SUBJECT: Inventory Method for TBR Libraries
In the TBR libraries, collections vary significantly in their size and in the type of material they contain; consequently, the prescription of a specific or uniform inventory method for all of the libraries to follow is not appropriate. The cost of conducting a systematic inventory of book stock and other library materials is also an important management consideration in TBR libraries.
(1) A full or partial inventory or census may be conducted annually to meet TBR requirements for materials accountability, and to meet the guidelines of internal accounting and administrative control that are cited in the Financial Integrity Act.
(2) If a TBR library chooses to do an inventory, one of the two following methods should be used: (A) A partial inventory that covers the entire collection over a two- to five-year period; or (B) An annual or biennial book census using a reliable sampling technique derived from an authoritative statistics textbook that explains how to do standard deviation calculations.
(3) In order to meet the guidelines of internal accounting and administrative control that are cited in the Financial Integrity Act, TBR libraries not choosing to do an inventory must annually report to their institutions the numbers of library materials withdrawn from their collections.
Source: TBR Meeting, June 30, 1989; April 2, 2004