Library Services Student Assistant Guide

1. Open Sierra and log-in

2. Open Inventory Project - Progress Tracking and Barcodes spreadsheet through Google Sheets

• Check the Progress Tracking tab to see where the last person left off
  • Note the last call number logged- you will start your inventory shift from the very next call number

3. Bring an empty book truck upstairs and shelf-read books about to be pulled

• If an incorrectly shelved book is found and…
  • Belongs in a section that has already been inventoried
    • Enter the book's barcode number into the Incorrectly Shelved Items tab of the Inventory Project - Progress Tracking and Barcodes spreadsheet
    • Place book on book truck and return to correct area at the end of your shift 
  • Belongs in the section that we are currently inventorying
    • Follow procedures for step 4 below
  • Belongs in a section that has yet to be inventoried
    • Re-shelve book in correct area- no other action needs to be taken

4. After shelf-reading, fill the book truck, starting with the next book after the last call number logged. Bring book truck back downstairs to the back work room.

5. In Sierra, under the Function dropdown menu, select Search/Holds. Change the search type to Barcode. Scan the first item's barcode into Sierra and check the following:

• Does a record for the item open?
  • If no record opens, try scanning the barcode a second time
• Does the location of the book match the location listed in the item's record? 
• Is the item's status listed as Available?
• Does the call number on the spine of the book match the call number listed in the item's record?
  • Please note- to compare a call number on a book spine to the call number listed in an item record, you must check under the Call No., Volume, AND Copy # fields 
  • If a book spine has a volume number printed, engraved, or otherwise already indicated along with the title, that same volume number should be listed in the item record, but does not need to be repeated in the call number label- these items do not need to be pulled as a mismatched call number unless there is a discrepancy between the engraved volume number and the volume number entered on the item record

5a. If there is an inconsistency between the record and the item…

• Pull book
• Place corresponding problem slip within
• At the end of your shift, place book on the Inventory shelves in the back work room

5b. If everything matches between the record and the item…

• Copy the item's barcode number from Sierra and paste into the proper section tab of the Inventory Project - Progress Tracking and Barcodes spreadsheet
  • Do not scan barcode directly into spreadsheet- the barcode reader is prone to errors when scanning in spreadsheets
  • You DO NOT need to add barcodes of books with problems to this sheet
  • You can enter barcodes vertically or horizontally within this sheet

6. Repeat with each item until you have reached the end of your book truck or the end of your shift

7. At the end of your shift

• Log your name, the date, starting call #, ending call #, and number of each problem found in the Progress Tracking tab of the Inventory Project - Progress Tracking and Barcodes spreadsheet
• Place problem books on the Inventory shelves in the back work room; return books without problems to the bookstacks
• Log out of Sierra