I could a ERR msh, # BF637.B4J44 Learning theory and ERR msh, # BF637.B4H84 c.2 Human behavior and i 44. OK on shelf BF637.B4H84 Human behavior and i 45. ERR msh BF637.B4H84 c.2 Human behavior and i 46. ERR msh BF637.B4J44 Learning theory and

Inventory Report Statuses ERR msh Mis-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= ITEM 3 > COPY #: 1; LOCATION: circp; VOLUME=v.6; BARCODE= ITEM 4 > COPY #: 1; LOCATION: circp; VOLUME=v.7; BARCODE= ITEM 5 > COPY #: 1; LOCATION: circp; VOLUME=v.8; BARCODE= ITEM 6 > COPY #: 1; LOCATION: circp; VOLUME=v.9; BARCODE= ERR msh, # RD92.A38 v.6 Advances in trauma a ERR msh, # RD92.A38 v.7 Advances in trauma a ERR msh, # RD92.A38 v.8 Advances in trauma a ERR msh, # RD92.A38 v.9 Advances in trauma a 405. OK on shelf RD92.A38 v.10 Advances in trauma a 406. ERR msh RD92.A38 v.6 Advances in trauma a 407. ERR msh RD92.A38 v.7 Advances in trauma a 408. ERR msh RD92.A38 v.8 Advances in trauma a 409. ERR msh RD92.A38 v.9 Advances in trauma a

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 Scanner captured , hence reported ERR no item rec Status Call Number Title 258. OK on shelf BF637.C45 D The interpersonal co ERR msh R724.C c.2 Moral dilemmas in me ERR msh R724.C Moral dilemmas in me 259. OK on shelf BF637.C45 D c.2 The interpersonal co Status Call Number Title 170. ERR missing BF637.C4 B Best methods for the ERR no item rec OK on shelf BF637.C4 B Yi bian ying

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. Status Call Number Title 173. ERR os, but co BF637.C4 C Culture & context in Status Call Number Title 178. ERR ST = m BF637.C4 J c.4 Who moved my cheese? Status Call Number Title 290. OK on shelf BF637.C45 F Interpersonal commun ERR wrong loc cirlb RC965.V53V57 Visual display units

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.

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.

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.

Summary We spent a total of 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.

Thank You