Taking Stock - The Process and Benefits of Performing a Regular Library Stocktake

S tocktaking is a valuable part of library work. It maintains collection quality and makes the collection accessible and relevant. It ensures that your catalogue accurately refl ects what is on the shelves in the library. A once-a-year stocktake allows every item to be physically handled, mended, repaired, re-catalogued or removed, if required. Stocktaking also allows for everything to be in its rightful place, in perfect order, at least for fi ve minutes until a user comes in to use something! Some libraries perform a stocktake on a section-by-section basis, others do the entire collection in one go. Th is year during my annual stocktake procedure, I did a few things diff erently and had some unexpected, but pleasantly surprising and pleasing results. Prior to beginning my stocktake, I requested that all loans from students, especially those graduating, and non-essential loans from staff were returned. Th is enables me to ‘fi t’ the collection on the shelves correctly, rather than guessing how much room I need for each Dewey area. It also provides less of a chance for items to disappear under beds during the holiday season, never to be seen again. After the fi nal date for loans to be returned, I allow one more ‘secret’ week, as there are always a few stragglers that can never seem to get stuff back by the day they have been told. Th en I am ready to begin! It is not necessary to close the library during a stocktake. However, during my annual stocktake, I prefer to close the library to students, most of whom have fi nished their studies anyway, and only allow staff members to use the library if they really need to. Th is ensures the collection I have already stocktaked stays in the correct shelf order for as long as possible. “Stocktaking and weeding are two activities that are often not highly publicised outside the library environment and are not well understood by non-library staff .”1 Other staff members just don’t get why I love to do my annual stocktake – even my husband calls me a ‘major nerd’! I love putting things in order and for that to be successful, it can’t be messed up by students and staff browsing the shelves, removing items and putting them back wherever they like. Closing the library gives me the assurance that it will stay in order at least until I re-open – even if it is only 1–2 weeks later.