Wireless Stocktake

I've long waited to post something that's tech-related in my line of work and am just glad to have finally found one.

As noted in my previous post, we have just finished conducting our annual inventory, otherwise referred to as stocktake. But what's so special about this year's stocktake is that we did it using wireless technology. I'm talking about Bluetooth and WLAN using SirsiDynix's PocketCirc.

I was pretty excited to coordinate the activity becauase it was a first for all of us. Reading about the technology and actually being immersed in it made a lot of difference.

PocketCirc uses a PDA (personal digital assistant) and a handheld scanner. The PDA is loaded with SirsiDynix's Unicorn software and is connected to the library network via wireless connection and the handheld scanner sends data to the PDA through a Bluetooth connection. Using this system allowed for online, real-time inventory right on the bookshelves. This pair could also be used for circulation functions.

Flashback to the Philippines in the summer of years 2004 and 2005. The last time I did an inventory of AV materials I still had a shelflist which I carried around the stacks area and manually checked each slip and books were taken out of the shelves and hauled in trolleys to the nearest PC terminal with a scanner for an online inventory.

Fast forward to the present. Using wireless technology has certainly made stocktaking a lot convenient although it's not without its drawbacks. First, the hardware. Feedback from another library who used the same equipment warned us that the PDA needed to be recharged every now and then as it owuld not last whole day in oepration. Not daring to test the limits on our two PDA units, we came up with a stocktake schedule that allowed for a 30-minute PDA recharge during the morning and afternoon tea break and an hour's recharge during the lunch break. This schedule extended a projected 4-day inventory to six days.

Still on the hardware, the scanner emitted a poor laser beam that made scanning a bit tricky at times and one unit vibrated each time it scanned a barcode. There were times, too, when it won't send scanned data to the PDA.

Second, the software installed in one of the PDAs kept malfunctioning, going offline every now and then. Although there was no loss of data, this meant logging back into the system each time which was really a hassle.

Our IT people still need to tweak the software beacuse as of this writing, I haven't been able to upload data scanned offline.

Notwithstanding all these, it was still a fun exercise and it was a lot less gruelling than conducting an inventory the old-fashioned way. I'm certainly looking forward to stocktake by RFID. I wish!