Inventory Instructions: Mobile scanner to a NOTEPAD file

Please read the Introduction to the Library Inventory Process before beginning.

Below are the instructions on how to conduct inventory using the Inventory Item Wizard. Barcodes can be scanned directly into the system using the Inventory Item wizard in WorkFlows. This method eliminates the need to upload barcodes from a laptop and avoids running a separate load barcode report. It also provides immediate identification of barcode misreads and alerts if items are checked out or have other issues. Additionally, direct scanning allows staff to check that the call number and title of the item match the information catalog. 

Inventory Steps

Before beginning please read through the entire instructions. 

Step 1: Run 'Set Inventory Date'

Do not run this report between 11 PM and 10 AM, as it may interfere with overnight indexing and notice reports. This step must be completed every day that inventory is conducted. Running 'Set Inventory Date' marks all items currently checked out to a user as ‘inventoried,’ since the system recognizes these items as being in a known location. The report updates the inventory date for items checked out at the time it is run.

If the inventory is conducted while the library is open, this report needs to be run daily. If the library is closed for the entire inventory process, you may not need to run it every day. Please contact the WYLD Office for guidance on how frequently to run this report. This report can be run manually every day or scheduled.

Step 2: Scan barcodes

This step represents the majority of the work required from library staff. It involves scanning all physical items in the library to mark them as inventoried.

SirsiDynix Symphony supports the following five portable scanner models:

• Intermec 2410 Batch Handheld Terminal
• Intermec TRAKKER® T2090 Handheld Data Collection Computer
• Intermec 9440 TRAKKER® Handheld Terminal
• 3M RFID*
• Bibliotheca RFID*

For detailed information, refer to the documentation specific to the scanner used in the library.

Step 3: Transfer barcodes

This step is only necessary if items were scanned using a mobile scanner or MobileCirc in offline mode. It processes the file of scanned items and imports them into Workflows.

Run ‘Step 2) Load barcodes from file (pc) report’ for NOTEPAD file transfer

1. Under the Inventory tab, select the Step 2) Load barcodes from file (pc) report.

2. Click "Setup & Schedule". 

3. You will not be modifying anything on the "Item Selection" tab. 

4. You may want to modify the "Count of Transactions Loaded" tab options. The "Check Misordered" option looks for items that are not in the correct shelving key order. You may choose not to select "Check Misordered". Often the results are very lengthy as spacing differences and the complexity of some call numbers are mistakenly identified by the system as out of order. "Check Unknown" looks for items that were scanned, but were not found in the database. "Use short form" limits the results to the call number, copy, and barcode only instead of complete title information.

5. Click "Run Now" to run the report immediately.

6. Wait for report to finish before going on the next step? – YES

7. View the completed report for: 

   1. Items inventoried but checked out: missing, charges

   2. Barcode ID "xxxxxx" is not in your database it was scanned after

   3. Items out of order (if you choose to run that output option.)

Step 5: Run the "Step 3) Not inv date NEVER (do not run 3 and 4 simultaneously)" report 

After completing the inventory for a specific section or the entire library, a report can be generated in either BCA or WF to identify items that have never been marked as ‘inventoried.’ The timing for running this report is flexible but should be consistent with the chosen inventory method—whether done all at once or by specific home locations. This report does not make any changes to the system; it simply generates a list of materials that were not recorded as inventoried. These items are neither currently checked out nor scanned during the inventory process

The Step 3) Not inv date NEVER (do not run 3 and 4 simultaneously) report produces a list of items that were not scanned during the current inventory and have never been inventoried. This is JUST a list, these reports will not change anything in Workflows.

Analytics Option (recommended) 

1. Click on the Inventory folder in Shared Reports. 

2. Open the Items Never Inventoried report. 

3. For the prompts, make the same selections for item policies as you did for the Step 1) Set Inventory Date report in WorkFlows. 

4. This report already has a filter that limits the report to items that have never been inventoried. You do not need to make a selection for ‘Item Last Inventoried Date’. In Analytics, a date of ‘NEVER’ is ‘1900-01-01.’

5. Click the ‘Run Report’ button on the bottom left-hand side of the screen. 

6. To export your reports results, click on the ‘Report Home’ drop-down menu and select ‘Export’.

Workflows Option

1. Under the Inventory tab, select the Step 3) Not inv date NEVER (do not run 3 and 4 simultaneously) report. 

2. Click "Setup & Schedule". 

3. Click on the "Item Selection" tab. Under the "Item Selection" tab, make the same selections for Item Type and Home Location as you did for the Step 1) Set Inventory Date report. It is critical that these selections match each other. 

4. In the "Date inventoried" field, make sure NEVER is entered. 

5. Click "Run Now" to run the report immediately. 

Step 6: Run the "Step 4) Not inv this date (do not run 3 and 4 simultaneously)" report

Run a report to identify items not inventoried in the most recent process. This is the second report to run in WF or BCA after completing the inventory of a section or the entire library. This report will generate a list of materials that were not marked as ‘inventoried’ during the most recent inventory process. The purpose of both this report and the previous one is to help identify items that need further attention. Use these lists to search for and inventory any missing materials.

Analytics Option (recommended)

1. Click on the Inventory folder in Shared Reports.

2. Open the Items Not Found in Inventory report.

3. For prompt 11 (Item Last Inventory Date), enter the date you started scanning items for your inventory.

4. For the other prompts, make the same selections for item policies as you did for the Step 1) Set Inventory Date report in WorkFlows.

5. Click the ‘Run Report’ button on the bottom left-hand side of the screen.

6. To export your reports results, click on the ‘Report Home’ drop-down menu and select ‘Export’.

7. You now have reports of items that are possibly missing. Search the shelves for these items - If found, scan with Inventory Item wizard.

Workflows Option

1. Under the Inventory tab, select the Step 4) Not inv this date (do not run 3 and 4 simultaneously) report.

2. Click "Setup & Schedule".

3. Click on the "Item Selection" tab.

4. Under the "Item Selection" tab, make the same selections for item policies as you did for the Step 1) Set Inventory Date report. It is critical that these selections match each other.

5. In the "Date inventoried" field, click the gadget and choose BEFORE and then enter the date that you scanned the items for inventory. 

   1. Click "Run Now" to run the report immediately.

   2. Wait for the report to finish? -- YES 

Step 7: Find missing items

Two reports have now been generated, representing all items in the collection that may be missing. These reports list items that were neither found on the shelves nor checked out.

Take theese reports from steps 5 and 6 to search for items that were not inventoried. If the missing items are found scan those items using the Inventory Item Wizard to mark them as inventoried. 

Step 8: Move items to MISSING

Once all items have been accounted for and it is confirmed that the items not inventoried are truly missing, the next step is to mark these items as missing using one of the following methods:

Option 1: Use the Mark Item Missing wizard by manually typing in the item barcodes (recommended option)

Option 2: Run reports in Workflows to automatically mark items not inventoried as missing. Run reports to mark those currently uninventoried items as missing in a batch. Either method charges the currently uninventoried items to the MISSING user and changes the current location to MISSING. This step provides staff with one final opportunity to locate materials that have been declared missing. There are two available reports, with the option to run one or both, based on how the library staff want these materials to be handled. 

Report 1:  "Step 5) Chrg NEVER inv to missing" 

This report allows you to change the location of items that have an inventory date of

NEVER to MISSING in batch by charging these items to the MISSING user account. 

1. Under the Inventory tab, select the Step 5) Charge NEVER inv to missing report

2. Click "Setup & Schedule". 

3. Click the "Item Selection" tab.

4. Under the "Item Selection" tab, make the same selections for item policies as you did for the Step 1), Step 3), and Step 4) reports. It is critical that these selections match each other. 

5. In the "Date inventoried" field, make sure NEVER is entered. 

6. In the "Date created" field, you will want to select a date in the past so as not to catch any new items that have just been added to the catalog. 

7. Since this report is not critical to the inventory process, you can run it at a later time. When you decide to run it, it is a good idea to do a test run of this report first.

   1. First, save the report with the correct selections as a template by clicking the "Save as Template" button. To help identify the report, you may want to rename the report under the "Basics" tab on the report template. 

   2. Select the Schedule New Reports wizard. 

   3. Find your template under the "Report name" column or look for it under your login in the "Owner" column. 

   4. Open the template. 

   5. To do a test run, run the report without selecting the "Update database records" checkbox. 

   6. View the results of the report by opening the Finished Reports wizard and make sure the correct items were selected. 

   7. Run the report again with the "Update database records" checkbox selected.

8. Wait for the report to finish? -- YES

Report 2: "Step 6) Charge not inventoried this time to missing" 

This report charges items that were not found in the current inventory to the library's

MISSING user account in batch. 

1. Under the Inventory tab, select the Step 6) Charge not inventoried this time to missing report. 

2. Click "Setup & Schedule". 

3. Select the "Item Selection" tab. 

4. Under the "Item Selection" tab, make the same selections for item policies as you did for the Step 1), Step 3), and Step 4) reports. It is critical that these selections match each other. 

5. In the "Date inventoried" field, click the gadget and choose BEFORE and then enter the date that you ran the first report (Step 1) Set Inventory Date). Selecting BEFORE the date you inventoried is critical!! Be very careful in selecting this date. If you set the date such that it falls within the range of dates that you ran the inventory, you can mark all the items you inventoried as missing, which is not a good thing, as there is no easy way to reverse this. 

6. Since this report is not critical to the inventory process, you can run it at a later date. When you do decide to run it, it is a good idea to do a test run of this report first. 

   1. First, save the report with the correct selections as a template by clicking the "Save as Template" button. To help identify the report, you may want to rename the report under the "Basics" tab on the report template. 

   2. Select the Schedule New Reports wizard. 

   3. Find your template under the "Report name" column or look for it under your login in the "Owner" column. 

   4. Open the template. 

   5. To do a test run, run the report without selecting the "Update database records" checkbox. 

   6. View the results of the report by opening the Finished Reports wizard and make sure the correct items were selected. 

   7. Run the report again with the "Update database records" checkbox selected

7.  Wait for the report to finish? – YES

Finished Inventory? Next Steps > Move Missing Items to Discard and Remove from System