Carrying out a print serials inventory: getting from wishlist to action

As those in the serials community know, managing print serials can be a different beast compared to its monographic cousins and inventorying holdings across multiple locations is no exception. After many years of being on a to-do wishlist and several months of planning, a full scale inventory to verify the print serials holdings within the Tarleton State University Dick Smith Library current stacks and its offsite storage location commenced February 2020. The inventory aims to enhance the library’s catalog and OCLC local holdings records by clarifying available title and coverage; check the health of the print collection by isolating or removing damaged volumes; and record an accurate total number of bound units as reported within the annual ACRL Academic Library Trends and Statistics survey. In this presentation, the Manager of the Electronic Resources & Scholarly Communication department shares details on carrying out a multi-part approach to a print serials inventory project that includes training, inventory assignments, and progress tracking. The training portion covers how student workers and staff are prepared to check each item manually and record holdings data in person; the inventory assignments portion covers how the project was portioned out and the quality control layers developed to ensure accuracy of recorded holdings data as it makes its way to the catalog and OCLC local holdings records; and the progress tracking portion discusses the management of all parts of the inventory in the midst of challenges such as lack of functional barcodes, staff changes, and fluctuating time commitments.