Performing inventory lets you know exactly what you have, where it is, and what is missing. Once you know what you physically have in your collection, you'll be in a better position to make future acquisition decisions.
Each time an item is circulated (i.e. checked in or out) or inventoried using the Inventory ( “I”) or Inventory Bookdrop (“IB”) commands, its Inventory Date[1] is updated.
For collections with only one site, “site” becomes synonymous with “collection”. In a Centralized Catalog environment where each collection is physically stored at a different location, each site is required to independently perform their own inventory.
The Inventory Management window allows you to perform site-based inventory sessions, optionally limited by specific Call Number ranges and/or copy Policy. Remember, a copy's default call number and policy are “inherited” from the title record; they can be manually replaced (or changed) with copy-specific call numbers or policies.
You can create as many sessions as you need to fully inventory your collection. When all sessions are completed, you'll rest easy knowing that your entire collection has been inventoried.