Data management after the Education, Fine Arts & Architecture (EDFAA) Library flood

Faith Rayney & Rashmi MadanUniversity of Western Australia Library

Disaster recovery

Disaster recovery plan existed and put in place immediately:

• Relocation and repair of collection where possible

• Identification and replacement of lost reserve items

• Streamlined and well organised

Initial data management

No pre-existing plan

• Delay in commencing data management tasks

• Multiple lists run using different criteria

• Size of lists

• Working in isolation

• Strategy / other tasks not communicated

• New status “F”

Inventory

• Salvaged material placed on shelves in Reid Library

• Volunteers scanned barcodes into an Excel spreadsheets

• Issues:

– Duplicates– Returns– In process items– Barcodes not scanning correctly

Data matching & analysis

• Used Microsoft Access to match EDFAA collection list against inventory barcodes spreadsheet

• Downloaded results of matching process into Excel• Removed all ‘accounted for’ items• Spreadsheet of ‘unaccounted for’ items sent to III• III created list in Millennium• Used III list to add “F” (EDFAA Flood) status to item

records using Global update

Odds and ends

Removed incorrect “F” EDFAA Flood status

• Item records numbers of scanned barcodes sent to III

• III created a list of these item records

• We used Global Update to remove the incorrect indicator

Remaining records corrected manually

Data issues

Processing times – Excel

Quality of data

• Missing call numbers

• No barcodes

• Incomplete bibliographic records

Collection development

• Manual stock-take for serials, store & compactus

• Identification of unique titles

• Replacement or reassessment of collection?- Replacement of recent purchases - Replacing content rather than items- Shift emphasis to new collection areas- Faculty input on older material

Insurance

• Fund code created for replacement items

• Tally of lost items created

• “Missing items” based on stock take average

• Average cost of materials

• Forensic accountant required:– Primary evidence detailing items lost– Original cost of items lost– Replacement cost of items reordered

Lessons learned

• Snapshot of collection from Millennium with all data elements

• Should begin with end result in mind• Operational staff collaboration• Document control• Documentation of process throughout• Skills required in list creation, Excel & Access• Insurance requirements are very detailed

Questions?