Conducting a library or district media center inventory

After circulating your collection, you may notice that some items just aren't where they're supposed to be. Inventorying your collection lets you know exactly what you have and what is missing or just misshelved. Once you know what's in your collection, you'll also be in a better position to make acquisition decisions.

With Inventory, you can choose to take stock of your entire collection or inspect one or more sections at a time. Your goal is to enter the barcode number of each unaccounted-for copy.

Keep in mind that, while inventorying changes a copy's inventory status (Accounted for/Unaccounted for), it may also affect a copy's copy status (Available/Checked Out/Lost/On Hold/On Order/Out for Repairs/Loaned Out/In Transit). Information about all such changes is included in the sections below.

How do I take inventory of my collection?

How do I account for my copies?

How do I use my circulation desk scanner?
How do I upload a text file to Destiny?

How do I use a PHD Dolphin+ for inventory?
How do I transfer the Dolphin scans to my workstation?
How do I upload them into Destiny?

What does the Accounted-for total include?

What exactly does clicking Start New do?

What exactly does clicking Finalize do?

How do I generate an inventory report?

Can Inventory check the shelf order?

How does circulation affect inventory?

How does cataloging affect inventory?

How does entering barcodes directly differ from uploading a file of scans?

What information does the Inventory job summary contain?

I set all my unaccounted-for copies to Lost by mistake. What can I do?

How do I delete my lost copies?

How do I take inventory of my collection?

Your goal is to enter the barcode number of each unaccounted-for copy in your collection.
The following list gives an overview of the general procedure for an inventory in Destiny:

1. Set up a schedule before you start. This will help you keep track of what you've done and what areas of the library you still need to inventory.
2. Make sure you've selected your preferred shelf-checking options in Site Configuration.
3. You can have multiple inventories open at one time and switch between them.
   • From the Library Inventory list, choose an existing inventory to work on.
   • Click to begin a new one.
   On the Start Inventory page that opens, you can specify the copies to include:
   • You can limit the inventory to copies in a particular call number range.
   • You can exclude any copies that have been seen recently.
   • You can limit it to copies with certain Circulation Types.
4. Scan, enter, or upload the barcode numbers to account for your copies.
5. Once you are sure you have entered the barcode numbers for all the copies, review the list of unaccounted-for copies by clicking % Complete above Account For Each Barcode on the main Inventory page, and then See Details next to Unaccounted for:
   • If you can locate any of the copies on the list, click Found to account for it and change its copy status to Available.
   • If you cannot locate a copy, click Mark "Lost" on the list to account for it and change its copy status to Lost.
6. Review the Lost Copies list.
   To open the list, click % Complete above Account For Each Barcode on the main Inventory page, and then click See Details next to Accounted for.
   • If you can locate any of the copies that had been Lost, either click Found on the lost copy list or enter the barcode directly on the main Inventory page to make it Accounted-for and change its copy status to Available.
   • To delete a lost copy from the collection permanently, click Delete on the list.
     Remember that deleting a copy deletes all information about it, including its circulation statistics.
7. Once the Unaccounted-for total on the Progress Details page is 0 (zero), your inventory is complete.
   Click and Yes on the confirmation message.
   If you still have any unaccounted-for copies, a message appears, asking whether Destiny should mark them Lost.
   • Select Mark all unaccounted for copies "lost" if you are sure that you cannot find the remaining Unaccounted-for copies. When you select Mark all… on the message and click Yes, Destiny marks all the Unaccounted-for copies Lost. Their copy status changes to Lost; they are added to the lost copies list; and they become Accounted-for.
   • When you select Ignore them (don't mark them "lost"), Destiny does not change their inventory status or copy status. The Unaccounted-for copies remain Unaccounted-for. Their copy status remains Available, or, for ready holds, On Hold.

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How do I account for my copies?

There are three main ways to enter copies into inventory:

• Enter them directly on the main Inventory page.
• Use a PHD Dolphin+ to create a file of barcode scans and upload them.
  How do I use a PHD Dolphin+?
  How do I transfer the Dolphin scans to my workstation?
  How do I upload them into Destiny?
• Create a text file of barcode scans and upload them.
  How do I use my circulation desk scanner?
  How do I upload the text file to Destiny?

You can use any combination of these methods to take an inventory.

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What does the Accounted-for total include?

Besides the barcode numbers that you enter or upload on the main Inventory page, the Accounted for total automatically includes any copies with a copy status of Checked Out, On Order, Loaned Out, Out for Repairs, In Transit, or Lost.

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What exactly does clicking Start New do?

Clicking changes the inventory status of many of your copies, both Accounted-for and Unaccounted-for:

• Unaccounted-for copies remain Unaccounted-for.
• Accounted-for copies that fit the parameters of the inventory and that have a status of Available or On Hold become Unaccounted-for.
  These copies should theoretically be somewhere in your library or school and you'll need to enter these into inventory.
• Accounted-for copies that fit the parameters of the inventory and that have a status of Checked Out, Loaned Out, On Order, Out for Repairs, or In Transit remain Accounted-for. You already have information regarding the current location of these copies.
• Copies that had previously been marked Lost remain Lost and Accounted-for.

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What exactly does clicking Finalize do?

After you've inventoried the copies in the selected call number range, you'll click to close the inventory. If you have any unaccounted-for copies, a message appears.

• Select Mark all unaccounted for copies "lost" if you are sure that you cannot find the remaining Unaccounted-for copies. When you select Mark all… on the message, Destiny marks the Unaccounted-for copies Lost. Their copy status changes to Lost; they are added to the lost copies list; and they become Accounted-for.
• When you select Ignore them (don't mark them "lost"), Destiny does not change their inventory status or copy status. The Unaccounted-for copies remain Unaccounted-for. Their copy status remains Available, or, for ready holds, On Hold.

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How do I generate an inventory report?

To help you keep track of your inventories, click View In-Progress & Completed Inventories List for a list, details, and reports of the inventories. The reports are also available on the Library or, for district media centers, the Media page of Reports.

More on generating inventory reports

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Can Inventory check the shelf order?

Inventory can notify you when the barcodes entered are out of call number order.

Before beginning an inventory, you'll need to set up your shelf-checking preferences in Site Configuration.

Then, make sure to select the Check shelf order check box on the main Inventory page.

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How does circulation affect inventory?

You can continue to circulate your collection while an inventory is in progress.
Copies checked out, loaned out, or sent out for repairs during an inventory become Accounted-for.
Checking a copy in does not affect its inventory status; it stays Accounted-for.
Library copies scanned for “In-library use” or "in-media center use" become Accounted-for.

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How does cataloging affect inventory?

You can continue to add new titles and copies while an inventory is in progress.
Copies added manually (either at the library or by a district cataloger) or by an import become Accounted-for in Inventory.
Copies replaced during an import by control number (on the Update Only tab) retain their inventory status (either accounted-for or not).

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How does entering barcodes directly differ from uploading a file of scans?

Scanning copies directly on the Inventory page

• Destiny does not create an Inventory job summary in Job Manager for direct scans.
• If there is a problem with the barcode number or the copy, an alert message appears at the top of the main Inventory page.
• The copy status of any Lost copy changes to Available.
  Destiny deletes any fine charged to a patron for the lost copy. If it was paid, Destiny creates a refund.
• Destiny checks in a checked-out copy.
  Destiny creates a fine, if you automatically assess them, for an overdue copy.

Uploading a file of scans

• Destiny creates an Inventory job summary in Job Manager.
• Lost copies remain lost.
  Destiny adds an entry to the job summary indicating that the copy is lost.
• Checked-out copies remain checked out.
  Destiny adds an entry to the job summary indicating that the copy is checked out, and includes its due date.

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What information does the Inventory job summary contain?

Destiny makes an entry in the job summary for every barcode number in the uploaded file. For exceptions, it enters one of the following messages:

• If the barcode does not match any barcode that belongs to the library,
  "Skipped: Barcode <barcode number> not found" appears.
• If the copy is currently listed as checked out, it remains Accounted-for and checked out.
  "Barcode <barcode number> has been accounted for, but is currently checked out and has a due date of <due date>" appears.
  To make the copy Available, enter its barcode on the main Inventory page.
• If the copy was Lost, it remains Accounted-for and Lost. Any assessed fines are unaffected.
  "This barcode is currently marked lost" appears.
  To make the copy Available, enter its barcode on the main Inventory page.
• If you opted to have Inventory check the shelf order and the copy's call number appears to be out of order,
  "This item appears to be shelved incorrectly" appears.
• If you opted to have Inventory check the differences in Dewey numbers and the copy's Dewey number is much greater than the previous one,
  "The difference in the Dewey numbers of this and the previous item is greater than <number>" appears.

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I set all my unaccounted-for copies to Lost by mistake. What can I do?

If you've finalized an inventory and selected Mark all unaccounted for copies "lost" on the confirmation message by mistake, you can reset the copy status to Available from the Lost Copies list.

To open the Lost Copies list, do one of the following:

• If you have an open inventory, click % Complete above Account For Each Barcode on the main Inventory page, and then See Details next to Accounted for.
• If you don't, click on the main Inventory page.

Then, reset the copies.

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How do I delete my lost copies?

Destiny allows you to remove any unneeded copy records from your collection that were marked lost on or before a particular date.

To delete the lost copies, open the Lost Copies list (see above).

Then, delete the copies.

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Taking inventory with a scanner

You can take inventory with a scanner either by scanning the barcodes directly into the box on the main Inventory page or by creating a file of barcode scans.

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