Guidelines / SOP for the Physical Stock Verification ( Print Books of the Library)

[Accepted by the authority on 11 April 2023. Meeting of the Library Working Committee (formerly, Library Development Advisory Committee and Library Committee) on 03 February 2023, 11.30am. Meeting of all In-charge of the Visva-Bharati Library Network (VBLN), on 23 January 2023, 12.30pm].

STOCK VERIFICATION:

Stock verification or physical stock verification of Library Print Collections (Print books, Print Journals, Theses, etc.) is to be done every financial year to find out the missing, damaged, lost and cost realized books. This process continues throughout the year, and the final report is to be submitted to the Librarian at the end of each financial year. During the stock verification process, all services (including circulation) must be undisturbed.  For that, the work of stock verification may be conducted during any academic recess/vacation when physical footfalls are expected to be the least.

The quantity of annual physical stock (books) verification will be done in compliance with the Rule 215(i) of GFR-2017, page-59 (noted below) and as per the Audit observation (reference # 17 OBS-483587dated 01/11/2022) by the Thematic Audit.  However, quality of the physical verification work without hampering the library services as well as number of staff in the library is also to be considered in this regard.

Rule 215(i) of GFR-2017:

i.      Stipulates that the complete physical verification of book should be done every year in case of libraries having not more than 20000 volumes;

ii.    Stipulates that for libraries having more than 20000 volumes and up to 50000 volumes, complete verification of books should be done at least once in three years;

iii.  Stipulates sample physical verification t intervals of not more than three years should be done in case of libraries having more than 50000 volumes.  In case such verification reveals unusual or unreasonable shortage, complete verification shall be done.

Rule 215(ii) of GFR-2017, stipulates that loss of five volumes per one thousand volumes of books issued/consulted in a year may be taken as reasonable provided such losses are not attributable to dishonesty or negligence.  However, a loss of a value exceeding Rs. 1000/- and rare books irrespective of value shall invariably be investigated and appropriate action taken. 

Step/Procedure of the Physical Stock verification:

·      The feature of ‘Stock Verification’ of the existing ILMS (Integrated Library Management Software) may be used to the extent possible to accelerate the process of physical verification work. Using LibSys may help to complete the work with regards to time frame, staff and large number of books in a given year.

·      In case of part or percentage of collection to be verified- A particular area of the subject is to be selected for stock verification and same area will be again taken into consideration after the completion of one cycle for entire collections.  

·      List of existing books under the specified range (e.g. 800-899.999) is to be prepared from the LibSys. Then, the list is to be arranged by Call No. and contains at least Accession No., Title, Author and Call No.  The concerned library may decide the part of the collection to be verified as they think suitable.

·      During the process, damaged books are to be kept in a separate place.  

·      After completion of physical verification of books, the following lists are prepared

                    i.               Misplaced 

                  ii.               Damaged 

                iii.               Lost and cost realized

                iv.               Missing

Missing of particular book is to be declared in the 4^th year of the verification of the misplaced books of a particular year; e.g. if the stock verification year is 2021-22, the misplaced books for the year 2018-19 (first year misplaced year 2018-19, 2^nd year 2019-2020, 3^rd year 2020-21 and 4^th year 2021-22) will be considered as missing after searching the same for four consecutive years as mentioned. However, sectional libraries may declare at the 3^rd year of the physical verification, as most of the Sectional Library may complete the cycle in two/three years as they have collections from 15000 to 60000 books, unlike Central Library which has more than 4,50,000 books and also having big physical area.  

Example: Listed misplaced books of the previous three years may be searched again. e.g.  if the stock verification is continuing for year 2021-22, the listed misplaced books of the year 2018-19 (Misplaced say 65), 2019-20 (misplaced say 45 and for 2018-19 say 40) and 2020-21 (misplaced say 52, and for 2019-20 say 29, and for 2018-19 say 22) and 2021-22 (misplaced say 46 and for 2020-21 say 31, and for 2019-20 say 18, and for 2018-19 say 07) and in the year 2021-22, missing books will be 07 (which was misplaced and searched last four years including this year).  So no. of missing books is finalized in the fourth year after searching consecutive three years.  For details see the Template – I, at the end.

·      These lists of Misplaced books, Missing books, damaged books and lost & cost realized books are to be submitted to the University Librarian to place the same before the appropriate authority for perusal. The list of books must contain Accession Number, Title, Author and Price in compliance with the observation of the thematic audit and decision of the standing committee for the "Written Off" / "Weed Out".

·      For calculating price, if no price is mentioned in the Accession Register or not available on the book, the price will be ascertained on the basis of the VB Library rules as updated time-to-time.

·      As per the standing committee's decision, the list of damaged books with their Accession Number, Title, Author and Price are to be uploaded in the library website. These books are also to be displayed in the library physically for the opinion of the users before Weeding Out.  

·      If the user recommends any book for further use, it is to be digitized or preserved depending on the physical condition of the book.  

·      Now, the final list is to be prepared with Misplaced, Missing, Damaged, Lost and cost realized of books and their total cost price is to be calculated. 

·      List of books and their total cost is to be sent to the Registrar for its final approval to weed-out and then the same is to be sent Accounts Office for weed-out from university stock Register. After getting the approval from the competent authority, “weed-out / withdrawn: due to ‘damage’ or ‘missing’ or ‘lost & cost realized’” may be mentioned in the catalogue module of the 'LibSys' database to cater updated information on actual holdings to the clientele to save their valuable time. 

·      For Departmental/Seminar Library, every department need to conduct the annual physical stock verification of all the library books (transferred from Central/Sectional Library) and complete report must be sent to the University Librarian to place before the competent authority.  Departments may conduct the work of physical stock verification according to their convenience, but it is to taken compulsory for every year.

Template-I

Physical Stock Verification Report (Library Books) for the Year 2021-22

Central Library, Visva-Bharati.

The list of missing, Misplaced, damaged, Lost and cost realized must contain the following fields;

A.      List of Misplaced Books (for the last four years i.e. 2021-22, 2020-21. 2019-20, 2018-19)

i)     List of Misplaced Books for the year 2021-22

ii) List of Misplaced Books for the year 2020-21

iii)           List of Misplaced Books for the year 2019-20

iv)           List of Misplaced Books for the year 2018-19

Now if it is, out of the 13 (thirteen) misplaced books for the year 2018-19, 08 books have been found during the stock verification in the year 2021-22.  Therefore, remaining five misplaced books (listed above) for the  year 2018-19 have been tried to find out till this year (2021-22), but failed to traced and may be treated/declared as missing during the year 2021-22 and price of all these books needs to be mentioned.

B.            List of Missing books during 2021-22 (which was originally misplaced since 2018-19 and this year declared as missing) (sample)

C.  List of Damage books: 2021-22 (sample)

D.        List of ‘books lost and cost realized’ during the year 2021 -22