COLLECTION MANAGEMENT
USING III REPORTS:
INVENTORY AND
RELOCATION OF MATERIALS
Teresa LePors & Shannon Tennant, Elon University
Elon University Belk Library
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Elon founded in 1889
Belk Library opened
January 2000
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75,000 square feet
Currently 350,000 volumes
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Dewey decimal system
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Went online in 1991 with
DRA; migrated to Sirsi in
2004; migrated to III in
2006
“Club Belk” – Standing Room Only!
Inventory Using Create Lists
Historical Background
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Nearly every year since 1982
Typically inventory half of the collection
Historically performed during two
weeks library closed between
graduation and summer school
By the late 1990s, process took approx.
two months
How it Worked
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Used shelflist drawers
Worked in pairs – one
person to call numbers,
one person to look
Used flags to mark
missing or lost
Clean-up performed
by cataloger
2005 Statistics
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000-599
112,978 volumes contained in 137 shelflist drawers
Took two months, June-August
535 missing volumes (0.4%)
129 lost volumes (0.1%) – which were deleted or
replaced
And then came Millennium!
Create Lists
Settings for Inventory Shelflist
Finished List
Export to Excel
Adjust Import Settings
Final Step and Raw Data
Issues with Excel Spreadsheet
Issues with Excel Spreadsheet
Pros and Cons of Paper Shelflist
Advantages
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Less bulky to transport than
the drawers
No partner needed
Catch errors in the catalog,
not just in the shelflist
Easier to read report than
cards
No longer need to order or
file shelflist cards
QUICKER!
Challenges
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Some minor sorting issues
Foreign language
characters display oddly
Harder to straighten
shelves because hands are
full
Amount of paper and toner
used (paper is re-used by
ILL and for scrap)
Clean-up
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The most important step!
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Any book that is a “problem” comes to Tech Services
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Examples of common problems:
 Call number on list doesn’t match spine label on book
 Book does not appear on the shelflist
 Duplicate call numbers
 Spine label is falling off/unreadable
 Book needs repair
Use Create Lists to run a list of all Missing books and search again
Any book that is missing twice is “Lost” and then deleted or replaced
 Use Create Lists to run a list of all Lost books, including number of
times circulated and publication year
Student Inventory
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Began summer of
2009
Lists and initial cleanup done by Circulation
Librarian
“More interesting than
shelf-reading!”
Program suspended
due to cuts in student
worker budget
Relocation of Materials Using Create Lists
Why Did We Outgrow Our Space?
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New University President in January 1999.
Phi Beta Kappa initiative.
Increased materials budget especially for print.
Result:
Some Areas Became Extremely Crowded
Defying Gravity
Criteria for Moving Books Off-Site
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Books that have circulated two or fewer times since
we began online circulation in 1993.
Older editions of books for which we own newer
editions.
2nd copies of books that have not circulated
regularly.
Older reference books that aren’t regularly used.
Print indexes that are duplicated online.
Satellite Shelving Facility
Use Create Lists to Identify Books
With Low or No Circulation
Saved Query for Relocation Project
Exporting Fields
Raw Data Exported into Excel
Excel Data in “Finalized” Form
Working in the Stacks
Search Holds by Call Number
Summary Record of Item
Detailed Item Information
Detailed Circulation Information
Off-Site Shelving Trucks Ready for
Processing
Item Use Three
Create List to Locate Item Use 3 Books
Retrieve Saved Query for Item Use 3
Rapid Update
Selecting fields
Select the Correct Location
Command table
Circulation Message
Satellite Shelving Statistics
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Number of Items Moved Off-Site Since Jan. 2006
 47,424
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Circulation Statistics
 June
2006 – May 2007
 June 2007 – May 2008
 June 2008 – May 2009
 June 2009 – May 2010
 June 2010 – Present
49 items circulated
97 items circulated
165 items circulated
188 items circulated
94 items circulated
Stacks Management Project
After Shifting – Order Restored!
Benefits
Benefits of Inventory
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Clean catalog – if it says we have it, we have it!
Neater shelves – books where they are supposed to
be benefits patrons and staff (especially ILL)
Staff cooperation
Chance to physically examine the collection
Opportunity for collection development
QUESTIONS?
Teresa LePors lepors@elon.edu
Shannon Tennant stennant@elon.edu