Stocktake Notes

The Stocktake Process: [OASIS codes in brackets]

1. Prepare for stocktake
2. Initialise Location/s [B2/H1]
3. Scan all items in that Location/s [B2/H2 or H3]
4. Run Missing Report [B2/H4]
5. Check Missing Report & rescan any items you find. Repeat if necessary.
6. Finalise [B2/H5]
7. Run Stocktake Statement [B2/Q1]
8. Calculate Loss Rate
9. Collect all documentation & file.
10. In NSW DET schools, it is an audit requirement that a full stocktake be conducted every 2 years. To accomplish this, stocktake may be carried out:-
    1. full stocktake every 2nd year 
    2. half of the library stocktaken each year
    3. location stocktakes each term, so that all resources are covered in a 2 year period.

What do I need to do before stocktake?

1. Determine which locations are going to be stocktaken.
2. Place signage on these shelves.
3. Put the items in that location in reasonable order. This is not essential, but it does make checking easier.
4. Checking the location shelf list in Enquiry (Classification then à) is a must before initialising, there you can pick up mistakes & correct them prior to Initialisation. Also check the top of the classification area (by typing 1 in enquiry) to make sure there are no records with blank locations that have been inadvertently missed.
5. Deal with any long-term overdues.
   1. Run B2/M4 (loans by return date)

                                                              ii.      To date 31/12/yy (where yy= current year minus 2)

2. Print this report and look after it - once you have processed the listed resources, file it in your stocktake folder.
3. Then... Check the shelves for the resources.

                                                               i.      Maybe 'heavy' the borrowers just once more.

                                                              ii.      Return the items in B2/E2.

                                                            iii.      Run Housekeeping - B4/N4.

4. In B1D1 - mark the items as missing...

                                                               i.      <F> ind by <B>arcode; Open the <C>opies section.

                                                              ii.      Double-check the barcode is the right one. (Multiple copies can confuse the issue)

                                                            iii.      <E>dit; Change the STATUS to <M>issing

                                                            iv.      In Missing/Disp date put the item's DUE DATE (as per Report)

                                                             v.      In comments, put eg "Lost by student"

5. If there's quite a few resources on the list, then run Housekeeping and Rebuild after editing them all.
5. Set a reasonable time limit to complete the task through to Finalise.
6. Investigate the New Resources Shelf & the Mending Shelf for items which will be part of this stocktake & will need to be included.

What do I need to remember during stocktake?

1. When you initialise a location for stocktake, OASIS takes a snapshot of all items in that range - their location/classn/suffix info & their loan status. The subsequent actions you take during the stocktake process all refer back to that "snapshot".
2. It is recommended that you do not enter any new items during stocktake, nor change any of the location/classn/suffix details during the process. Isolate or make a note of these items & change after the stocktake finalise. Making changes midstream causes problems.
3. The loan status of the item can be changed during the stocktake process, but you must follow up with Weekly Housekeeping & entry of the items. Many people also don't want to interfere with this & choose to isolate returned items until after finalising stocktake.
4. You may <D>ispose of items during the process so that they appear in the stocktake reports (ie. the daggy stuff you find while scanning that needs to be culled or is damaged beyond repair).
5. When stocktaking your Non Fiction, Reference & Teacher Reference area, make sure you initialise the A800's. These will not be captured in the normal range of NF 000 AAA to NF 999.999 ZZZ. You may also have some NZ800's for New Zealand poetry if you have downloaded them from SCIS. These will also need to be initialised.
6. When you have completed the entry of data via H2 or H3, you will need to run the Missing Report H4. It will include all items now recognised as Missing or Disposed as recorded by the initial run of scanning of location resources. Missing items may have been missing for more than 1 stocktake. This report alerts you to this as well. After you have printed the Missing Report, it is important to go back to the shelves to determine if an item was missed or incorrectly scanned. Also check those 'hidden' places such as the mending box, the new or display shelves and your "special" pile. You may indeed have to run this missing report several times as you whittle down the missing items. Finally you will have exhausted all possibilities and it is time to finalise.

What do I need to do during Finalise?

1. Don't leave too long a time span between Initialise & Finalise. The finalise should be completed within a week or two of beginning.
2. The key to removal of items that have been missing from previous stocktakes, lies in the date you type in during the H5 Finalise.
3. When you begin H5 Finalise, you are asked to select a range to finalise.
4. Then you are asked to "Write off items missing before" - you enter a date. The date you enter for writing off missing items is crucial & can be tricky.
5. It is best explained by an example. You, previously, did a stocktake of the Fiction collection & finalised it on 03/12/2006. At that date there were items missing. You have now done the next stocktake of this location (05/12/2008). Some of the items on the current missing list, were also missing in the 2006 stocktake. To write them off now, you would need to enter the date for the day after the 2005 stocktake finalise (04/12/2006). So that when you read the command on the screen "Write off items missing before..........04/12/2006" you will see that any items that were missing on the 03/12/2006 will be included.
6. Please note, if you have typed in "Write off items missing before.......03/12/2006" - the date of the previous stocktake finalise. This command would not include the items that were missing on 03/12/2006; only those items 02/12/2006 or before. The operative word is BEFORE the date.
7. Write off Disposed items also - you enter <Y>es.
8. Then <C>onfirm.

What documentation do I need to keep for Stocktake?

Documentation you should print to hard copy and retain for audit purposes for a period of seven years.....

1. During H2/H3 Stocktake entry, print & retain any report listed as "Items previously missing...." . These are recoveries.
2. The final H4 Missing Report in <D>etailed form.
3. The Write off Report from H5.
4. The Q1 Stocktake statement for that location with the loss rate calculated & written at the bottom of this sheet

Recommended as good work practice:-

• It’s not necessary to have the shelves in order but it does make it easier to check for missing items.

• Put signs on shelves that are being stocktaken.

• Don’t initialise too much at once.

• Have 2 substantial folders – clearly mark them Stocktake Statements & Write Offs.

  • Stocktake Statements

    • have year dividers; you must retain the last 7 years.

    • location master sheet in front.

  • Current year's write-offs. Previous 6 years write-offs be placed into folders or packs (used post-packs are good) & clearly mark the year on the outside. Store with the current Write-Off folder.

• Set up a master sheet of all locations

  • Fill in the dates you initialise & finalise each section.

  • Retain in the front of stocktake statement folder.

• Have special stocktake operators for stocktake entry which prevent re-initialisation & premature finalisation.

• Don’t wait too long before finalising.

• After stocktake, run a Q2 Current stock for the location or the whole library, just so that you get an overview of the location/collection.

• Staple the stocktake statements for each location together in the following order -

  • Stocktake Statement (with loss calculation);

  • Current stock if required;

  • Missing Report;

  • "Items previously missing, now recovered" reports.

  • Place this in the stocktake statement Folder.

  Calculating the Loss Rate  

• Loss Rate % =

  Number of Items Missing Sub Total

  x

  100 1

• At the start of a new year, check to see if any locations have been initialised in B2/H1. If there are any locations in this list, they have not yet been finalised. Finalise them as soon as possible.

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Stocktake Operators [OASIS]

Stocktake is a very hectic time for all working in the library. It is very easy to lose track of those locations that have been initialised & those finalised. This is particularly so if there are several personnel involved.

Initialising a stocktake (B2/H1) & Finalising a stocktake (B2/H5) must be completed by an operator with top-level security (ie. the Teacher-Librarian or Senior Library Assistant).

Data Entry  (B2/H2 or H3) during the stocktake  and running the Missing Report (B2/H4) do not need top security access. Often during this phase there are many people, including volunteers, assisting in the task. Thus it is best practice, that during this data-checking phase, a lower level security operator code be used. This allows the task to be completed efficiently with the added security that no inadvertent mistakes can be made to reinitialise or finalise incorrectly.

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