ALEPH Online Inventory – V.20
Note: When working with online inventory, you have the option to use the Item Services in either the Cataloging or Circulation modules, as the services are identical in both places. Because the scanning must take place in Cataloging, these instructions reference the services in Cataloging. When retrieving the reports in the Cataloging Task Manager, it is important to be certain to change the library from ODN01 to your local ‘50’ (XXX50) library.
I. Preparing for inventory
A. Checking Item Records
Assure that your library’s records are ‘inventory ready.’ The inventory process relies on information from the item record to build report information. If information in the item records is not valid or incomplete, the results of the process will also be invalid or incomplete.
The item record (unless the Temporary Location box in tab2 is checked) pulls its information from its linked holding record (tab6 of the item record). Probably the most commonly found error is a lack of (or incorrect) a Call No. Type. The call number type is pulled from delimiter 1 of the 852 field in the holding record. The call number type should correspond with the schema used in your library (Dewey Decimal, Library of Congress, etc.
The General Retrieval Form (ret-adm-01) for items is an excellent tool that can be used to assess the health of your item records. In the Cataloging module, go to the menu bar and select Services | Items | General Retrieval Form (ret-adm-01). The following workform will appear:
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· Input file: not typically used for this report.
· Output file: the name you will use to retrieve the report in the task manager. It’s recommended you begin report names with your three-letter library code. Remember to not use spaces or special characters (with the exception of the hyphen and underscore).
· Retrieve by: the service offers five retrieve by filters in this report. Using the drop-down menu, select the field you would like to use to retrieve item records and list the criteria in the empty fields that follow. Many times, using the Collection Code as the field and entering your specific code in the first blank line (such as MAIN or AUDIO) will provide a report that is small enough to work with. If you leave these fields blank, the system will attempt to retrieve all item records in your library, and many times the report is too large to work with.
· Build Batch Report: Select ‘Yes’ to create a report that can be retrieved in the task manager.
· Report Format: Select the report format that includes Call Number Type, as this is the most common field lacking information.
· Sort Report By: Select title, call number or last inventory date.
· Click Submit on the right side of the box to submit the report to the server.
The report can be retrieved in the Task Manager once it’s completed. Notice in the sample report below that the first two items are missing their call number type, when the type should be ‘0’ for Library of Congress classification. These records would have to be fixed (and keep in mind when working with call numbers, you will want to alter the holding record which will in turn update the item record) before an inventory is conducted. If they are not fixed, the services will not pick up these items.
*Note: if you find that you have a prohibitive number of records that need to be fixed, please contact the ODIN office via a help desk ticket, and we may be able to assist you by means of a global update.
B. Rebuild the Call Number Sort Key
After any holdings have been altered, it’s typically necessary to rebuild the call number sort key. The rebuild assures that all call numbers adhere to their specific filing routing, and they will sort in proper order. Even if you do not make any changes to records, rebuilding the call number index is always a recommended task prior to conducting inventory. Even for the largest collections, this service typically takes only minutes to run.
To run this indexing service, in the Cataloging module go to the menu bar and select Services | Items | Rebuild Call Number Sort Key (item-06). The following dialog box will appear:
This service requires no parameters to be entered – simply click ‘Submit.’ No output file is generated, but you can monitor the progress of the job via the Batch Log node of the Task Manager. The service is listed in the log as p_item_06, and once it has ended, you are ready to conduct your inventory.
II. Defining Inventory Parameters
To create, or mark, the range of items you will be working with, it is necessary to run the Inventory Definition service. In the Cataloging module, go to the menu bar and select Services | Items | Inventory Definition (item-01). The following dialog box will appear:
· Output file: enter a name for the report that will be generated by this service. This name will be used to retrieve the report from the task manager.
· From Call Number: use the beginning call number of the range you will be scanning; if possible, it is best to use information before the cutter (for example, 158.32 instead of 158.32 CAN for Dewey and LB3572 instead of LB3572 .D73)
· To Call No.: use the ending call number of the range you will be scanning; if possible, it is best to use information before the cutter (for example, 158.32 instead of 158.32 CAN for Dewey and LB3572 instead of LB3572 .D73)
· Call No. Type: select the call number type from the drop-down menu
· First/Second Call No.: typically select first call number
· Sublibrary: select your sublibrary
· Collection: enter the ALEPH collection code for the section scanned
· Item Status: chose to include or exclude particular item statuses if desired
· Item Process Status: chose to include or exclude particular item process statuses if desired
· Material Type: chose to include or exclude particular material types if desired
· Inventory Definition Report Format: there is currently only one format available
The Inventory Definition Report locates the items in the database that should be included within the inventory based on the parameters you’ve set. It assigns this definition a shelf report number which is necessary for use when scanning items, as well as use in future services. Additionally, the report will indicate if prior reports have included the same parameters you’ve defined, and which reports have been overridden based on the new shelf report. Sample Inventory Definition Report:
Note: It is important to note, that the Last Invent. Report Date in tab3 of the item record is updated with the date that the Inventory Definition is created.
III. Scan Barcodes
After running your Inventory Definition and obtaining the associated Shelf Report number from its output file, you are ready to begin scanning barcodes. An important note: Online Inventory requires that you have a live connection to ALEPH when scanning items.
1. Inventory Marking - Online
Log in to the Cataloging module. On the menu bar, select Items | Inventory Marking. You will be presented with the following workform:
· Shelf Report Number: Enter the Shelf Report Number obtained after running the Inventory Definition (item-01) service, or click the elipse button () and select the number from the list presented.
· Select Lost/Missing Process Statuses: Define which process statuses are to be considereed as lost or missing during the inventory marking session. Items that already have this process status will be reported during the marking session if you choose the ‘Item is Lost or Missing’ option in the Error Types section.
· Receive Popup Message: If selected, a popup box will appear on the screen every time an item is scanned that matches one of the criteria checked in the Error Types section. (*Sample below)
· Print Report at End of Session: If selected, at the end of the scanning session a printable report will display on the screen listing all items that match any of the criteria checked in the Error Types section, as well as what the error is. NOTE: it is highly recommended you select this option. (**Sample below)
· Error Types to Include: Select the errors you wish to have detected in the scan process and/or the end of session report.
After filling out the workform, you will be presented with the following dialog box. Scan the barcodes into the ‘Item Barcode’ box to mark the items as found. Scanners are programmed with an automatic enter, so if wanding the barcode, it will be accepted right away. If you are typing in the barcode by hand, after typing it press enter or click ‘Submit.’ Continue to enter barcodes until you reach the end of the range as determined in the Inventory Definition created earlier.
*Sample pop-up message:
**Sample end of session report:
2. Inventory Summary (item-09)
After scanning your range of items, a service can be run to create a list of items that are a part of the shelf report, but were not scanned. Additionally, these items can automatically be updated to reflect a process status such as Missing. To run the Inventory Summary job, in the Cataloging module go to the menu bar and select Services | Items | Inventory Summary (item-09). The following dialog box will appear:
· Shelf Report Number: use the shelf report number created in the Inventory Definition service
· Report File: enter a name for the report that will be generated by this service. This name will be used to retrieve the report from the task manager.
· Barcodes Output File (not found items): enter a name for the file of barcodes that weren’t found, if you wish to create one in the library’s scratch directory, which can be used as an input file for other services.
· Missing/Lost Item Process Statuses: indicate which process statuses are regarded as lost or missing. Items with this status will be regarded as accounted for, and won’t be reported as ‘not found.’
· Update Database: indicate if you wish to update the database. Doing so will automatically make changes to the processing statuses of items that were not found.
· If updating, change to process status: indicate which processing status the system should update not found items to, if update database is set to yes in the above field.
· Sort Report By: the report can be sorted by call number, title, author, or last return date/hour
· Report Format: select the desired report format
If the Update Database flag was set to yes, the items listed below (which were a part of the shelf report, but their barcodes were not found in the file of scanned barcodes) would automatically have its item process status updated to Missing. Sample Inventory Summary report:
3. Inventory Report (item-10)
To view a list of the items included in a particular shelf report, the service Inventory Report can be run. The report will indicate which items have been ‘found’ in the inventory process, and which have not. This report is for informational purposes only, and is not required to conduct the inventory process. In the Cataloging module, go to the
menu bar and select Services | Items | Inventory Report (item-10). The following dialog box will appear:
· Shelf Report Number: enter the shelf report number created in the Inventory Definition Report (item-01)
· Report File: enter a name for the report that will be generated by this service. This name will be used to retrieve the report from the task manager.
· Sort Report By: the report can be sorted by call number, title, author or sequence
· Report Format: there is currently only one report format available.
The Inventory Report will create a bibliography of items that are included in a particular shelf report. Sample Inventory Report:
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