Maine Balsam Library Consortium
Cataloging Directions
Table of Contents - click on a topic to jump directly to that section:
1.1 Item Cataloging: Adding an item to an existing record in the Balsam catalog
1.2 Copy Cataloging: Importing a record using Z39.50
1.4 Delete Items in a Batch Using Barcodes or Item Numbers
1.5 Add/Delete Item Cover Images
1.6 Move Item from One Record to Another Record
1.1 Item Cataloging: Adding an item to an existing record in the Balsam catalog
Step 1: Go to https://staff-balsam.bywatersolutions.com/ and enter your login credentials. The homepage defaults to check out.
Step 2: Click ‘Cataloging‘
Step 3: Type in search terms like ISBN (978-1959030102) or Title (move like water).
Step 4: Click the search button.
Step 5: If there are results, click on ‘Actions’ and select ‘MARC preview’ or ‘Card preview’. This will cause a pop-up window to appear so you can see the record and make sure it matches your item in hand.
Step 6: When done evaluating the record, click on the X to close the pop-up window.
Step 7: Once you have determined the record is the one you want, click on ‘Actions’ again and select ‘+Add or edit items’.
Step 8: The item form will show next. There are a number of required fields:
- A - home library (autofilled)
- B- current library (autofilled)
- C - shelving location
- O - full call number
- P - barcode
- Y - Koha item type - This is pre-filled with the Koha Item Type selected by the cataloger who originally imported/created the record. BUT - this can be changed - each library defines its own items. Meaning, when you see search results for a title held by multiple libraries, the Item Type column can be Book for one library and New material for another.
The only important, but not required field is:
- V - cost, replacement price - if left blank, a default price of $15 will be automatically added for overdue and billing purposes
Step 9: Click on Add item to finish
Note that you should view the item in both the OPAC and staff staff to check your work and make sure the record/item is all good.
1.2 Copy Cataloging: Importing a record using Z39.50
Step 1: Go to https://staff-balsam.bywatersolutions.com/ and enter your login credentials. The homepage defaults to check out.
Step 2: Click ‘Cataloging’
Step 3: Type in search terms like ISBN (978-1959030102) or Title (move like water).
Step 4: Click the search button.
Step 5: If there are no results, click on ‘New from Z39.50/SRU’
Step 6: The search form will autofill with the ISBN or search query. Fill in additional fields as needed. Mainecat & Prospector are autochecked, but you can uncheck or check any of the search targets you prefer. Click on Search.
Step 7: Evaluate the search results by clicking on ‘MARC’ and select ‘MARC preview’ or ‘Card preview’. This will cause a pop-up window to appear so you can see the record and make sure it matches your item in hand.
Step 8: When done evaluating the record, click on the X to close the pop-up window.
Step 9: Click on the arrow and click ‘Import’
Step 10: Navigate through the tabs to check the record and edit fields as needed. For example, click on 1 to evaluate the author/contributor fields. Continue as needed to the 9 tab.
Step 11: In the 9 tab, navigate to the 942 c Koha item type field. Click on the dropdown and select the item type that best matches your item in hand.
Step 12: Click on ‘Save’.
*If the record matches an existing record in Balsam, you will get this alert:
You can click the green title to view the record and decide whether or not you need to import a new record.
Step 15: The item form will show next. There are a number of required fields:
- A - home library (autofilled)
- B- current library (autofilled)
- C - shelving location
- O - full call number
- P - barcode
- Y - Koha item type - This is pre-filled with the Koha Item Type selected in Step 11. Just note, that even though it might be a Book item type in the record, here in the item form you can select whatever is appropriate for your library's item. For example, it might be a Book that is considered New Material, so when adding the item, choose New Material, then change back to Book once it has aged out of the New Material status.
The only important, but not required field is:
- V - cost, replacement price - if left blank, a default price of $15 will be automatically added for overdue and billing purposes
Step 16: Click on Add item to finish
1.3 Delete A Single Item
Step 1: Go to the record’s details page, click the ‘Edit’ button at the top and choose ‘Manage items’.
Step 2: Click the ‘Actions’ button next to the item to delete, and choose the ‘Delete’ option. If the item is not checked out, it will be deleted.
Step 3: If all the items attached to the record are not currently checked out, from the record’s details page, click the ‘Edit’ button at the top and choose ‘Delete all items’. This will delete all the items from the record.
1.4 Delete Items in a Batch Using Barcodes or Item Numbers
Step 1: More > Cataloging > Batch editing > Batch item deletion
Step 2: From the tool, choose to either upload a file of barcodes or item numbers, or scan item barcodes one by one into the box below the upload tool.
Step 3: Once the file is uploaded or the barcodes listed, click ‘Continue.’
You will be presented with a confirmation screen. From here you can uncheck the items you don’t want to delete. You can check the ‘Delete records if no items remain’ box to delete the bibliographic record if the last item is being deleted.
Note: Items that are the last item attached to a bibliographic record with one or more record-level holds will be automatically unchecked. You will need to delete the hold before deleting the item.
Items that are checked out will also be automatically unchecked. They will need to be checked in before they can be deleted.
Step 4: Click ‘Delete selected items.’ The deletion job will be enqueued in the background jobs.
If your file (or list of scanned barcodes) has more than 1000 barcodes, Koha will be unable to present you with a list of the items. You will still be able to delete them, but not able to choose which items specifically to delete or delete the bibliographic records.
Step 5: To see the deletion details, click ‘View detail of the enqueued job’.
1.5 Add/Delete Item Cover Images
You can upload (and delete) cover images for individual item records.
To Add Cover Images
Step 1: Click the Edit button on the right of the Holdings table and click ‘Upload image’
Step 2: Click Choose file to find the image file on your computer and then Upload file.
On the next screen you are given the option to replace existing images. You can then click on Process images. The image will display in a Cover image column in the holdings display.
To Delete Cover Images
To delete an image, click on the image in the holdings display. You will see a grayed out copy of the image with the option to delete.
1.6 Move Item from One Record to Another Record
Items can be moved from one bibliographic record to another using the ‘Attach item’ option.
Step 1: Visit the bibliographic record you want to attach the item to and choose ‘Attach item’ from the ‘Edit’ menu.
Step 2: Simply enter the barcode for the item you want to move and click ‘Submit’.
If this is the last remaining item attached to a bibliographic record you will be presented with a button to delete the original host record.
Step 3: If you want to move all items to a new record creating only one bibliographic record you can use the merge records tool instead.
1.7 Merging Records
Step 1: Go to Koha homepage and click on ‘Cataloging’
Step 2: Search for the title of the item with multiple records
Step 3: You should see the record already in Balsam and the record without any items that you just imported.
Step 4: Select the boxes next to the records to be merged and click ‘Merge Selected’
Step 5: Click the circle next to the record to be kept and click ‘Next’. If you’re not sure which record is which, you can search the record number in (xxxxxx) in Balsam.
Step 6: The new record will have all fields checked to add in the final (destination) record. You can uncheck the fields you don’t want in the final (destination) record from each source records. To toggle between the records, click on the green tab with the record number.
Step 7: Scroll to bottom of the page and click ‘Merge’
Once merged, you’ll see a screen like this:
Step 8: Click on ‘View the merged record’ to go to the record