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Stock Take Enquiry
Stock Take Enquiry
Analysing and reporting on the results of a stock take
Stock Take Enquiry is the analysis screen for a completed or in-progress stock take. It lets you view your entire collection broken down by scan status — showing which items have been scanned, which are missing, and which are currently on loan. Results can be filtered by location or call number range, and exported to a spreadsheet for further analysis or follow-up.
At the top of the Stock Take Enquiry screen, Papyrus displays a summary of counts across the entire stock take (or the currently filtered subset). These give an at-a-glance picture of how the stock take is progressing.
| Count | What it means |
|---|
| All Stock |
The total number of item records in the catalogue that fall within the current filter scope (all locations and call numbers, unless a filter has been applied). |
| Scanned |
Items whose barcode was successfully scanned during the stock take. These items are confirmed as physically present on the shelves. |
| Not Scanned |
Items in the catalogue that were not scanned. This includes items that may be missing, misfiled, or simply not yet reached during an ongoing stock take. |
| Issued |
Items currently recorded as on loan to a member. These items are expected to be off the shelves and should not be counted as missing simply because they were not scanned. |
| Not Scanned & Issued |
Items that were neither scanned nor are currently recorded as on loan. This is the most important figure — these are the items most likely to be genuinely missing from the collection. |
ℹ
Not Scanned does not mean missing. An item may not be scanned because the stock take is still in progress, or because it is on a trolley, in processing, or temporarily removed from shelves. Always reconcile the Not Scanned & Issued list last, after all scanning is complete and all returns have been processed.
Five view mode buttons control which subset of stock is displayed in the results list below. Click any button to switch the list to that view. Only one view mode is active at a time.
All Stock
Scanned
Not Scanned
Issued
Not Scanned & Issued
| View mode | Items shown | Typical use |
|---|
| All Stock |
Every item in the catalogue within the current filter scope, regardless of scan status. |
Getting a complete picture of the collection, or printing a full shelf list. |
| Scanned |
Only items that have been scanned during this stock take. |
Confirming the scope of scanning completed so far, or verifying a specific section has been fully covered. |
| Not Scanned |
All items with no scan record in the current stock take — whether on loan, missing, or simply not yet reached. |
Reviewing what still needs to be physically checked before the stock take is considered complete. |
| Issued |
All items currently on loan to a member. |
Checking how many items are out on loan and identifying items that should be returned before final stock take analysis. |
| Not Scanned & Issued |
Items with no scan record that are also not currently on loan — the items most likely to be genuinely absent from the library. |
Producing the list of potentially missing items for follow-up after all scanning is complete. This is the primary output of a finished stock take. |
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The Not Scanned & Issued view is the most actionable output of a stock take. Work through this list after all scanning is complete and all returned items have been processed — what remains is your missing items report.
The filter bar above the results list lets you narrow the view to a specific location or a range of call numbers. Filters apply across all five view modes — the summary counts at the top of the screen update to reflect the filtered scope.
| Filter | Description |
|---|
| Location |
Restricts the results to items assigned to a specific library location (for example, a branch, room, or section defined under General Parameters → Locations). Select All Locations to include items from all locations. |
| Call No. from / to |
Restricts the results to items whose call number falls within the specified range. Enter the start and end of the range using the same call number format used in your catalogue — for example, 100 to 299 for the social sciences section of a Dewey-classified library. Leave both fields at their defaults to include all call numbers. |
Example — filtering by section
To check the stock take results for the Fiction section only, set Location to Fiction and leave the call number range at its default. The summary counts and results list will update to show only Fiction items.
To check a specific Dewey range — say, the 500s (Natural Sciences) — set Call No. from 500 to 599. This is useful when your stock take is being carried out in sections by different staff members.
💡
Click Clear to reset all filters and return to the full collection view. Filters are not preserved between sessions — they reset each time the Enquiry screen is opened.
The results list displays every item matching the current view mode and filter. Each row shows the key details for the item, its stock take status, and a link to open its full catalogue record.
| Barcode |
Call Number |
Title |
Author |
Status |
Record |
| B00421 |
Fiction HOB |
The Kite Runner |
Hosseini, K. |
Scanned |
View |
| B00537 |
523.1 HAW |
A Brief History of Time |
Hawking, S. |
Not Scanned |
View |
| B00612 |
Fiction ORW |
Animal Farm |
Orwell, G. |
Issued |
View |
| B00788 |
305.8 TUT |
No Future Without Forgiveness |
Tutu, D. |
Not Scanned & Issued |
View |
| B00834 |
Fiction NAI |
Half of a Yellow Sun |
Adichie, C.N. |
Scanned |
View |
| Column | Description |
|---|
| Barcode |
The item's unique barcode (accession number). This is the identifier scanned during the stock take. |
| Call Number |
The item's call number as recorded in the catalogue, including any location prefix. |
| Title |
The title of the publication. |
| Author |
The author or primary creator of the item, in surname-first format. |
| Status |
The item's stock take status — one of Scanned, Not Scanned, Issued, or Not Scanned & Issued. The status shown reflects the actual state of the item regardless of which view mode is selected. |
| Record |
A View link that opens the full catalogue record for that item — useful for checking the item's full details, loan history, or location before deciding on follow-up action. |
The list can be sorted by clicking any column heading. Click the same heading again to reverse the sort order. Sorting by Call Number reproduces the physical shelf order, which is useful when walking the shelves to investigate missing items.
ℹ
The Status column always shows the full status of each item. When you are in the Not Scanned view, for example, you will see both Not Scanned and Not Scanned & Issued items — the view mode selects which items appear, but the Status column tells you their precise state.
The results of any view mode and filter combination can be exported to a CSV file for use in a spreadsheet application such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. The export includes all columns shown in the results list.
| Action | Description |
|---|
| Export to CSV |
Downloads a CSV file containing all items currently shown in the results list — that is, the items matching the active view mode and any applied filters. The file includes barcode, call number, title, author, and status columns. Open in Excel or any spreadsheet application to sort, filter, and annotate the data for follow-up. |
| Print List |
Sends the current results list to the printer in a formatted layout. Useful for producing a paper checklist to work from on the shelves. |
Example — exporting for follow-up
After completing all scanning, set the view to Not Scanned & Issued and click Export to CSV. Open the file in Excel and add a column to record the outcome of each investigation — for example: Found on shelf (rescan needed), Confirmed missing, On loan, or Withdrawn. This spreadsheet becomes your missing items report for the year.
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Apply a location or call number filter before exporting if you want a report for a specific section rather than the whole collection. The export always reflects exactly what is shown in the current results list.
Stock Take Enquiry is most useful after scanning is complete. Here is the recommended sequence for using it to close out a stock take:
| Step | Action |
|---|
| 1. Complete scanning |
Finish scanning all shelves using the Stock Take Scanning screen. Process any outstanding returns so that the loans database reflects the current state of the collection. |
| 2. Check the summary counts |
Open Stock Take Enquiry and review the top-line counts. The Not Scanned count should be manageable — a very high count may indicate that scanning in a section was missed or incomplete. |
| 3. Review Not Scanned by location |
Use the Location filter to step through each section of the library in the Not Scanned view. Investigate any sections with unexpectedly high counts before moving to the final analysis. |
| 4. Export Not Scanned & Issued |
Switch to the Not Scanned & Issued view. This is your candidate missing items list. Export it to CSV and investigate each item — checking shelves, trolleys, the repairs pile, and member loan records. |
| 5. Rescan or withdraw items |
For items found during investigation, rescan them in the Stock Take Scanning screen to clear them from the Not Scanned list. For confirmed missing items, use the catalogue to mark them as withdrawn or lost. |
| 6. Produce final report |
Once all investigations are complete, export the final Not Scanned & Issued list as your definitive missing items report for the year. Archive this CSV for your records. |
⚠
Do not withdraw items based on a single stock take. An item that appears on the Not Scanned & Issued list may have been accidentally shelved in the wrong place, borrowed informally, or simply missed during scanning. Always physically investigate before marking an item as lost or withdrawing it from the catalogue.