Using Excel at Aston University Library and Information Services: the application of spreadsheets to library stock management Available to Purchase

Although spreadsheets are now widely used in libraries, there is little evidence that their application to practical problems of library stock management has been recognised. This paper describes a project undertaken at Aston University Library and Information Services to use the spreadsheet package Excel to assist in planning the respacing of the periodical stock. After briefly outlining the background to the project, the paper describes in detail the construction of the spreadsheet and its implementation. Use of the Excel model demonstrated how the capacity of spreadsheets to perform complex calculations can be successfully applied to practical library problems.