does everyone do this, or am I crazy?

[cara delia]

I went through EVERY single book with my laptop and rolling cart and checked every book in.  I wanted to make sure that every single book ont he shelf was checked in and that no child had to pay for any book that made it's way onto the shelf before passing the check in counter. After talking with several students who passed into the library (they were drawn in by the millions of dings) they thought I was nuts.  So, I thought I was just doing something every librarian does a the end of the year (this is my first year).  It only took me about 2 days, and I had several children help me while I did other things.  So my question is does anyone else do this at the end of the year, or am I wasting my time, or just plain crazy?

[Mary Charters]

If you use an inventory program, most will indicate to you whether a book is checked out in the reports you run. 

[Trish Ambrosio]

I did it!  All 20,000 plus of them.  I didn't get to the class novel sets - that will be a project for August.

[Deanna Seigler]

I do it! 19,000 books worth. I do it as inventory though. I use Follett Destiny and I use the laptop on a cart to inventory which automatically checks in anything that was out but on the shelf. If you use the Panther it doesn't check them in so I refuse to use it.

[cara delia]

lol, I'm glad I haven't been the only one to do it.  I found sooo many books that were marked lost throughout the years.  Poor little punkins who paid for them!!

[Ronald Scott Hoskins]

We do it--inventory using Alexandria at the end of the year.

[Betty Solomon]

We do an inventory at the end of every school year.  We also use Follet Destiny Library Manager. I purchased a wireless scanner which meant I didn't have to drag around a computer to scan books. Not the Panther as Deanna talked about, which is a pda. It has a good range and I can cover every area in my library and my back office.

I have also found books that were "lost".  In addition, you may find other books that have been incorrectly shelved and books that may need to be weeded or repaired. You also get to clean those shelves! 

If an end of the year inventory doesn't work for you, you can do a mini inventory on one section a month.  But really, in an elementary library , an end of the year inventory makes a lot of sense.  

 

[Karen Carr]

In university libraries, they organize lots of students to do a shelf walk during the summer every year. The main purpose is to find books that have been mis-shelved, and put them back in their proper places so they aren't permanently lost to the world. I would think this would also be important in smaller libraries.

[cara delia]

Thanks for making me feel a little bit less crazy, lol!

 

[Janice Kelly]

Hi,

 

I have done a complete inventory for the past 7 years.  I have 17,000 items and a teacher assistant.  It takes us approx. 2 weeks to do.  My position has been cut to .5 so this year I will only be inventorying either fiction or non-fiction.

[Donna rose ritchie]

Hi,

With the help of 2 "district visiting library clerks" I do inventory using 3 wireless scanners once a year.  It two days.  I work .5 so the visiting clerks are such a blessing!

 

[Kathryn Blades]

Check with someone in your district and ask how you can get a scanner for inventory. You don't have to do your inventory at the end of the year - but often times it is done then.

[cara delia]

hey didn't know you were up here!  I did check and that is what they do, seems the scanner I looking for (a wireless) is around 2,000 dollars!!!  Sooooo, I think I will be laptoppin' it for a while!  I don't know if I'll do it again this year, I was just curious last year to see how many "missing" books were there.  Good luck and be safe with Irene.