Workflows Inventory

Overview:

  • This document covers directions and process for completing inventory of library collections using Workflows Inventory Module.
  • Inventory requires a Workflows Supervisor login. If you do not have a supervisor login submit Library Software Service Ticket.
 

Instructions: Login to Workflows with Supervisor login

STEP ONE: Run “Set Inventory Date” Report

This report will set the date that your inventory begins. You’ll need to run this report every time you begin inventorying a HOME LOCATION of your library. For example, if it takes 5 days to finish the fiction section, you will run this report 5 times, at the beginning of each session. Then, run it again when you do other collections.

Be very, very careful to run the report

► Only for your library

► Only for the HOME LOCATION(s) you plan to inventory that day.

  1. Click on Schedule New Reports button.
  2. Click on the template report called #1) Set Inventory Date.
  3. Click on the Setup and Schedule Button.
  4. Basic Tab
    1. Important: Change the description to indicate the collection being inventoried.(i.e. Set Inv. Fiction)
  5. Item Selection Tab
    1. Library: Your library should be already selected for you. If not, Select your library from the gadget button.
    2. Home Location: Use the gadget to select the area of the library you are working in. (i.e. Reference) (You can select more than one home location if you know you are working in more than one area.
    3. Current Location: Use the gadget to select Checked out. (Checked out selection prevents inventory of Lost-Assum, Missing Locations).
    4. Item Type: leave blank
    5. Media Desk: leave blank.
  6. Click on the Run Now button.
  7. You can view this report in your Finished Reports section if you wish, but no need to. It will print you a list of all barcodes that are currently checked out.

STEP TWO: Begin the Inventory

Inventory Properties: right click on the Item Inventory button to review properties. Check the boxes to set alarms or beeps for errors found while scanning. You can copy and paste the sound file into any additional fields that you select.  Open the Circulation / Special function icon on your left menu

Start to Inventory

  1. Click on the Item Inventory button.
  2. If working in Tabbed Window mode you can also open a Discharge window to allow for quick check-in of books if needed.
  3. Scan all books in the Home Location you are inventorying.
  4. Note: if you scan an item that is checked out, the computer will inventory it and will beep to tell you it is checked out. However, you will still need to go to the Discharge button to check it in. Make sure you watch the screen for other errors/problems it may not beep. You can setup your properties to beep on errors.

STEP THREE: Run “3a) Inventory Date BEFORE” report

Run this report AFTER you completely finish scanning a home location. Run for each home location that has been inventoried. This report will give you a list of items that were inventoried in the past, but not inventoried this time. You will want to take this list and search your library for them. If you find them, scan them in using the set inventory item button, so they get inventoried. NOTE: it is easy to miss scanning some books, but if you see that you missed a whole section like, all the Rs, you can go back, scan the section and run the report again.

Inventory Date Before Report & Checking the Shelf

  1. Click on Schedule New Reports button.
  2. Click on the template report called #3) Inventory Date BEFORE.
  3. Click on the Setup and Schedule Button.
  4. Basic Tab
    1. Change the description to reflect current inventoried collection. Make sure your library code is included at the beginning of the basic information.
  5. Item Selection Tab
    1. Library: Select your library from the gadget button.
    2. Home Location: Use the gadget to select the area of the library you are working in. (i.e. Reference) (run each location in a separate report)
    3. Current Location: use the gadget to set to EXCLUDE Lost, Missing & Discard
    4. Date Inventoried: Click on the gadget to select Before and enter the date you ran the first Set Inventory Date report for this Home Location. (i.e. your final output format should look like <1/28/2006)
  6. Click on the Run Now button.
  7. Click on the Finished Report button to view your report after it has run. Take this report and search the shelves for these items. If you find them scan them in the inventory item.
  8. Rerun this report before you go on as items not scanned will be marked missing, so you should do another double check of the shelf.

STEP FOUR: Run “3b) Inventory Date NEVER” report. You’ll run this one twice

This report will give you a list of items that have never been inventoried. You will want to take this list and search your library for them. If you find them, scan them in using the inventory item button, so they get inventoried.

Inventory Date NEVER Report & Checking the Shelf

  1. Click on Schedule New Reports button.
  2. Click on the template report called #3b) Inventory Date NEVER.
  3. Click on the Setup and Schedule Button.
  4. Basic Tab
    1. Change the description, title, and footer as you desire.
  5. Item Selection Tab
    1. Library: Select your library from the gadget button.
    2. Home Location: Use the gadget to select the area of the library you are working in. (i.e. Reference) (run each location in a separate report)
    3. Current Location: leave blank
    4. Date Inventoried:NEVER
  6. Click on the Run Now button.
  7. Click on the Finished Report button to view your report after it has run. Take this report and search the shelves for these items. If you find them scan them in the inventory item.
  8. Rerun this report before you go on as items not scanned will be marked missing, so you should do another double check of the shelf.

STEP FIVE: Run #4) “Missing Copies List” Report

SKIP this report

 

STEP SIX: Run #6) “Charge to MISSING” reports –

SCHOOLS DO NOT RUN THIS REPORT - submit request to Sharon Van Muysen and be sure to send her the HOME LOCATION, and the DATE that you first ran the “Set Inventory Date” report for that home location. List start dates for EACH home location. This report is run once in Non-update mode so you get a listing, and then again in Update mode when you are ready to actually move these items to MISSING. (NOTE: The formatting on this report puts items in random order and is difficult to actually check the shelves. It is recommended that you browse through the document for irregularities, and then just submit to update the database. If items are found after this just scan in discharge and they will be restored to their home location.

  1. Contact Sharon Van Muysen at ALC (907) 786-1876 or email Sharon at Sharon Van Muysen ALC Helpdesk support@alc-staff.org or submit a help ticket at https://alc-staff.org/
  2. Request ALC run the report in non-update mode. Check the resulting list, and look for items on the shelf.
  3. Request ALC to run the report in update mode. All items will be moved to missing, and you will receive a final list.
  4. If, in the next year, an item is returned simply checking it in will return it to the catalog.

Final: “Set Copies to Discard” report contact Sharon Van Muysen

We usually wait a year before the MISSING items are set to discard from the system. This report prepares items with a current location of MISSING to be DISCARDED by changing the current location from MISSING to DISCARD. Notify Sharon Van Muysen as noted above to run this report for you providing the pertinent information that is needed including home locations.