A stocktake is a legal requirement that ensures that teacher-librarians are accountable for the money they have spent throughout the year. Including staff salaries, the library absorbs a large amount of the annual school budget, so it is essential that funds are spent wisely. Inventory is done at the end of each academic year as part of the…

At the end of each school year there are discussions on all the international teacher-librarians' lists about whether there is a need for inventory or, as the Australians call it, "stocktake"; whether it is reasonable for us to request resources be returned before the last day of school; and whether the library should be closed to allow…