[ISLMA-Share] inventory

Fri May 19 13:52:33 CDT 2017

I am librarian for two buildings with different sized collections, so I
inventory half each year...Fiction in the even years and Non-Fiction in the
odd years. I do it for all the reasons others have mentioned (find
lost/incorrectly shelved items, cataloging errors...) but I also use the
final list of missing books to make decisions about purchasing: am I going
to replace those items?  Then I clean up the catalog.  There is nothing
worse than the catalog saying we have an item, but it's not there...ever.

Michelle Harris
Heyworth

On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 12:35 PM, Email list for the Illinois School
Library Media Association <islma at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:

> I can’t disagree more on the importance of inventory. Now that we have a
> catalog that allows all 19 of our schools to interlibrary loan materials an
> accurate inventory is critical. It finds the books that have been returned
> but human error missed it at check in. It protects the fiscal obligation of
> my student’s family because I’ve double-checked everything before sending a
> bill (I still don’t get how we can bill someone for something that may be
> in our library). It saves me time looking for a book that may or may not be
> here.
>
>
>
> With that being said, manpower is the big issue. My district provides me
> with summer hours to do inventory every other year (it is a budgeted item).
> That’s the one where we do everything with no circulation going on. We are
> well over 99% accurate afterwards.
>
>
>
> During the off year, we do 2 rolling inventories. A rolling inventory is
> where we do one piece of the library at a time. For example, we will zap
> everything in Fiction between F AAA and F DZZ in a week, then do another
> section another week. I set it up in Destiny and then have student aides do
> the zapping of materials. Remember, in Destiny a checked out book is
> accounted for and is inventoried. It takes me about an hour or two a
> semester to set it up and finalize it, but at least I have a 95% accurate
> inventory (estimated guess) compared to not knowing.
>
>
>
> Hence, the answer to the original question is I do a full formal inventory
> once every other year. and 3 other rolling inventories during the same time
> period.
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
>
> Alan, Librarian serving Brooks Middle School
>
> holtzac at vvsd.org
>
>
>
> "What a school thinks about its library is a measure of what it thinks
> about education."
> - Harold Howe, former U.S. Commissioner of Education
>
>
>
> *From:* islma-bounces at list.railslibraries.info [mailto:islma-bounces at list.
> railslibraries.info] *On Behalf Of *Email list for the Illinois School
> Library Media Association
> *Sent:* Friday, May 19, 2017 11:40 AM
> *To:* Email list for the Illinois School Library Media Association
> *Subject:* Re: [ISLMA-Share] inventory
>
>
>
> I don't do inventory anymore.  I do run the shelves, putting books in
> order, and making sure none have snuck behind.  I rarely have a student
> claim he or she has returned a book that they are being charged for.
> Inventory takes so long, and I can't justify the time for the benefits.
> When I had an assistant to help, we could inventory pretty quickly, but
> alone it takes many many (wasted) hours. If books are missing, they are
> missing.  The fact that the inventory tells me they are missing isn't
> terribly important.
>
>
>
>
> Annette Mills
>
> School Librarian
>
> Triad High School
>
> 703 E. Highway 40
>
> Troy, IL 62294
>
> annette.mills at tcusd2.org
>
> (618)667-5409x7120
>
>
>
> On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 11:03 AM, Email list for the Illinois School
> Library Media Association <islma at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:
>
> I complete inventory (using inventory function of Destiny) during second
> semester finals every year. For me, it is a snapshot in time when I know
> where things are. We routinely find lost books, seriously misshelved books,
> books with cataloging errors, etc. This makes the time very well spent.
>
>
>
> Inventory is only for my sake, although I could see how it would be
> helpful to report up the ladder that 99.99% (or whatever your percentage
> turns out to be) of LMC materials are accounted for.
>
>
> *~Monica Tolva*
>
> *Library media specialist*
>
> *Google Educator*
>
> *Vernon Hills High School*
>
> *847-932-2039 <847-932-2039>*
>
> *monica.tolva at d128.org <monica.tolva at d128.org>*
>
> Currently reading *And Again
> <http://titlepeek.fsc.follett.com/tp/query?action=3&subnumber=1206365&isbn=9781501116100&appid=4>* by
> Jessica Chiarella (VHHS '05)
>
> Also re-reading the D128 Union contract
> <https://sites.google.com/site/d128union/union-contract>
>
> Currently listening to *The Art of Secrets
> <https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18267068-the-art-of-secrets> *by
> James Klise
>
>
>
> On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 10:43 AM, Email list for the Illinois School
> Library Media Association <islma at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:
>
> How often does everyone do a complete inventory of the print materials in
> their library? Do you do this at the end of the year or during the school
> year?  Is your inventory information reported to others, or do you use it
> primarily to update your collection records?  Want to get a feel for how
> others handle this task!
>
> Brooke Fleuette
> Mercer County High School
>
> Currently reading: These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly
> Currently listening to: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
>
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-- 
Michelle Harris
District Librarian
Heyworth CUSD #4
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