Infiniti has an optional module referred to as the Text Book Manager for cataloguing, loaning and tracking sets of books loaned or hired to students for extended periods of time, e.g., a term, a semester, or a year, often on a cyclical or rotational basis. These books can be catalogued, loaned, and tracked using standard Infiniti functionality and reports. When catalogued, these books should be tagged to a locally defined location site and section within Infiniti to allow access and circulation rights to be turned ON or OFF for target audiences.

 

Cataloguing Text Books

 

Infiniti readily supports the cataloguing of sets of text books as well as multiple copies of conventional books as Physical Resources. Text books stored in your Infiniti catalogue are identified with attributes like title, call number, subjects, barcode, and other data. The major distinction between sets of text books and conventional library books, is that sets for class distribution are often stored in a physical location other than the library, e.g., a book room, and managed by personnel other than library staff. Because of this major distinction, Infiniti manages sets of text books and conventional library books differently and requires the cataloguer to identify a set of text books accordingly.


Note: Asset resources like iPads, cameras, DVD players, and other items that have serial numbers and other asset attributes are best catalogued in the optional Asset Register.


This distinction between sets of text books and conventional library books can be clearly made by tagging each book with three key attributes or tags attached to each text book at catalogue time:

  1. Media Type - consider a special media type that might better describe items in this category, e.g., Text Book.
  2. Site - consider a special site/s, e.g., Book Room. Every site for sets of books should have Purpose of Text Book and Contain Physical Resources. Note: Sites can be excluded from OPAC searches effectively hiding text books from standard catalogue searches where text books are managed within the same database used for managing library resources. Separate databases are recommended.
  3. Section - consider a special section/s, e.g., TxtBk (text book section). Note: Sections can be included in circulation rights, allowing text books to be circulated under different rules. 


The process of cataloguing text books consists of two basic steps:

  1. Create a bibliographic record for the set of text books.
  2. Attach one or more holdings or copies to the bibliographic record.


Manually Catalogue a Set of Text Books


Before you start to catalogue a set of text books, check:

  1. Configure > Library > Media Type - ensure the a media types you require are defined.
  2. Configure > Library > Sites - ensure you have one or more sites created for text books, e.g., Text Book Room.
  3. Configure > Library > Sections - ensure the a sections you require are defined.
Note: Refer to Media Type, Sites and Sections Management if any of the above have not been created.


Go to: Cataloguing > Physical Resources

  1. Choose the media type from the Physical Resources panel to open the template.
  2. Populate bibliographic data on the template as required.
  3. Optionally upload cover art to display for this record. Note: If available, a cover image for this ISBN will be retrieved from your nominated source for cover images.
  4. Save  the record.
  5. Click the Copies tab.
  6. Choose .
  7. Provide details for:
    1. Site - which location will this resource be stored in.
    2. Status - the resources' status. Note: This will initially set to On Shelf.
    3. Budget Dept - source of funds used to purchase this resource if applicable.
    4. Section - section within the site defined for sets of resources.
  8. Check Remember For Me if you want Infiniti to remember the editable attributes in step 7 for the following resources you catalogue; uncheck the box when you wish to alter these attributes or return to the default Configure > General settings.
  9. Provide Invoice Number and check, Supplier, Cost, Replacement Cost, Local Call Number an invoice number. Note: Checking the invoice number box and not recording the invoice number will result in an Open order being created.
  10. Next Copy Number displays current number for this title + 1 which will be the next sequential number available for this set of books. Note: This display is for information only and editing it may disrupt sequencing. New copies will be number sequentially from this number.
  11. Scan or enter one barcode/s for each copy of the book. Note: Scanning multiple barcodes will result in all copies being assigned an incrementing copy number beginning with the number displayed.
  12. CheckAdd to Print Label Queue if you want to print spine labels for each copy.
  13. .
Note: Often the values set for Site, Status, Budget Dept and Section are the same for each batch of records being catalogued. Optionally check Remember for Me if you would like to use the values displayed for the current record on future records to instruct Infiniti to remember your settings. When unchecked, the catalogue settings will return to the default settings from the Configure > Settings > General screen.

Tip: Catalogue batches of records with similar values or attributes and check Remember for Me when you swap between batches.

Edit a Catalogued Resource

 

Go to: Cataloguing

  1. Search for the resource using the options available.
  2. Click to retrieve the resource to the cataloguing work bench.
  3. Edit the Bibliographic Record and Copies as required.
  4. .
Note: You should add multiple physical copies of the same book to one bibliographic record. 

You can catalogue many books and some other media by importing USMARC records.