Inventory at JCKL

 Cheryl RileyApril 2011

What is an inventory?

An accounting of each of the books in JCKL

We make certain each item has ●a good and accurate barcode●an accurate call number● an accurate title● a record in the catalog●any needed repairs completed●been placed in the correct location on the shelf

●Integral part of collection development●Find improperly shelved and labeled materials●Increase patron success at finding desired items●Work is recognizable to those outside Technical

Services●Correct errors ●Make things better for library users●Allows standard schedules for student employees,

rather than sending students home when there is no processing

Why Inventory?

Overview of the process 1. Get an inventory list or notebook

2. Go to the shelves and get the first item in your notebook that has not been inventoried

3. Insert a yellow slip where you take your first book -- it needs to stick out so it is noticeable

4. Fill up the top row or top two rows on your book truck

5. Insert a red slip where you take your last book

6. Take the books and the truck back to Technical Services

7. Check the book against the list - make certain to check each item! ●Call number●Title●Barcode● If everything matches - mark okay on the LIST and return book to your cart●For anything on the list, but not on the shelf - mark MISSING (M) on the list●For anything on the shelf, but not on the list - note NOL on a post-it, put the

post-it inside the book, and put the book on the inventory problem truck

8. Check the status of all MISSING items in Quest; note status in notebook

Why am I watching this PowerPoint?

• We want everyone to receive the same information and we want a standard and consistent introduction to inventory

• This provides you with a reference if you have questions

• It is hard to learn all of the steps involved with inventory at one time

• This is an efficient training method• This is more detailed than what we cover

in group trainings• We hope this introduction helps you

become self-confident with this task• 1 picture is worth 1,000 words!

The 3rd floor stacks, okay, some of them…where we retrieve most books we inventory

Get to know the vocabulary used in Technical Services   This is the call number or classification number. It is normally on the spine of the book or the top left hand corner of the cover.

This is the inside front cover where barcodes were placed a long time ago. This picture illustrates bad barcodes.

Getting to know more about books

This is the title page of a book. Here is where you find the title, author, and publication information for the book.

Title page

Get to know barcodes

There are barcodes that the library system can no longer recognize.  These barcodes must all be replaced.  A bad barcode looks like it was printed on a dot matrix printer.  This picture shows a good barcode and a bad barcode  

A truck of books will look something like this

Inventory - Step 1 - Get notebook • Carrie is in

charge of the notebooks.

• She will check out a notebook to you.

• Open your notebook and put your initials on the first page. Put your initials on every page!

Step 2 - Get to know your notebook 

The barcode or accession number

Title of itemCall numberThe number of item in the list

No inventory has been done on this page yet!

•

Book truck

Step 3 - Go get books

•

Find the next book to be inventoried.Insert a yellow slip.

Fill the top row or top two rows of the book cart with books from the shelf.

Insert a red slip (with your initials on the slip) at the point you stop taking books from the shelf.

Take the books and the truck back to Technical Services.

Match notebook and books from shelf

Remove first item from truckMatch call number, title, and barcode with the notebookIf all match – write OKReturn item to truck (Keep separate from books you haven’t

checked)Repeat until truck is done

Robert is checking the call Number on the spine withWhat is printed in the notebook

What to do if….an item is not on the truck

• put an M beside the title• go to Quest and check the status (search by

title)• Write the status in the inventory notebook

(Available, due and date; Missing, Billed, Librarian Review, etc.) write all status notes in the book exactly as they show in the catalog

What to do if……it isn’t on the list• You have an item in your hand, but it is not

on the list – write NOL on a post-it and put inside the book – make certain you can see the post-it

 

What to do if ….. The title doesn’t match

• Write TP on the post-it and put in the book• Write Title doesn’t match in the notebook

This title does not include “the” before best

This title does – so they do not match.

What to do if – the call number doesn’t match?

• Write CRCN on a post-it and put in the book• Write CRCN next to the entry in the notebook

This entry does not have v.122 like the label, so CRCN goes on a post-it in the book AND CRCN is written in the inventory notebook

Example of a completed notebook pageLook at this item – it was not on the shelf, so it has an M – it had a “due date” in the status field on Quest, so due and the date is listed

This item also has an M, but a status of AVAILABLE

The initials of the inventory person are on the page….what is missing?

When you finish a truck• Put items for Cheryl on her truck in call number order• You will need to interfile your books with those already on the

truck

When you finish a truck

• Make certain your have completed each of the inventory steps (see checklist)

• Put items needing a barcode on a barcode truck

• Put items going back to the shelf in call number order

• Have call number order checked• Return books to shelf• Insert red flag so the third floor will check the

call number order

Are you ready for inventory?

• You must answer each of the questions correctly before you will be certified in the inventory process

• To begin your exam, Click on the picture• Inventory Exam• Enter your name• The passcode is TSINV

Thank YOU!• All of us here in Technical Services

want to thank for joining our team!• We appreciate the contribution you

are making to our library!• We know you have choices about

where you can work and we are glad you choice to work with us!