De La Salle University Library inventory 2005

In 2003, the De La Salle University Library acquired a high end integrated library system called the Millennium. Using the inventory module of this system, Inventory 2005 was undertaken marking the third online inventory conducted by the library. Inventory 2005 aimed to: (1) determine the total number of existing collection and collection with off-shelf status; (2) identify records with discrepancies and correct these records; (3) determine the total numbers of missing books and identify these titles as well; (4) update book statuses in the Millennium database, shelflist file, and accession file; (5) test run the inventory module of the Millennium integrated library system. The project covered the inventory of all accessioned books, compact discs and floppy discs collections except those at the Periodicals, IMS, LaSalliana/Archives, Sibayan, and DLSU collections loaned to all satellite libraries such as CREM, GSB-Manila, RCBC, La Salle-Greenhills (LSGH) and Yuchengco. Cut-off accession number is 0280000. Metrologic data collectors/laptops with barcode scanners were used for the physical inventory. Data, on the other hand, were processed using the Millennium integrated library system. Results of the inventory were as follows: 1. The total number of existing accessioned collection as of May 2005 is 251,991. 2. The actual number of missing items for inventory 2005 is 580 or equivalent to an average of 193 volumes per year (a span of 3 years from the last inventory conducted) 3. There was a 45% reduction (1,053 missing during inventory 2002 and 580 for 2005 inventory) in the number of missing items compared to the last inventory conducted in 2002. 4. Library materials on the Social Sciences, Language and Literature, and Philosophy, Psychology and Religion are the materials most prone to losses. 5. Error reports in the Millennium database were mainly caused by encoding and conversion errors. 6. On-going borrowing and returning transactions as well as continuous cataloging during the physical inventory resulted to an overwhelming number of missing books. 7. The time element between barcode scanning and data processing caused missing errors. 8. The physical inventory has improved in terms of the number of hours spent. Post-inventory, on the other hand, has become more tedious with the parallel maintenance of the accession file, the shelflist file and the Millennium database. In the light of the above-mentioned findings, the following recommendations are forwarded: 1. Do one more round of searching for missing items; after which update statuses of these materials on all files (accession files, shelflist file and Millennium database) 2. Replace missing books identified to be of heavy usage. 3. Initiate stricter security policies specifically for items most prone to losses. 4. Review the insurance policy of the Library for possible inclusion of missing materials identified during inventories. 5. Consider as a project the cleaning of the Millennium database specifically the item records as most errors generated during the processing of data were identified to be errors in item type, location and status fields of the item records. 6. Schedule weeding, binding, repairs and cataloging of materials falling within the range of the cut off accesion way ahead of the inventory period to minimize missing errors and reduce time spent in searching for missing books. 7. Examine the advantages and disadvantages of conducting inventories every two years. As the collection grows, the cost of conducting inventories also increases. 8. Study the possibility of closing concerned sections/collections during physical inventory periods to make sure that there will be no change of status from the time the item was/was not scanned up to the time data are processed. 9. Further improve the inventory procedures by carefully planning the activities as well as the schedules to reduce errors and eventually reduce the cost of conducting inventories