In order to continue with the Inventory Management window, you must first create an inventory session. When creating sessions, you are essentially breaking your collection down into smaller sections that make your inventory more manageable. Optionally, these sessions can be based on Call Number ranges, Policy, or Copy Location and can be selected using the drop down menu. Don't worry, however, any items scanned that fall outside a session's selected Call Number range, Policy, or Copy Location are still inventoried. Keep in mind, once you have set the Call Number range, Policy or Copy Location it can not be edited. If you need to change the Call Number range, Policy or Copy Location you must create a new session. If you elected to inventory your Entire Collection but have decided to break it up, you will need to delete the session before creating a new ones.
The Sessions settings will only impact the exception alerts, notes, and reports for each session; for example, you may want audible alerts when inventorying items checked out to System Patrons during one session and not another.
You may select Entire Collection if you are planning to inventory your entire collection in one session (not recommended).
Once an inventory session is complete, you are given the option to run final reports and perform utilities based on the session information selected here. Choosing to inventory your entire collection in a single session may have unintended outcome if you fail to inventory every available item before clicking Complete Session. When finished, the session is considered closed and will be officially removed from the Inventory Sessions list.
The Inventory Date for each copy is updated and stored independently of individual sessions; they are not cleared or discarded when a session is removed. When a session is removed, only the session alert notes and the ability to print inventory exception reports are irrecoverable. However, general inventory reports can always be performed from Alexandria's Reports module at any time.
After a session has been completed and removed, all associated inventory reports will be stored and accessible from the Operations Management window for the next 60 (to 90) days.