STOCK AUDITING: ANALYSING SWALCAP MANAGEMENT INFORMATION ON A SPREADSHEET
| Date | 01 April 1985 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb040338 |
| Pages | 33-35 |
| Published date | 01 April 1985 |
| Author | Philip Payne |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
33
STOCK AUDITING: ANALYSING SWALCAP MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
ON A SPREADSHEET * by Philip Payne
Introduction
We all like to believe that our library catalogues are an authoritative
record of our library stocks. But how confident are we that this is the
case? Losses, in particular, are liable to mean that the catalogue could
reflect our actual stock rather poorly. Unless action is taken, this
discrepancy will become increasingly acute and will reduce readers' and
staff members' confidence in the catalogue as a location
tool.
This piece describes simple methods which can be used to quantify levels of
stock discrepancy. The methods can also be used to highlight the most
serious discrepancies between the catalogue and the stock so that remedial
action can be directed more specifically in those areas. Statistical
information obtained from counts of the records in the bibliography file of
an automated circulation system and from a manual count are compared. This
has been carried out on a spreadsheet package using a BBC microcomputer.
The data base created can provide other management information, especially
relating to space management.
Previous work on stock discrepancy
City of London Polytechnic Library has attempted to quantify levels of
stock discrepancy over a number of years. The first attempts involved the
selection of a random sample of frames from the microfiche catalogue using
a computer program which had been specifically written for this purpose.
The selected frames were printed out on a reader-printer and circulated to
the five site libraries for checking against the shelves and the issue.
This gave some idea of overall levels of stock discrepancy at each site but
next to no information as to where in each stock that discrepancy was
greatest. Concurrent with this activity, an annual stock census was
carried out in which every book or media item was counted in each of the
libraries.
Attempts were made to calculate a loss rate based on these
figures compared with the previous year's figures plus new acquisitions
minus withdrawals. These foundered because there were difficulties in
reconciling the time bases for each of these statistics.
The sample inventory using selected records from the catalogue was
discontinued when the Library joined SWALCAP as it was possible to obtain
counts of the Library's SWALCAP bibliographic file which could be compared
with the results of the annual stock census. It was possible to conduct
both the census and the counts of the bibliographic file for particular
sections of the stock, and information therefore became available for the
first time to identify areas where stock discrepancy was particularly high
and needed attention.
* Philip Payne is Planning and Development Librarian at City of London
Polytechnic, Library and Learning Resources Service, Old Castle Street,
London.
El 7NT
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