Call numbers: title vs copy

Miss Honey is looking at an item record in Alexandria, and she notices that the listed Call Number at the top is different than the Copy Call Number in the Copies tab. Let’s review call numbers, and how title and copy call numbers operate in Alexandria.

Call numbers are like addresses; they indicate where patrons can find items in your library. Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress are common classifications.

Because call numbers are used to find the specific location of items within your library, whether you are using LC, Dewey, or genrefied call numbers, the call numbers are specific to the setup of your library. Alexandria stores both Title Call Numbers and Copy Call Numbers. Typically, copies “inherit” the title call number unless a specific copy call number is changed. However, in a Centralized Catalog, because call numbers are site-specific rather than universal, you must enter Copy call numbers that are specific to your library, rather than a Title call number that is applied to the entire shared record.

New preference

For those of you who keep individual copy call numbers, navigate to Preferences > Items > Call Numbers. There’s a new preference that allows copy call numbers to be preserved, even if a title changes. This is most applicable for central unions without standardized call numbers.

Additional reading…

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