Library Stock Verification

1. UNIVERSITY OF MYSORE
MANASAGANGOTHRI
Subject : Management of Libraries and Information centres
Seminar on : Collection Management- Stock Rectification
Presented to,
Dr. Mallinath Kumbar
Professor
DOS in Library and Information Science
Manasagangothri, Myso
Presented by,
Nagendra.N
(2nd sem, 1st year Mlisc)

3. Nagendra N

4. Contents:
 Introduction
Meaning
Stock verification and Stock rectification
Need of Stock-taking
Advantages of Stock-taking
Disadvantages of Stock-taking
Methods of Stock-taking
Loss of Books
Weeding of resources
Conclusion
References

5.  In the1980’s, the term collection management was proposed as an umbrella term
under which collection development was to be subsumed . in this construct,
collection management includes collection development and an expanded suite of
decisions weeding, cancelling serials , storages and preservation. also of concern in
management are the organization and assignment of responsibilities for its practice.

6. Collection management is defined as a process of information gathering,
communication, coordination, policy formulation, evaluation and planning.
These processes, in turn, influence decisions about acquisition, retention and
preservation of access to information sources in support of the intellectual
needs of a given library community. Collection development is the part of
the collection management that primarily deals with decisions about the
acquisition of materials.

7. In simple words,
collection management is the systematic, efficient and
economic stewardship of library resources.

8.  Collection management cannot be successful unless it is integrated within all
library operations and the responsible librarian has an understanding of and close
relationship with other library operations and services. Important considerations
for the collection management librarian include who has access to the collection
on- site and online, circulation policies, types of interfaces the library supports
quality of bibliographic records and the priority given to their creation and the
extent to which the local catalogue or access portal reflects access to online
resources.

9. Stock verification and stock rectification
 In library, books are very often misplaced on the shelf by readers who browse through them.
Though the readers are strictly instructed not to replace books back on shelves yet still it may
happen quite often. A book wrongly placed is as good as lost. Hence, restoring order among the
books is absolutely essential.
 The process of placing back the mis-placed books on their right places on the shelves by
the staff is known as shelf rectification. Whereas , the stock verification implies the physical
check-up of the articles on record. The concept of stock verification is as old as the very
concept of preparation inventories of objects having a physical entity, namely stores of
different kinds and descriptions.

10.  Stock verification may be defined as “an yearly compulsory mechanical exercise of operative
nature required by auditors causing inconvenience to library users by the libraries closure as well
as acting as drudgery for the unwilling library staff and finally yielding unreliable results without
any monetary gain leading to unnecessary harassments and punishments to mostly innocent
library staff”.
Annual stock verification has therefore been as an audit requirement in all libraries and the
purpose is to find out the loss, if any and to fix responsibility for the loss. thus the whole idea of
Stock verification in libraries emanated form the concept of treating libraries as mere stores of
books.

11. Contd..
Annual stock verification has therefore been as an audit requirement in
all libraries and the purpose is to find out the loss, if any and to fix
responsibility for the loss. thus the whole idea of Stock verification in
libraries emanated form the concept of treating libraries as mere stores
of books.

12.  If some books are library lost, it is essential to
replace them so that no gap created in the usual library
services. This would be possible only if periodical
physical check-up of the library stock is made .

13. The desirability or otherwise of stock-he taking also depend upon
the size of the book stock of a library. In big libraries, it becomes difficult, if
not physically impossible, to do through checking at regular intervals and it
also dislocates the regular rhythm of the library routines since some staff
members working in essential services sections of the library are engaged in
stock verification.

14. The advantages of stock-verification are given briefly as under:-
1. Stock-verification as explained above reveals the lost books.
2. Stock verification enables the librarian to replace the essential lost books.
3. Stock-verification helps in the, stock rectification because the misplaced books are restored to their proper places.
4. It helps the library authorities in ascertaining the loss entailed by a certain service provided in a specific manner.
5. It further provides adequate statistics which enable the library authorities to realise the inevitability of loss of some
percentage of books when these are put to use. If the books change hands quickly, there is a likelihood of bigger
loss.
6. It also enables the library authorities to ascertain as to whether if library staff is dishonest, negligent and careless
or otherwise and it further enables the authorities to provide necessary remedies to check further losses which may
be serious in some cases.

15. 7. It further enables the library authorities to the popularity or otherwise of a particular subject because
generally books which are used more are stolen very often.
8. It enables the periodical shuffling and dusting of the books and ensures that no dust and insects
accumulate, which would otherwise be injurious to the books.
9.It provides an opportunity to survey the book stock and worn out and turn books and books of older
editions which are no longer in use can be withdrawn from the main sequence.
10. It further provides an opportunity to the staff members to acquaint themselves with the stock of the
library so that they can provide better reference service.
11.Stock verification helps updating the library catalogue and other records thereby helping in providing
better reservation and inter library loan services.
12. Stock verification helps in knowing the lost books thereby reducing irritation to library users and staff
members because answer to many unsolved queries are got easily which are otherwise faced by
librarians of some best managed libraries

16. 1. It hinders the regular working of a library since the library, if not closed
fully, will have to curtail the normal services which is not proper.
2. It entails criminal wastage of money, materials and staff man-hours without
any tangible results, because as stated above, some books must be lost.
3. The cost of stock verification is not commensurate with the cost of books
misplaced and the books once lost are lost for ever and the stock-taking will
be an extra expenditure.
4. It does not serve any positive purpose. If a book is reported lost but which
was never demanded, it means that this book was not required by the
readers.
5. When physical checking is essential, the issued books are called back which
breaks the rhythm of service.

17. methods
The prevalent methods of stock taking are given below-
1. Stock- taking by Accession register.
2. Stock-taking by using a separate register with accession numbers.
3. Stock- taking by preparing separate sheets which contain accession numbers in a
consecutive order
4. Stock- taking by numerical counting.
5. Stock- taking by the Shelf-list having special columns on the cards for stock-taking
record.

18. Contd..
6. Stock- taking by shelf-list without any specific columns on the cards.
7. Combining of stock rectification and stock- taking process.
8. Computer machines and stock verification
9. Sample stock verification
10. Stock taking by duplicate set of book cards.
11. Stock- taking by master records.

19. By accession register
 This method is very simple. The accession register is taken to the shelves and one person
calls the particulars of the books from the shelf along with all the Accession Number and
the other person ticks the concerned Accession
Number in the Accession Register. When all the books are checked, a list of untraceable
items is prepared and efforts are made to trace out the missing books. This system, though
looks very simple, is very cumbersome and time-consuming and it spoils the Accession
Register.

20. Stock- taking by using a Separate register with
Accession numbers:
 If this method, the stock-taking register is taken to the shelves. One person speaks out the
Accession Number from the book and the other one ticks the relevant year column from the
register against the spoken Accession Number. At the end of stock-taking, a list is prepared
on separate sheets, tracing of the untraceable books is done and the items found afterwards
either from the issue Record or Binding Section or from the shelves are crossed from this
list. The remaining items are noted down on a separate paper for getting them written off.
All the relevant information about the books are given on this sheet and the price of this
books is totalled so as to find out the actual loss. This method, no doubt, is better than the
previous one since it saves the Accession Register from wear and tear.

21.  This method also is very slow and it takes much time in stock verification. This
method is not suitable for big libraries because of the time factor involved.
 Moreover the stock taking register will be used for a limited number of years and
again a new register will have to be prepared afresh every time the year columns are
ticked. This is an necessary wastage of money, time and energy.

22. Stock- taking by preparing separate
sheets containing accession number:
 In order to obviate the necessity of getting printed the new stock taking
registers after some years or of preparing fresh accession registers, a new and
simple method can be used for stock verification by preparing separate sheets
which have accession numbers up to the last item acquired in the library in a
consecutive order. In this method, the sheets can be multiplied and many
persons at one time can do the stock-taking work. Thus, the whole of the work
can be finished within a short time.

23. Stock- taking by Numerical counting
 Another simple method of stock- taking found in foreign libraries is the mere
counting of books on the shelves, charged trays and other sequences and the total thus
arrived at is deducted from the total number of books accessioned according to the
accession register. The balance indicates the numbers of books not traceable. This
method gives a rough idea of the amount of loss and is adopted by this libraries which
do not give undue importance to physical checking of each and every item in the
library. This system does not serve the basic purposes for which stock taking practice
has been started.

24. Stock- taking by shelf register or shelf
list with special columns:
 This method of stock verification presupposes the maintenance of an up to date
and accurate shelf list on cards. If it is in register form, it will not be bandy and
the problems of accession register methods will recur to some extent. The card
form is flexibly add ensures speedy stock verification. In this system, proper
arrangement of shelf list cards is essential otherwise lot of time will be wasted in
tracing out the exact title. This card, besides having the necessary information
which is given for a main entry of a book, most contained some columns for
recording stock taking entries.

25.  This type of stock taking is efficient and speedy but because one column is
to be tick marked and the shelf list cards, it takes some time. Moreover, the
limited number of columns can be drawn on the face of the cards, so this
cards become useless after some year and necessity arises for preparing
fress cards. If descriptive cataloguing is in vogue, it is difficult to provide
such columns on the shelf list cards.

26. Stock taking by shelf list cards
without special columns
 This system is almost identical to the previous one except that no specific columns
are provided for tick marking. Simply, the cards are pushed forward as soon as the
call numbers of their respective books are spoken out by the person on the shelves.
The cards of those books which are not found on the shelves are made to stand on
their shorter edges and are marked with soft lead pencil. This cards are listed in the
evening after these are checked with the charged trays, binding and withdrawals
sequences and then the standing cards are put in their normal position.

27.  In open access system the books are allowed to be handled freely and
it is natural that some percentage of the loaned books are bound to be
lost.

28. Causes of loss of books
1. Loss is due to the fact that human beings are of the following three kinds:-
 Those who will never steal even if they come across a valuable article and have got ample facility or
opportunity steal.
 Those who must steal, a respective of the fact, that many hurdles are placed in their way and many
other precautions are taken against them.
 Those who are not regular thieves, but if proper vigilance is not taken, they are also tempted to
steal.
2. The second reason, which may encourage certain persons to steal, is the poor vigilance
arrangements made in the library. It is the first and foremost duty of a librarian to ensure that all
this persons are mad good citizens and are dissuaded from stealing, by providing constructive
programs .

29. Responsibility for further loss of books
As regards loss, though in Indian libraries the librarians are made responsible for the
loss and they are asked to pay for it. But the latest trends suggest the proper
remedy. In foreign countries, the lost books are written off and no librarian is held
responsible for such losses.
Dr.S.R.Ranganathan very forcefully pleads the case of librarians as regards
their responsibility for the loss and mutilation of books in libraries.

30. Steps To Check Loss
The following steps and measures may be adopted in libraries to minimize the losses,
 Only one gate for ingress and outgress is kept open for the library visitors.
 Through out the opening hours of the library one janitor should always be on duty for checking the outgoing books
and not allowing any book to pass from the library gate without its proper entry in the library issue records.
 No personal property except notebooks or scrap book be permitted to be taken inside the library premises and for
keeping the personal belongings of library users separate pigeon holes be made available near the entrance gate.
 All the doors and windows of the library except entrance gate be covered with thick ware nettings.

31.  All rare and expensive books particularly those with coloured plates and pictures
should be kept in close access.
 Closed circuit TV and cameras can be installed in the various sections of the library
particularly reading rooms and stocks and through them, the librarian and senior staff
may watch on the movements and activities of library users all the time, with least
possibly supervisor staff.
Library facilities to its users may be increase

32. Weeding of resources
 Weeding is the systematic removal of library resources based on selected
criteria. It is the opposite of selecting material, though the selection and de-
selection of material often involve the same thought process. Weeding is a
vital process for an active collection because it ensures the collection stays
current, relevant, and in good condition. Weeding should be done on a
continuous, on-going basis

33. Reasons to weed
 A "well-maintained, well-pruned collection is far more useful than one
filled with out-of-date or unused materials."[2] Weeding a physical
collection has many benefits:[1]
 Space is preserved to add relevant materials.
 Patrons are able to access useful material quickly, and the librarian can
direct them to information more easily.
 The collection is more reputable because it is current.
 The librarian can easily see the strengths and weaknesses of the
collection.
 Materials are of good quality and physical condition.

34. Conclusion
No doubt, there is no general agreement among librarians about the utility and essentiality of stock-
verification in libraries. However, majority of them agree that no specific purpose is served by annual
stock taking.
The latest trend in modern librarianship is that annual stock- taking practice is a sheer wastage.
It hinders the regular normal work. It is pointed out that the purpose of stock- taking is to satisfy those
persons only who pay for their maintenance. Moreover, important books, if lost, can be found out
easily because many readers will demand such books. When these books are neither issued nor are
otherwise traceable can safely be considered to have been lost. These books may be replaced. The
annual stock-taking practice is out of tune now-a-days . Librarians, due to the uselessness of stock-
taking, are day by day abandoning it.

35. References
 Mittal, R.L. Library Administration:Theory and Practice(2007).NewDelhi, Ess
Ess publications.356-374pp.
 Dhiman, Anil.k and Rani, Yashoda. Learn Library Management(2005)
NewDelhi,Ess Ess Publications.116-128pp.
 Johnson , Peggy. Fundamentals of Collection development and
management(2011).2nd ed. New Delhi. Ess Ess Publications .1-3pp.

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