Hot Fun in the Summertime

Well, no, it isn't fun, but it is important, and you can work up a sweat doing it. The summer semester is when we conduct our yearly inventory.  This is not simply a matter of checking off what we have, like looking through your pantry before going shopping. We need to check what is on our shelves with what our catalog says is supposed to be there and make sure it is in the correct order so that we can find things when we need them. We do this every year to make sure our collection is in tip top shape and that the finding aid (catalog) accurately reflects what we have in our possession.

We begin by shelf reading, which is a long, tedious process of checking that the call numbers are in the correct order.  We also have to check that items are shelved in the correct location. Juvenile and Young Adult titles frequently get shelved in each other's section by mistake for example. Then we have to prepare the catalog and finally begin scanning.  There are a multitude of reports that get run after each section is scanned and then any issues that are discovered have to be resolved. You also run into damaged items that had been overlooked, faded spine labels that need to be replaced, and every once in a while something alarming such as a broken shelf, or a large spider with an egg sac (this was years ago and I had the exterminator come immediately).

The library is still open for business during this time.  You can use the computers and check items out. However, you will more than likely hear the persistent beep beep beep from the inventory scanner, or the mutterings of the Collection Development librarian as she hunts for items that should be on the shelf but didn't get scanned over the next few weeks.