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Inventory (checking the stacks)

The inventory consists of walking through the stacks and checking that each book is in its place. It is the most powerful operation of the system: you walk the shelves while scanning with the camera, and BibliOfelia updates itself automatically.

The inventory is now done directly from the site, with the camera of your phone or tablet — no app to install. (OfeliaScan is still possible for large-scale inventories, see the bottom of the page.)

Prepare the inventory

Before starting:

  1. Pick the shelf to inventory (one at a time so you don't get lost).
  2. Bring a device with a camera (phone, tablet).
  3. Open the Advanced → Inventory page on that device.

Secure connection required for the camera

The camera only works over a secure (https://) connection. See Scanning with the camera if the camera refuses to open.

Start an inventory session

  1. Click New inventory session.
  2. Choose the scope: a specific location (e.g. "Shelf A1") or the whole collection. If you choose a location, selecting it becomes mandatory.
  3. Confirm: BibliOfelia opens the report page directly, which also serves as the scanning screen.

Scan the books continuously

  1. Click Start inventory: the camera opens in continuous mode and stays open.
  2. Scan each book on the shelf, one after another. A beep (and a vibration) confirms each new book, and a counter climbs on screen.
  3. For each scan:
  4. book on the right shelf: it is marked "seen";
  5. book shelved elsewhere (scope = a location): BibliOfelia automatically updates its shelf to the one you are inventorying;
  6. unknown code: flagged, to investigate.

The same book scanned twice is counted only once. If a record has several copies, the screen shows "copy 2", "copy 3"… to help you find them all.

Go fast, don't think

No need to check each scan: BibliOfelia sorts everything out at the end. Focus on speed and full coverage of the shelf. The list and counters update live.

When the shelf is covered, press Finish.

With a USB barcode scanner

If the workstation showing BibliOfelia has a USB barcode scanner (wired scanner), you can run the inventory without a camera — this is even the only option if the screen is on a local network without https://.

  1. Open the report page (it doubles as the scanning screen).
  2. Scan directly each copy's Ofelia code (290) with the scanner — no click needed, even if you haven't clicked into any field.
  3. Each scan records itself, the counter climbs and the line appears in the list, exactly like with the camera. The page does not move.

The same copy scanned twice is counted only once. You can mix modes: start with the scanner, then open the camera ("Start inventory") — while the camera is open, the scanner steps back to avoid duplicates.

Scanner or camera?

The USB scanner is ideal at a fixed station (loans desk) and works even without a secure connection. The camera is ideal on the move, tablet in hand in front of the shelves.

Read the report

The report is shown by record, sorted by author and title. All Ofelia codes appear as pills:

  • green: copy found during the inventory;
  • red: missing copy (present in the database, not seen on the shelf).

You also see the number of books scanned, automatically moved, and the unknown codes encountered.

What to do with missing books?

For each copy in red, two options:

  • It is elsewhere in the library: inventory the other shelves, it will be repositioned automatically as you go.
  • It is lost: mark the copy as Lost from its record (see Lost book).
  • Small library: full inventory 1 to 2 times a year.
  • Large library: 1 shelf per month in rotation.

Ideally do it when the library is quiet (morning, closing day).

What about OfeliaScan?

For large inventories, the OfeliaScan mobile app can also send a whole session of scans to BibliOfelia. The logic is the same (books seen, moved, missing). For the routine inventory of a single shelf, the site's camera described above is the simplest way.