Tip for: 11.20.17

You just changed your Title Call Number, and noticed that the copy call numbers did not update. What’s going on?

The answer is in how Alexandria handles libraries that want their Title Call Numbers to match their Copy Call Numbers, versus the libraries (usually centralized catalogs) that have Copy Call Numbers that differ from the Title Call Number.

Basically, the Title Call Number will overwrite and replace the Copy Call Number, except when the Copy Call Number has been changed.

Here’s an example.

We start with a title with 2 copies, where every record is using the Title Call Number. 
Title Call Number = AAA 
Copy #1 Call Number = AAA 
Copy #2 Call Number = AAA 

If we change the Title Call Number to BBB, both copies are updated: 
Title Call Number = BBB 
Copy #1 Call Number = BBB 
Copy #2 Call Number = BBB 

If we change Copy #1 Call Number to CCC, we are here: 
Title Call Number = BBB 
Copy #1 Call Number = CCC 
Copy #2 Call Number = BBB 

Now what happens if we change the Title Call Number to DDD? 
Title Call Number = DDD 
Copy #1 Call Number = CCC 
Copy #2 Call Number = DDD 

See how the copy whose call number has NOT been modified separately gets updated with the Title Call Number, but the one that HAS been modified is left alone.

This way, Call Numbers can be kept consistent, or changed on a copy-by-copy basis.