Cataloging a Library Item

The Library catalog screen has fields for: Object ID, Object Name, Accession#, Call#, Summary, Authors, Titles, Series, Event, Site, Subjects, LCCN, ISBN, ISSN, Control#, Spine Label, Physical Description, Language, Copy#, Publisher, Publication Place, Published Date, Edition, Status, Condition, Search Terms, and other access points.

To begin cataloging a library item, click on the Library button from the Collections section on the Main Menu.

If you have no records in the Library catalog, the Library screen will be blank. If you have records in the Library catalog, the last record viewed will appear on the screen.

Library Navigation Bar

Click on the Add button and the following screen will appear.

Add New Catalog Record

The first options to consider on this screen are on the right. If you are adding a single record, click in the radio button next to Add a Single Record. If you want to add multiple records using a range of Object IDs, click in the radio button next to Add a Range of Records. For more information about the Add a Range of Records options, please see Chapter 6 - The Objects Catalog.

Then choose whether you want your new record pre-filled with data. If you want to start with a blank record, click the radio button next to Blank Data. If you want to start with a record filled with the data from the record showing behind the Add New Catalog Record screen, click the radio button next to Current Data. If you want to start with a record filled with your default data, click the radio button next to Default Data.

Default Data Record

The Library catalog has one record set as the Default Data Record. Data entered on the default record may be used to pre-fill fields in the catalog screen when adding new records. For example, you may want to fill in the name of the cataloger in the Cataloged by field on the Default Data Record. When new records are added, the Cataloged by field will be pre-filled with the default data.

The Default Data Record can be changed at any time. On the Add New Catalog Record screen, you can view the record currently set as the Default Data Record by clicking the Go to Default Data Record button. You can set the record showing behind the Add New Catalog Record screen as the new Default Data Record by clicking the Set Current Record as Default Data Record button. Or you can make a new Default Data Record by clicking the Create New Blank Default Data Record button. The Default Data Record you choose will pre-fill any new Library records that you add, whether they are added from the Library catalog or the Accession record. Catalog records may be added from the Library item's Accession record or Incoming Loan record, and you have the time saving option to use Fill with Default Data on the accession's Add Item to Library Catalog screen.

Object ID and Object Name

Next, enter the Object ID number. Object IDs can be any combination of letters or numbers up to 25 characters in length. If you don't already have a numbering scheme, we recommend that you use a three-part number system as suggested by Daniel Reibel in Registration Methods for the Small Museum. For example, in the catalog number 1998.21.1, "1998" represents the year the accession was made, "21" represents the 21st accession or donation made that year, and "1" represents the first object from that particular accession.

PastPerfect will verify that the Object ID number you assign has not already been used. If it has, you will receive a message asking you to assign a different number.

To enter the Object Name, you may use the Object Name authority file. Terms in this file may be viewed by clicking on the Authority File button. You can fill your Object Name authority file with the most common names used in your collection. See Chapter 3 - Getting Started, for more information on creating authority files. You may also click the Lexicon button to search the Lexicon for your object name. The Library catalog also has the option to search the Library of Congress' website for object name terms. You may do this by clicking on the Lib Congress button. For library items, it is suggested that you use the Object Name field for the physical name of the item, such as "Book." Enter the title of the book in the Title field.

Once the Object ID and Object Name fields are filled, click Add New Record. Your new Library catalog screen will appear where you can complete the record by entering data in each field. PastPerfect provides user-defined function keys, authority files, and drop-down menus to speed data entry and help standardize data input.