The National Literacy Trust names stock management as one of the biggest challenges for libraries. In particular, weeding out irrelevant, or out-of-date books adds unnecessary workload for staff. When we consider the footfall of university libraries, managing stock in real-time is not just a luxury, but a necessity.
This is where the Live Scanning Wand comes in. A popular product in the AdvaNova range, this innovative shelf management tool takes the pain out of stocktaking by syncing with your library management system (LMS).
How the Live Scanning Wand works
The Live Scanning Wand is an ergonomic, handheld tool that helps with inventory management using real-time data. This simple-to-use device carries out three main functions:
- Improving the stocktake process
- Streamlining returns for university and public library use
- Alerting library staff to exception items
The RFID wand connects to your LMS via Wi-Fi, giving you a real-time live status of items in the LMS. Demand for the wand tends to increase during the summer months as universities prepare for students to start their next term. As libraries continue to compete with reduced staff resource, it proves an invaluable tool that allows teams to focus on helping students.
Improving the Stocktake Process
While an LMS can offer stocktaking facilities, it can still be time-consuming without additional tools. Identifying check-ins and checkouts, sourcing lost books and fixing catalogue anomalies is difficult without live data.
The AdvaNova Live Scanning Wand uses colour codes to identify workflows. It saves time on data uploads and downloads, allowing users to locate items instantly.
Streamlining returns
Each item’s barcode is stored on a digital record that can be pulled up in seconds with the wand. Here, library staff can identify attributes including its title, call number, status, circulation status and check-in response. These attributes can be preassigned meaningful, assorted colours to help staff quickly undertake the returns sortation process.
Alerting library staff to exception items
With so many disparate reasons for exception items, library staff may find themselves wasting valuable time. The AdvaNova Live Scanning Wand assigns alerts to each kind of exception, including:
- Weed items (no longer relevant and needing to be removed)
- Items on hold or that have been reserved by other students
- Lost items and claimed returns
- Missing books
- Wrongly shelved items due to human error
Beyond these core categories, the wand has further functions for locating items of interest to the library. With this live information, staff can speed up returns and manage stocktaking faster.
A simple user experience for more efficient library management
Using the wand could not be easier, thanks to its lightweight, toughened carry case. The Bluetooth-enabled device weighs just 430g and offers 10 hours of scanning time. Its long battery life allows it to lay idle for up to 60 hours. It is also fully chargeable with Li-ion batteries.
The wand comes with an Android tablet, tablet holder and charger, giving you full visibility of your items on a mobile device. Simply power on, scan the items, and watch the results show up live on the tablet.
From settling returns disputes to refreshing your bookshelves, the AdvaNova Live Scanning Wand automates and speeds up the stock management process. Ideal for universities with high check-out rates and thousands of students, it is an essential for the term ahead.
To find out more, please call +44 (0)1582 769991 or email sales@advanova.co.uk.
