Resources

In Populi Library, a Resource is information about a particular item available in your Library. They cannot be checked out, reserved, transferred, etc. To loan out resources, you need to add copies or digital resources—say, physical books to a book resource, MP3 files to a music resource, a link to a PDF for an article resource.

Copies

Copies are the actual, physical artifacts available somewhere on your shelves, whether available for loan, reserve, transit... or not at all. Resources can exist without particular copies (digital assets like photographs, for instance), but copies cannot exist apart from a particular resource.

Adding new resources

To start adding new resources, go to Catalog > Add Resources. Adding resources is designed to let you quickly enter basic resource information—such as Title, Author, Type, ISBN, etc. Once a resource is created, you can easily add any of dozens of other information fields by going to the resource page. There are three ways to enter new resources:

• Use a barcode scanner to enter a standardized code (ISBN, UPC, etc.) and search various resource databases.
• Enter the resource by hand.
• Contact Populi Support to import MaRC records for multiple resources.

Before you add resources, make sure you've set up your Libraries and Locations first. Your resources need a home!

Search/Scan for a New Resource

Enter one of the accepted codes (or scan a barcode with such a code) and click Search or hit your Enter key. If Populi Library can locate the code among the the various databases it searches (usually Amazon.com, unless it's disabled), it will produce some basic resource information. After that, you can begin uploading digital resources and entering copies.

Enter the Resource by Hand

If you're entering a resource by hand, at minimum you'll need to enter a title. You can also upload an image, select the type, and enter a replacement price—and add copies.

Resource Pages

On the resource's page, you can:

• Add copies.
• Add new information and modify existing fields by clicking .
• Add an image: Hover over the resource image and click Edit. Choose a file from your computer (Populi accepts image files with the .jpg or .png extension) and Save.
• Delete: If you need to, click Delete Resource to erase all records of the resource. This includes:
  • All resource copies
  • Any digital resources you've uploaded to it
  • The resource history—including loans, holds, fines, and reviews
• Patrons can recommend this resource, read and post reviews, and place holds.

Digital resources

Digital resources allow patrons to download resource files or access the resource via links.

To add a resource link:

1. Click add links.
2. Enter the URL of the resource and the text you wish to display to patrons.
3. Repeat Step 2 as often as you need to.
4. Click Save to finish.

To add a digital resource:

1. Click Upload Files.
2. Choose the file(s) you'd like to include.
3. Click Done.

After adding digital resources...

• Your patrons can view, play, and download the files.
• Your patrons can download a .ZIP file of all of the files.
• Click Manage to re-order or delete files or links.

Adding Copies

Copies are the physical media that patrons can view, handle, reserve, and check out of your library.

1. Go to the resource page. Under the digital resources and any existing copies, click Add a copy.
2. Enter the Call #, scan/enter the Barcode, and enter a Purchase Price. If barcode auto-generation is enabled (check Library Settings), Populi will auto-fill the barcode field with the next available barcodes. If this resource was imported from a MaRC record, some of this information may already be filled in.
3. Next, select the Home Library, Location, and Status.
4. When you're done, click Save.

Repeat these steps for each copy. Each copy gets its own page, where you can...

• Leave notes
• Edit the copy's details and information
• Mark it Lost or Damaged
• Delete the copy

Using a Barcode Scanner

While you can manually fill in any field in Library, a barcode scanner makes entering and checking Resources a lot simpler. They have two main benefits:

Speed: Scanning an item takes a second; typing and searching might get tedious—especially with a pile of Resources to take care of.

Accuracy: Scanning an item keeps keystroke errors from slowing you down (or causing problems later on).

Populi works with keyboard emulator scanners. Your computer regards such devices as a keyboard; their inputs are entered into Populi just like a fast, accurate typist was sitting at the keyboard. There are numerous entry-level makes and models that connect to your computer via USB or Bluetooth.