Material Types

Material Types help Libcodesk understand what kind of collection record you are preparing, such as a book, journal, thesis, report, media item, archive item, or equipment.

The Material Types screen shows the built-in presets that guide Add Material, import, item, label, and reporting workflows. You can also create your own material types when your library handles a collection format that is not covered by the built-in list.

Where To Open It

In the Libcodesk WebApp or Standalone app, open:

Collection Manager > Material Types

The screen uses the same table style on both products so staff do not need to learn a different workflow when moving between Cloud setup and Local setup.

What The Screen Shows

Section	What It Does
Page header	Shows the Material Types title, total available types, Refresh, and Add Type.
Search	Finds a material type by name, nature, format, record type, or workflow.
Nature filter	Narrows the list to Physical, Digital, Serial, Academic, Document, Archive, Media, Asset, or other preset groups.
Material Type table	Shows each preset with an icon, cataloging visibility, default status, nature, record type, source, and one action menu.
Record Type	Shows whether the material follows a Periodical workflow or a normal Non-periodical workflow. Periodicals use issue/subscription handling; non-periodicals use the normal item/copy workflow.
Cataloging	Uses a visible/hidden toggle to decide whether that material type appears when staff add catalog records.
Default	Uses a radio button. Only one material type can be default at a time, and the default type must stay visible.
Source	Shows whether the row is built in or user defined.
Actions	Opens View 360, Edit, Copy, and other available row actions. Built-in rows can be configured but their protected identity cannot be deleted or renamed.

On narrow screens, the header keeps the title and count together, places equal-width Refresh and Add Type actions beneath them, and stacks Search above Nature. In the Standalone app, each material card keeps its visibility control and action menu together so the controls remain easy to reach without a wide gap.

How To Use It

1. Open Collection Manager > Material Types.
2. Search for the material you want to check, such as Book, Journal, Thesis, or Equipment.
3. Use the Nature filter if the list grows and you only want one group.
4. Review Record Type to know whether the material is a periodical or non-periodical.
5. Select the radio button in the Default column for the type staff use most often.
6. Use the Cataloging toggle to show or hide a type from the Add Material list.
7. Use the row action menu to open View 360 or Edit when you need to check or configure the full setup.

Your selection is saved for the current setup. In Cloud setup, organization staff see the same Material Types setup through the Libcodesk WebApp and Standalone app. In Local setup, the Standalone app keeps local setup data separate from Cloud setup.

Configure A Built-In Type

Built-in material types are protected so the standard preset identity remains reliable. You can still configure the fields and settings that affect cataloging. For example, you can hide fields, make a field required, rename the display label, or add custom fields for a specific type.

1. Open the action menu on the built-in row.
2. Choose Edit.
3. Open the Data Fields tab.
4. Adjust the relevant fields for that material type.
5. Save the changes.

Built-in type names, protected record identity, and delete access stay locked. This keeps system presets stable while still allowing each library to tune how cataloging works.

Data Fields

Each material type has its own Data Fields setup. This is important because a book, newspaper, eBook, toy, and thesis do not need the same cataloging fields.

The Data Fields tab is divided into three sections:

Section	What You Can Do
Basic Information	Show or hide system fields, mark required fields, mark searchable fields, rename display labels, and reorder fields.
Publication Details	Control title-level publication fields. Periodicals use Frequency and Publishing Place here; their issue/date details belong to Copy Information.
Additional Information	Add your own custom fields such as Department, Semester, Donor Name, Condition Note, or Access Permission.

The sections are collapsible. Keep Basic Information open for normal editing, and expand Publication Details or Additional Information only when you need those fields. This keeps the setup usable on smaller screens and avoids forcing staff to scroll through every field at once.

Custom fields can also store type-specific entry rules. For example, Dropdown and Multi Select fields let you enter the allowed option values and choose default selections. Checkbox fields let you choose whether the box is checked by default. Text, Number, Date, URL, Email, and Long Text fields can keep an optional default value.

Built-in defaults are type-specific. Examples:

• Book starts with book-friendly fields such as Title, Author, Publisher, Subject, ISBN, Edition, and Publication Year.
• Newspaper focuses on Newspaper Title, Publisher, ISSN, Frequency, and Publishing Place instead of book edition fields. Issue dates and editions are copy-level details.
• eBook, Audio Book, Audio, and Video use Digital Access fields instead of physical copy fields. These include Choose File, Library, Accession Number, acquisition details, Vendor, License Type, Purchase Price, Allow Download, and Remarks.
• Thesis includes Researcher, DOI, Abstract, University, Degree, Guide / Supervisor, and Department.
• Equipment and Toy use asset-style fields such as Category, Brand, Serial Number or Age Group, Pieces Included, Condition, and Replacement Cost.

Only the main title/name field is required by default. You can mark additional fields as required only when your library genuinely needs them.

Copy Fields And Digital Access

Use the Copy Fields tab to control the fields staff see when they create the owned copy, issue, file, toy, equipment item, archive item, or digital access record.

Copy Fields are settings only. They do not store the real accession number, shelf, price, license, or condition. Those values are entered later while adding material or editing an item.

Section	What You Can Do
Standard Copy Information	Show or hide built-in copy fields, mark required fields, mark searchable fields, rename labels, reorder fields, and set useful defaults.
Custom Copy Information	Add your own copy-level fields, such as Warranty Date, Storage Bin, Donor Note, Replacement Rule, or Checked Pieces.

Built-in copy defaults are material-aware. Books use accession, barcode, shelf, acquisition, vendor, condition, and status fields. Digital materials such as eBooks, Audio Books, Audio, Video, and user-defined Digital types use Digital Access fields instead of physical Copy Information. Journals, magazines, and newspapers use different periodical copy fields: journals use publication date, volume number, and issue number; magazines use cover date, issue number, and special issue/theme; newspapers use issue date, edition, and section/supplement. Every periodical type shows Location as required by default and includes Lending Restriction with No Restriction as the starting value. Each periodical type also keeps optional acquisition source, vendor, price per copy, and remarks. User-defined periodicals start with a broader periodical copy field set so an administrator can choose what to show or hide. Toys and equipment use asset tag, RFID, storage, pieces, replacement cost, condition, and status fields. Archive and special materials use archive location, preservation note, and restricted status style fields.

Digital Access includes a file picker by default. Common library formats such as PDF, EPUB, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, ODT, ODS, audio files, and video files can be allowed depending on the material type. Executable and programming file types are blocked by default. You can still edit the Digital Access setup when your library needs a different field label, required setting, order, or custom digital field.

When staff choose a digital file, Libcodesk stores it securely within the active organization and setup. The original file is not exposed through a public path. Cloud setup and Local setup keep their digital content separate, and members receive access only through the permissions configured for the material and their Membership Plan.

Category

Use the Category tab when this material type needs a controlled dropdown during cataloging. Each built-in material type starts with practical categories for that type. For example, Books, Rare Books, eBooks, and Audiobooks start with education-friendly subject categories such as GEN - General, LGLT - Language & Literature, MATH - Mathematics, and COMP - Computer Science, while Journals, Reports, Maps, Equipment, and Archive Boxes start with their own type-specific lists.

Each category has a code of up to four letters or numbers and a display name. Staff see both while adding items. When accession auto-numbering uses the category prefix option, Libcodesk uses this category code in the generated accession number. You can edit the code, edit the name, remove categories, or add new categories for your library.

Use Add Category to create another row, then enter both its code and name before saving. Toy, Equipment, and Learning Kit use this one Category setup; Libcodesk does not show a second material-specific Category field.

The category setup belongs to the selected material type, so Book, eBook, Audiobook, Rare Book, Journal, Toy, Equipment, Custom, and other types can each have their own choices. If your library customizes a type, the saved category list replaces the built-in starter list for that type.

Cataloging Method

The Cataloging tab has two choices:

• Simple (Recommended) keeps normal catalog entry easy for most libraries.
• MARC turns on MARC-compatible facilities together for libraries that need MARC workflows.

You do not need to turn on separate MARC switches. Selecting MARC prepares the material type for MARC editing, MARC tags, and MARC import/export support while still keeping the normal entry screen available.

Copy A Type

If a built-in type is close but should become a separate library-owned type, copy it.

1. Open the action menu on the row.
2. Choose Copy.
3. Rename the copied type.
4. Adjust the General, Data Fields, Copy Fields, Category, Cataloging, and Behaviors tabs as needed.
5. Save the copied type.

The copied row becomes User Defined, so it can be renamed, hidden, set as default, edited, exported later when supported, or deleted.

Add A Material Type

Use Add Material Type only when the built-in presets do not describe your collection properly.

1. Open Collection Manager > Material Types.
2. Select Add Material Type.
3. Enter the material type name, such as Board Game, Museum Object, or Braille Book.
4. Choose Record Type:
   • Non-periodical for normal item/copy workflows.
   • Periodical for issue-based materials such as journals, magazines, and newspapers.
5. Choose the closest Nature, such as Physical, Digital, Media, Asset, Archive, or Special.
6. Review the Data Fields and Copy Fields tabs and keep only the fields that make sense for this material.
7. Review Category, Cataloging, and Behaviors only when this material needs those settings.
8. Keep Show in cataloging selected if staff should see this type while adding records.
9. Save the type.

The new row appears as User Defined. You can set it as the default, hide it from cataloging, edit it, or delete it later.

The save button becomes active only after the form has a material type name and something has changed. If the form cannot be saved, the message appears inside the same dialog near the action buttons.

Edit Or Delete A User-Defined Type

Open the action menu on a User Defined row.

• Edit Material Type opens the same setup dialog. Save becomes available only after you change the form.
• Delete Material Type asks for confirmation before removing the type from cataloging choices.

If the deleted type was selected as the default, Libcodesk returns the default to Book so cataloging always has a valid default type.

Example

If your library mainly catalogs books, eBooks, journals, magazines, newspapers, thesis records, reports, media, and equipment, keep those visible.

If you do not handle archive boxes, rare books, maps, photographs, or government documents, hide those from cataloging. They remain available in this setup screen and can be shown again later.

Best Practices

• Use Book for normal print books with accession numbers and barcodes.
• Use Journal, Magazine, or Newspaper for serial items that arrive as issues.
• Use Thesis or Report when the item is institutional or academic material.
• Use Equipment only for lendable assets such as devices, kits, or tools.
• Keep only useful daily material types visible during cataloging. A shorter cataloging list reduces mistakes for staff.
• Select one common default, usually Book for most school, college, and public libraries.
• Keep custom material types for real workflow differences, not small wording preferences.
• If a custom type is almost the same as a built-in type, edit the built-in type's Data Fields first. Create a separate custom type only when it represents a real workflow difference.

Troubleshooting

I cannot see Collection Manager

Ask your organization admin to check your menu permissions. Organization owners and system admins can see the menu by default.

I cannot rename or delete a built-in material type

Built-in presets cannot be renamed or deleted. You can still set the default type, control whether each preset appears during cataloging, open View 360, edit Data Fields and related configuration, or copy the built-in row into a user-defined type.

The wrong fields appear while adding a material

Open Collection Manager > Material Types, edit the material type, and check the Data Fields tab. Confirm the field is visible for the correct section. If the type is hidden from cataloging, turn on the Cataloging toggle in the table.

I cannot hide one material type

The selected default material type must stay visible during cataloging. Set another type as default first, then hide the previous one if needed.

Too many material types appear while adding records

Open Collection Manager > Material Types, find the types your library does not use, and turn off the Cataloging toggle. The selected default type must stay visible.

I created a material type by mistake

Open the row action menu for the user-defined material type and choose Delete Material Type. Confirm the delete message. Built-in rows cannot be deleted.

I switched between Cloud setup and Local setup

Cloud setup and Local setup keep their Material Types data separate. If you created a custom material type in Local setup, it will not appear in Cloud setup unless you create it there too. This avoids accidental hidden sync between separate data worlds.

The same menu looks different in WebApp and Standalone app

Refresh the page or restart the Standalone app after updating. If the difference remains, confirm both products are on the same release version before reporting it.