Add Items

For books, place the cursor in the ISBN field and scan the barcode in one pass. The field accepts ISBN-10 and ISBN-13, keeps focus while a hardware scanner sends rapid keystrokes, and identifies the detected ISBN after the complete value arrives. Pressing Enter at the end of a scanner input starts the catalogue lookup.

Use Collection Manager > Collections > Add Item when you want to add a book, eBook, thesis, report, media item, toy, equipment, or other non-periodical library material. Use Collection Manager > Periodicals > Add Title for newspapers, magazines, journals, newsletters, bulletins, and other recurring publications.

The Add Item screen changes based on the selected material type. For example, a book shows book-focused fields, while serial or digital materials can show different fields configured from Material Types.

Number of Pages is an optional field for books, eBooks, journals, magazines, newspapers, and other periodical workflows. In Add Item, enter it once in Copy Information; the same field is no longer repeated in Basic Information. You may leave it blank. When entered, use a whole number from 1 to 100,000. The saved copy value appears in copy-level views, Accession Register, and reports.

For spreadsheets and bulk entry, use Import Collection Items instead.

Search-assisted title or ISBN lookup appears only for Book, eBook, Audio Book, and Rare Book entries. Other material types keep manual entry fields only, because their identifiers and cataloguing rules are different.

After a successful ISBN lookup, Libcodesk shows a success notification and fills the available catalogue details. If one lookup source is temporarily unavailable but another source returns usable details, the notification confirms that the details were applied and calmly notes the unavailable source; it does not report the whole lookup as failed.

The assisted lookup checks several library and publishing sources, including the Library of Congress. A source may occasionally be unavailable for maintenance or may not hold the requested edition. Libcodesk continues checking the remaining sources, so review the combined details before saving rather than repeating the search immediately. Provider descriptions sometimes combine pagination, illustrations, and physical dimensions. Libcodesk fills Number of Pages only when the provider supplies a whole number or explicitly labels a value as pages; dimensions such as 26 cm are not treated as a page count.

When Accession Number uses Auto generate, starting an ISBN lookup keeps the generated accession visible. Cloud setup asks the server for the current next value, while Local setup asks the local catalogue. Save Item remains unavailable until that check succeeds. If the check cannot be completed, Libcodesk keeps the warning visible and provides Retry accession preview; check the connection and retry without repeating the ISBN lookup. The final number is still assigned safely when the item is saved, so another staff member saving first may advance the sequence.

For these supported material types, enter a valid ISBN and use Fetch cover image below Gallery and Camera in either Add Item or Edit Catalog when you want only the cover. On phones, Gallery and Camera share one equal-width row. In the narrower image-action column used by desktop Edit Catalog, they stack at full width so both labels remain clear. This action does not change the title, author, publisher, or any other catalogue field. If a Gallery, Camera, or previously fetched image is already selected, Libcodesk asks before replacing it. Review the fetched preview before saving; if no cover is available or the provider cannot be reached, the form keeps the existing data and shows what needs attention.

Main Areas

Enter copy details once

1. Leave Copy Count at 1 for a single copy. Enter shared details above the copy table, or edit that copy directly in the bottom table. Both update the same copy immediately; there is no Update Rows step.
2. Use Copy Count at the bottom-right of the shared details, just above the table. Type a quantity or use + and −; keyboard users can use the Up and Down Arrow keys in the quantity field. The copies appear automatically. Shared details applies changes immediately to copies still using that value.
3. Edit individual copies directly in the bottom table. Every configured copy field is available there, along with rack images and row actions. Enter manual accession numbers and barcodes in their cells, or use the accession and barcode settings to generate them. New copies do not reuse another copy's unique identifiers.
4. Later shared edits preserve differing values entered for individual copies. To deliberately replace exceptions for one field, choose Apply to all copies beneath that shared field and confirm.
5. Review the copies, then choose Save Item. If required information is missing, the footer names the fields. Select a field name to move to the affected copy's table cell.

Reducing the quantity or removing a copy asks for confirmation before discarding its entered details. Cancelling keeps the copies and their values. Changing between one and several copies preserves the copies you keep.

The same entry workflow is available in Libcodesk WebApp and the Standalone app with either Cloud setup or Local setup. On narrow screens, the shared fields stack and the editable copy table scrolls horizontally to keep every column accessible.

Do: set shared details before entering individual exceptions, and check each copy's accession number before saving. Don't: reuse an accession number for different copies in the same library.

Why is Save Item unavailable after I enter the copy details?

Check the field names beside Save Item: catalogue information such as Title may still be required, or another copy may be missing a required field. Select the listed field to reach it. If accession checking is still running, wait for it to finish; if it fails, use Retry accession preview. You do not need to apply or update rows manually.

Screenshot to add: shared details and the editable bottom copy table in light and dark themes, including a narrow screen and a required-field link in the footer.

Area	What It Does
Material type list	Selects the kind of item being added. The selected type controls the visible fields.
Basic Information	Stores title, subtitle, author, publisher, identifiers, cover image, and similar common catalog details.
Publication Details	Stores title-level publication settings. For periodicals this is Frequency and Publishing Place; issue/date details are entered in Copy Information.
Classification & Call Number	Stores local classification, DDC, LCC, UDC, cutter number, and call number when enabled.
Category	Selects the material category configured for that material type.
Copy Information	Creates physical copy rows, copy count, owning library, accession numbers, barcode / QR code values, condition, status, lending restriction, and copy-specific details.
Digital Access	Appears for digital material types such as eBooks, Audio Books, Audio, Video, and user-defined Digital types. It records the selected file, owning library, accession number, acquisition details, license type, download setting, and remarks.

Dropdown fields in the Libcodesk WebApp share one consistent menu. The selected choice is highlighted with a check, long lists scroll inside the screen, and the menu repositions when there is not enough room below the field. Keyboard users can move with Up and Down Arrow, choose with Enter or Space, and close with Escape; touch users can tap the field and choice.

Member-facing digital resources use one normalized OPAC experience even when their content comes from different approved providers. Library-owned storage and configured OPDS-compatible sources can supply titles without exposing provider feed fields or acquisition links in public search results. Members see the title, author, cover, format, availability, and permitted actions; access links are issued only after membership and loan checks succeed.

An OPDS source is an integration mechanism, not a public menu or technical feed browser. Staff should verify provider licensing, secure HTTPS acquisition links, availability metadata, and the Membership Plan permissions that allow eBook, audiobook, multimedia, or digital-library access.

Finding Saved Items

On a wide screen, the record count and latest load-time badge sit together beside Collections. The action buttons remain on the right. On a phone, actions use separate compact rows so they stay reachable.

After a non-periodical item is saved, it appears in Collection Manager > Collections. Periodical titles saved from Periodicals > Add Title appear in Collection Manager > Periodicals instead, so issue-based work stays separate from normal item-copy work. The Collections table keeps the standard material, identifier, type, library, copy, status, and action columns, then adds columns from the loaded catalogue data. If different material types use different visible fields, those loaded fields appear as separate columns so staff can compare the actual saved catalogue details without opening each record. Cover image file-name fields and discovery source URL fields are not shown as data columns because covers are already represented visually and source URLs are not catalogue details. ISBN values are grouped as separate ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 lines when both are available. The Collections header also shows the latest table load time beside the record count, including refreshes, searches, filters, sorting, and page changes.

After selecting Save, the action immediately changes to a saving state and ignores extra clicks until the request finishes. A successful Add Item request creates the catalogue entry and its intended copy rows once, then shows a clear confirmation without internal processing-time details. If the save is rejected, the message names the affected field. Copy-level problems also include the copy number, such as Copy 1 - Accession Number, and the affected copy field is highlighted. Correct that field and save again; the rest of the form remains unchanged.

Catalogue details are shared across the organization, but copies and digital access records belong to individual libraries. For physical materials, choose the owning library in Copy Information. For digital materials, choose it in Digital Access. When you filter the Collections table to a library, Libcodesk can show organization catalogue items that the selected library does not yet own with 0 copies. Open the copy count to add that library's own copies without changing another library's copy records.

The library selected in the application header is the starting library for a new copy or digital-access record and the implicit scope of the Collections list. Choose a permitted library in Filters only when you intentionally need to work in a different assigned library.

The Collections page offers Table view and Grid view through two equal-sized controls. Refresh, Add Item, Import, and the Table/Grid switcher share one fixed header height. Table view is best for comparing detailed catalogue fields. Grid view shows each cover, title, author, and copy count in a responsive card while keeping the same search, Smart List, filters, pagination, selection, and batch tools. View details and the card action menu provide the same View, Edit Catalog, Add Copy, and Print Labels actions available in the table. Libcodesk remembers the selected view for the signed-in user.

At the bottom of the result, choose the number of records per page or use the arrow controls to move between pages. The page-size value uses the same compact text style as the current-page indicator.

The Collections page and Add Item workflow start with the active library selected in the main header. Switching the header library reloads the operational list for that library. A staff account cannot create, edit, circulate, or remove another library's copies unless that library is included in the staff assignment.

Use Edit Catalog from the row action menu when you need to correct catalogue details such as title, publication details, classification, category, or cover information. The Save button stays in the dialog footer and becomes available only after you change a field.

After saving, the Collections row, View 360, and Edit Catalog use the same complete catalogue record. A library-specific title or other override remains visible while shared description, publication, classification, and normalized cover details are retained; no manual refresh is needed to make a newly saved cover available.

Use the Search by selector to search all data, title, author, ISBN-13, ISBN-10, identifiers, accession number, or barcode/QR code. Contains, Starts with, and Exact apply to the selected field in both Cloud setup and Local setup. Use ISBN-13 or ISBN-10 when you know the identifier type and want the fastest lookup, and use Exact when checking one complete identifier. Matching text is highlighted in the visible table cells so staff can see why a row matched. Smart List and Filters open as compact table panels, one at a time, with horizontal scrolling when controls do not fit. Their buttons show active counts, and the panels include clear and Done actions so staff can tell when a narrowed view is hiding rows. When selected rows are part of a larger search or filtered result, the selection toolbar can select all matching items, including items on other pages.

The Category filter becomes available after selecting a Material Type because category choices belong to that material type. Until then, it clearly asks you to select a material type first.

When selected catalog entries are removed in bulk, Libcodesk deletes the selected library's copies and removes that library's access to those catalog entries. Other libraries under the same organization keep their own copies and continue to see the item. The progress/result message shows how many catalog entries were removed, how many copies were deleted, and whether any selected rows were skipped because they were unavailable or outside the user's access.

The copy count in each row opens Copy Information for that item. Copy Information uses a lightly shaded table header so column labels remain distinct from copy values. The header stays visible while you scroll through copy rows. Its wide copy table also stays horizontally scrollable on narrow windows, and keyboard users can use Page Up or Page Down to move through the rows.

In Libcodesk WebApp, select one or more copy rows in Copy Information to reveal Delete Selected. This action is hidden when nothing is selected. Libcodesk checks that every selected copy is unused and has no circulation, reservation, or transaction history. Enter a reason and the shown confirmation code to stage the deletion, then choose Save to apply it. Cancel closes the edit without deleting the staged rows. This staged bulk-delete control is not available in the Standalone app.

Use the settings icon beside the Accession Number column in Copy Information when you need to change that item's accession rule without returning to Add Item. Open the icon menu, choose Accession settings, review Manual or Auto generate and the number format, then save. The shortcut uses the same accession settings as Add Item and is available in both the Libcodesk WebApp and the Standalone app.

Choose Add Copy when another copy should begin with the same applicable copy details as the first existing copy. Libcodesk carries those details into the new row, including the saved Number of Pages when the copy does not already have a different page count, but clears unique identifiers such as the accession number, barcode or QR value, and RFID value. When accession numbering is set to Auto generate, the next available value appears in the new row automatically in both Cloud setup and Local setup. Review the populated value and any inherited details, then save. The existing copy is not changed.

When a copy cannot be saved, the dialog shows a bordered red message with the exact field and reason. If several copies are present, the message identifies the affected copy number and the matching field is highlighted. Successful updates use the corresponding success message. You can close either message immediately, or leave it to close automatically after 14 seconds. Collection-page result messages use the same close control and timing. On a narrow window, the message takes its own row and the Cancel, Add Copies, Edit Copy, and Save actions wrap below it so they remain reachable.

When you choose Edit Copy, the current status and other saved copy details remain selected. Save becomes available only after you change a value, turns inactive while the update is running, and stays inactive after a successful save until you make another change.

Remembered Defaults

Libcodesk remembers some Add Item choices per user and per material type.

While Add Item is open, use Ctrl+Tab to move through only the visible required fields when your browser or desktop app allows the shortcut. Use Ctrl+Shift+Tab to move backward through the same required fields. Normal Tab still follows the full screen order.

Examples:

• If you add a Book and choose GEN - General, the next Book entry opens with that category selected.
• If you choose a different category for eBook, that eBook choice is remembered separately.
• Accession settings are remembered separately for each material type, so Books and eBooks can follow different rules.

This helps staff enter repeated records faster without forcing the same category, accession rule, or barcode rule onto every material type.

Accession Numbers

Accession numbers identify physical copies inside a library. They must be unique within the selected library.

You can use:

• Manual: staff enter the accession number in each copy row.
• Auto generate: Libcodesk generates the next available accession number from the saved series rule.

Manual and Auto generate are a single-choice setting. The active method is the only option marked with a check, and Save becomes available only after you change the current accession setting.

When Auto generate is used, Add Item and Add Copy immediately populate each copy row with the next available value that follows the saved prefix, category, number width, separator, postfix, and starting-number rules. Libcodesk checks the selected library's existing values and checks again while saving so duplicate accession numbers are not created.

If the category code is enabled in the accession rule, Libcodesk uses the selected category as part of the generated accession. If no category is selected, the category prefix and separator are skipped.

Use the full-width Use category code checkbox row beside the category-character setting on wider screens. In a narrow or mobile window, the same controls stack in one column so the label and checkbox remain easy to reach.

Barcode / QR Code Values

Barcode / QR code values can be entered manually or generated while adding collection items and periodical titles.

You can use:

• Manual: staff type or scan the barcode / QR code value in each copy row.
• Auto generate barcode: Libcodesk creates a barcode / QR code value from the saved barcode rule.
• Use accession as Barcode/QR: Libcodesk fills the barcode / QR code value from the accession number, so both identifiers stay the same when that is the library's chosen practice.

When both accession and barcode / QR code are automatic, choose Use accession as Barcode/QR if the barcode labels should scan the accession number itself. Choose Auto generate barcode when your library wants a separate barcode series.

Best Practices

• Keep one clear accession series per library unless your library already uses separate series.
• Use auto generation when staff should not manually type accession numbers.
• Use manual entry when your library already has printed accession labels or scanner-entered values.
• Use Use accession as Barcode/QR when your printed barcode labels should match the accession register exactly.
• Use a separate auto barcode series only when your library intentionally keeps accession numbers and barcode values different.
• Select the correct category before generating rows if your accession rule uses category code.
• Check the Library value in each copy row before saving, especially when your organization has more than one library.
• For digital material, choose files from the allowed library-friendly formats. Installer, executable, and programming file types are blocked by default.
• Digital files are stored securely inside the active organization and setup. The original file is not exposed through a public path, and member access continues to follow the material, Membership Plan, and entitlement rules.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What To Check
The wrong category appears next time	Change the category once for that material type. Libcodesk remembers category separately for each type.
Auto accession is blank or does not follow the expected format	Confirm Auto generate is selected, choose the correct library and category, and review the prefix, separator, number width, postfix, and starting number in Accession settings. Add the copy row again after correcting the settings.
Barcode / QR value should match accession	Open Barcode / QR settings and choose Use accession as Barcode/QR before saving the copy rows.
Barcode / QR value should use a separate series	Open Barcode / QR settings and choose Auto generate barcode, then review the prefix, separator, number width, and starting preview.
Save does not continue	Confirm every copy row has an owning library and every required visible field is filled.
I do not see title or ISBN search	Select Book, eBook, Audio Book, or Rare Book. Other material types do not use the assisted lookup button.
Library of Congress shows unavailable	Continue with details returned by the other sources and review them before saving. You can retry later if you specifically need an LC control or classification value.
Accession number is already in use	The same accession number belongs to another item in the selected library. Enter a different manual value, or switch to auto generation so Libcodesk can choose the next available number.
Fields are missing	Open Collection Manager > Material Types, edit that material type, and confirm the field is visible in the correct tab.
For browsing, searching, filtering, and acting on existing catalogue records, start with Collections. The Collections workspace supports both table and grid views without changing the active search or filters.