Library Management - Help Guide

Library Management - Help Guide

If your organization has a physical library, our Library module can assist you in effectively managing your collection. The library page is divided into two sections: adding new books and a table displaying all books currently in circulation. The table consists of six columns that will be useful for your library operations.

1. Title: The title of the book or media.

2. Status: Indicates whether the book is available for checkout or currently checked out.

3. Out: Displays the date and time the book was checked out if it is currently borrowed.

4. By: The author of the book.

5. In: Shows the date and time the book was received back from the previous borrower.

6. Functions: Allows you to modify book details or remove it from circulation.

Adding Books and Modifying Details

The first step in managing your library is to add a record for each book. If you have multiple copies of a book, create a separate record for each copy. To add a book, follow these steps:

1. Access the Library module through your administrative links.

2. To add a new book, click on the "Add New Book" link at the top of the page. To modify details of an existing book, click on its "Change" link.

3. On the details page, you will find the following options to fill in:

   - Title: The title of the book.

   - Description: A brief description of the book.

   - Authors: The author or authors of the book.

   - Publisher: The publisher of the book.

   - Pages: The total number of pages in the book.

   - Genre: The genre or category of the book.

   - ISBN: The International Standard Book Number, usually found near the book's UPC or on the page with publisher information.

Checking Out / Checking In Books

To update the status of a book (checked out or returned), use the following steps:

1. Access the Library module from your Administrator Menu.

2. Locate the book you wish to check out or check in within the Library module's interface.

3. Click on the book's status link.

4. The Status page will show the book's title and two dropdown selection boxes:

   - Status: Change this to indicate the book's new status (Checked - IN, Checked - OUT, or Reserved).

   - Member (if checked out): If reserving or checking out the book for a specific member, select their name from this dropdown.

Reservations

For libraries with a Members Area, there is a Library link available to members. When signed in, members can access this link to view the current status of books in the library. If a book is marked as available, members can reserve it by clicking the Reserve link next to the book. Librarians accessing the Administrative version of the Library module will see books reserved by members with a status of RSV.

By following these steps, you can efficiently manage your library collection and ensure smooth checkouts and returns for your organization's members.