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August 29, 2022

When your physical collection is separated by call number, you can use maps to point patrons to the right place in your library. But what about when the call number doesn't indicate the location, or the book has been put in a special spot temporarily? Using the Copy Location and Copy Shelving fields allow you to include additional information for specific copies. As an added bonus, patrons can filter search results in Researcher with Copy Location!


Uses for Copy Location and Copy Shelving

  • Even if your account only has one site, you might still have your collection stored in separate rooms or even buildings! Assign a Copy Location to help users pinpoint where the item they are looking for resides. 
  • Equipment like projectors or chrome books often have to fit wherever you have space, which means things can get separated. Use Copy Shelving to add some extra context, so teachers know where to look for those pesky power chords. 
  • Call numbers are for every day use, but what if it's Dinosaur month, and all of your dinosaur books are on a special display? Use the Change Copy Location and/or Change Copy Shelving utilities to let patrons know where the new temporary location is, and clear it all back out again at the end of the month when the dinosaur books are back in their usual spot. 


In Search

After an initial search, patrons can select the filter option, then use Copy Location to narrow the results to their specific location (copy location is specifically looking at 852_b MARC tag). 

Note the number at the end of Copy Location's line. The '1' tells you that one title in your search result has a Copy Location. If none of the results use Copy Location, the filter will not have a number next to it.



Additionally, patrons can find both Copy Location and Copy Shelving information in the Copies tab of an item's details under the Loc – Loc2 column.

In Circulation

Did you know Copy Location and Copy Shelving information appear in the Copy List dialog for copies that are at your site?

Now you don't have to worry that you told a patron to look in the wrong place for the last remaining copy of the book!

Customization

Did you know that Copy Location and Copy Shelving are both terms you can customize? Simply go to Preferences > Setup > Terminology and change either field to something that makes more sense for your library system. Are you using Copy Shelving to hold instructions on where the electronic accessories like mice and power cords are located? Change the term to Electronic Parts Location. Using Copy Location for all your displays around the library? Maybe Display Location is a better fit. The sky is the limit!

And don't worry–when you rename the fields, it will change all across Alexandria. Now you'll be using a Change Display Location utility instead of Change Copy Location!


As always, feel free to reach out to our Support team for any questions you have at support@goalexandria.com. 


The Makeover betas are here! Look in Circulation, Items, and Patrons for a purple alert button  at the top of your screen. That will take you to the Makeover beta in our demo where you can play around recklessly.

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