Newcastle upon Tyne University Library Stock Record System: Current Status

Machine‐readable stock records, each consisting of accession number, location, brief author/title, imprint date, ISBN, and Dewey class number(s), are now available for all monographs in the Library. Methods of data base creation and the resolution of inconsistencies are described. The data base is used to provide: 1. author/title information for the automated circulation system; 2. alphabetical listings of total library holdings; 3. sectional printouts; 4. printouts for stock checks; and 5. selected catalogues for university departments. The application of the system to relegation procedures (of little used material to off‐campus storage) and the provision of catalogue systems for departmental libraries are described. Users seem content to use stock record printout in areas of the Library remote from the card catalogues. Costs of labour and machine processing are assessed. In the future, paper printout may be replaced by COM and the system will be further developed so as to replace the card catalogues.