Suggestions for lightweight inventory tool for curricular collection

[Kelly Zhu]

I am not sure if this would work for you, but it was what we did a couple years ago.  At the time, we wanted to do collection inventory but found that we did not purchase inventory module with the ILS.  To wait for the next year budget money to add inventory module and needed hardware wasn't realistic for us at the time.  We ended up with the following solution:

1) write SQL scripts to pull the inventory lists from the database as needed.  Chose fewer fields possible.  Recommended fields would be: barcode, title, call number.  Obviously, barcode field is definitely needed.  The other two are needed for verifying purposes when you have questions in the inventory process.  A good idea is to start with a small collection area like Reference or Reserve, etc.  Very likely you will not be able to finish inventory on time, so you might want to create separate lists of your library collections, for example, A - F, G - K, L - Z.  So it will give you flexibility, allowing either multi-groups working at the same time on the specific section, or one group working at different times.  Therefore, you might want to even out the numbers of items in each section. So, knowing the volumes of your collection would help.  Some SQL should help you achieve that.  

2) import each list into Excel. So, your Excel file would have, say, three columns for now, barcode, title, and call number.  Add the fourth column call it "barcodeOnShelf", and fill it with all "X". (You know how to do it with one shot, right?)  Add some program in the column so when scanning starts, if item matches, 'X" will be removed; if item doesn't match, "X" remains, and the beep sound given.

3) Add the fifth column call it "notes" whatever.  When the scanned item doesn't match, this column will show text "Missing" in red.  So, go check items on shelf.  Sometimes, mis-shelfing may cause the problem.  Very often, the item you are looking for is just several items down the shelf.  You just need to straighten the order and move on.

4) Of course, the Excel file is on a laptop with the scanner installed.  If you can place the laptop on a move cart, you are on the way.

5) you can always merge the Excel files into ONE to represent your library collection inventory. 

If anybody like this idea, contact me offline.  I will dig out the Excel file we used and send it to you.

Kelly Zhu


________________________________
 From: "Pulliam, Beatrice" <BPULLIAM at PROVIDENCE.EDU>
To: WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU 
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 9:43 AM
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Suggestions for lightweight inventory tool for curricular collection
 
Good Morning All,

I'm hoping someone out there has a recommendation or two for lightweight inventory software that can be used to keep track curricular materials (kits, lab equipment, etc.)  Open source (with a decent GUI is preferable) and/or proprietary options are fine.  Adding these items to our ILS is not optimal. Would like to be able to bar code materials, scan into inventory database, track checkouts, perform light searching of database, etc., but want something that the folks responsible for collection can manage easily.  Thanks for any suggestions.

Beatrice Pulliam

Beatrice R. Pulliam
Library Commons Librarian for Technology and Access
Phillips Memorial Library
Providence College
1 Cunningham Square
Providence, RI  02918
(t) 401.865.1622
(f) 401.865.2823
IM: rhodylibrarian (AIM/iChat/Yahoo/GoogleTalk
Twitter: beatricepulliam
http://www.providence.edu/library

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