📚 Cataloguing

🏃 FastCAT

A focused cataloguing screen that combines quick data entry with the ability to browse through the catalogue — adding Publisher, Series, Shelf location, Price, and Dewey number alongside the core bibliographic fields.

ℹ️ Overview

FastCAT sits between QuickCAT and EasyCAT in terms of the number of fields shown on screen. It is designed for sessions where you want to record a little more detail at intake — particularly Publisher, Series, Shelf location, and Price — without needing the full multi-tab layout of EasyCAT.

A key distinction from QuickCAT is that FastCAT includes full catalogue navigation: the first, previous, next, and last buttons let you browse sequentially through the entire catalogue. This makes it useful for a cataloguing review session where you want to check and update a run of records quickly without searching for each one individually.

Like all four cataloguing tools, FastCAT reads from and writes to the same underlying database. A record created or changed here is immediately available in EasyCAT, AdvanceCAT, QuickCAT, and the OPAC.

ℹ️
One stock item per BRN session FastCAT manages one stock item at a time — the first stock item linked to the current BRN. To add multiple copies or manage all copies of a title together, use EasyCAT → Stock Details tab, which shows every copy in a scrollable grid.

🔀 How FastCAT Compares

All four cataloguing tools are interchangeable — the choice depends only on how many fields you want to see in one session. Here is where each tool sits:

Feature QuickCAT FastCAT EasyCAT AdvanceCAT
ISBN lookup (auto-fill) ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Title, Author, Subject ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Dewey Number – ✓ ✓ ✓
Publisher & Series – ✓ ✓ ✓
Shelf location & Price – ✓ ✓ ✓
Browse through catalogue (prev/next) – ✓ ✓ ✓
Multiple stock items per session – – ✓ ✓
Full physical description, URL, attachments – – ✓ ✓
UNIMARC field-by-field entry – – – ✓
Best suited to Fastest possible intake Intake with location, price & publisher; catalogue review sessions Day-to-day cataloguing & stock management Precise UNIMARC control
💡
Nothing is locked in. Start a record in FastCAT and open it in EasyCAT at any time to add further detail — and vice versa. There is no commitment to a single tool once a record exists.

🖥️ Screen Layout

FastCAT is organised into three areas:

Top bar — the search field (highlighted in pink when a BRN is loaded), the Add / Save / Delete / OPAC action buttons, and the catalogue navigation arrows (<< < > >>). The ISBD citation is displayed beneath the toolbar as a read-only reference line. A book cover thumbnail sits to the right of the toolbar row.

Below the toolbar the page divides into two clearly labelled sections:

📖 Cataloguing Information

  • ISBN + Find button
  • Publication Type
  • Title
  • Author Name
  • Subject
  • Dewey Number
  • Publisher
  • Series

📦 Stock Information

  • Accession Number (read-only)
  • Barcode
  • Shelf
  • Price

A status message area between the toolbar and the two sections shows informational notices — for example if a BRN is not found or if there is a validation error on save.

🔍 Finding a BRN

Use the search field at the top to locate a record, or browse through the catalogue using the navigation arrows.

Method How to use
Title search Type a few words from the title into the search field. An auto-complete drop-down appears with matching titles from the catalogue. Select a result to load that BRN.
Accession number or barcode Type or scan an accession number or barcode. The matching BRN and its first stock item load automatically.
Sequential browsing Use the navigation arrows to step through BRNs in database order. << jumps to the very first BRN, < moves back one, > moves forward one, and >> jumps to the last. This is particularly useful when reviewing or updating a sequence of recently added records.
OPAC button Click OPAC to open the OPAC search in a new window. Selecting a title there loads it into FastCAT.
💡
Reviewing new stock? After a batch import or a session of new additions, use the < and > arrows to step through recent BRNs and add shelf locations, prices, or publisher details without having to search for each title individually.

➕ Adding a New BRN

Click Add to open the Add a new Bibliographic Item dialog — the same dialog used in EasyCAT. Fill in the fields and click the dialog's Add button to create the record and load it into FastCAT.

Dialog field Description
Title The title of the new item. As you type, auto-complete suggests existing titles — check before proceeding to avoid creating a duplicate BRN.
ISBN (optional) Enter or scan the ISBN and click Search. If an online match is found, the bibliographic fields are auto-populated. Review any auto-filled data carefully before saving.
Publication Type Select the type that applies to this item. Controls circulation rules and OPAC categories.
Accession/Barcode Number The accession number for the first physical copy. Leave blank to generate automatically from the sequence configured in Global Parameters.

🛠️ Toolbar Buttons

Button Action
Add Opens the Add a new Bibliographic Item dialog. Always search first to confirm the title does not already exist in the catalogue.
Save Saves all changes to the current BRN's cataloguing and stock fields. Always click Save before navigating to another record — browsing away with the arrows will not auto-save.
Delete Permanently deletes the current BRN and its stock item after a confirmation prompt. A BRN with active loans or reservations cannot be deleted.
OPAC Opens the OPAC search to locate a BRN using the public catalogue interface. The selected title loads into FastCAT.
<< Jump to the first BRN in the catalogue.
< Move to the previous BRN.
> Move to the next BRN.
>> Jump to the last BRN in the catalogue.
⚠️
Save before navigating. Clicking any of the navigation arrows or the OPAC button while unsaved changes are on screen will discard those changes. Click Save first.

📖 Cataloguing Information Fields

These fields describe the bibliographic record — the title as a work. They are shared across all copies and all cataloguing tools.

Field Description
ISBN The International Standard Book Number (13 or 10 digits). Enter or scan and click Find to attempt an online auto-fill of the remaining fields. The ISBN also links the record to a cover image. Always worth recording even if auto-fill is unavailable.
Type The Publication Type for this BRN — for example Fiction, Non Fiction, or Textbooks. Controls which circulation privilege rules apply and which OPAC category the title appears in. Publication Types are configured under Parameters → Publication Types.
Title The main title as it appears on the title page. The primary field searched by the OPAC.
Author Name The primary author in Surname, First Names format (e.g. Rowling, J.K.). Auto-complete suggests names already in the authority file — select from suggestions where possible to maintain consistency across the catalogue.
Subject A single subject heading describing the content. Auto-complete suggests existing subjects. For titles that need multiple subjects, either separate them with a semicolon or add the additional subjects later in EasyCAT → Subjects & Notes tab.
Dewey Number The Dewey Decimal Classification number (e.g. 823.914). Auto-complete suggests existing numbers from the catalogue. Used for shelf arrangement and OPAC browsing. Leave blank for fiction items if your library uses author-based shelving.
Publisher The publisher's name. Auto-complete matches existing publishers — select from suggestions to maintain consistency. Example: Pottermore.
Series The series name if this title belongs to a set (e.g. Harry Potter). Auto-complete suggests existing series names. Used for grouping related titles in OPAC series searches.
ℹ️
Title (ISBD) — the read-only ISBD citation line displayed above the two sections is assembled automatically from the stored bibliographic fields. It updates after each save and gives you an at-a-glance confirmation of what is recorded for the current BRN.

📦 Stock Information Fields

These fields describe the first physical copy linked to this BRN. FastCAT shows and edits one stock item per session — the item currently associated with the BRN.

Field Description
Accession Number The unique identifier for this physical copy. Displayed read-only — it was set when the BRN was first created. To change this value or to add further copies, use EasyCAT → Stock Details tab.
Barcode The barcode on the physical label attached to the item. This field is editable in FastCAT, unlike the Accession Number. Scan or type the barcode. Must be unique across the entire library. If your Global Parameters setting has Accession Number is Barcode enabled, this will match the accession number.
Shelf The shelf location or call number where this copy is shelved (e.g. ROW, 382.45 ROW, FIC). This appears on spine labels and is displayed to members in the OPAC when they locate the item.
Price The replacement cost of this copy. Used when calculating lost-item charges if a member fails to return the item. Enter as a decimal number (e.g. 200.00). Displays with the currency symbol configured in Global Parameters.
💡
Adding more copies of the same title? FastCAT manages one stock item per session. To add a second or third physical copy to the same BRN, open the record in EasyCAT → Stock Details tab, click Next to generate a new accession number, and click Add for each additional copy.

🖼️ Book Cover Image

A small book cover thumbnail is displayed to the right of the toolbar row. Click the thumbnail to open an enlarged lightbox view of the cover; click Ok to close it.

FastCAT does not provide a drag-and-drop upload zone. To add or update a cover image, open the record in EasyCAT and drag an image file onto the grey drop zone there. The cover then becomes visible in FastCAT immediately. If a valid ISBN was entered, Papyrus Cloud may retrieve a cover image automatically when the record is first saved.

🔁 Typical Workflows

Cataloguing a new item

  1. Type part of the title or the ISBN into the search field to check whether the BRN already exists. Select it if found and skip to step 5.
  2. Click Add. Enter the title in the dialog (and the ISBN if available) then click the dialog's Add button.
  3. The new record loads. If an ISBN was entered and auto-fill succeeded, review and correct the pre-filled fields.
  4. Complete the Cataloguing Information fields: Title, Author Name, Subject, Dewey Number, Publisher, and Series as appropriate.
  5. In the Stock Information section, confirm or enter the Barcode, Shelf location, and Price for the physical copy.
  6. Click Save.
  7. Print a spine label from Barcode Labels and attach it to the item, then move to the next book.

Reviewing and updating existing records

  1. Load the first record you want to review — either by searching for it or using << to start from the beginning of the catalogue.
  2. Check the fields and make any corrections — a missing shelf location, an incorrect publisher, a Dewey number that needs adding.
  3. Click Save to commit the changes.
  4. Click > to advance to the next BRN and repeat.
💡
End-of-year shelf location update? If your library reorganises shelving, the browse-and-save workflow in FastCAT is an efficient way to work through the catalogue section by section, updating shelf codes record by record without having to search for each title.

➡️ Next Steps

Records created or updated in FastCAT can be enriched further at any time in other tools.

Task Where to go
Add subtitle, edition, pages, language, URL EasyCAT → Advanced tab
Add additional subject headings or notes EasyCAT → Subjects & Notes tab
Add or update the book cover image EasyCAT → drag-and-drop cover zone
Add more physical copies to a BRN EasyCAT → Stock Details tab
Assign a location or collection code to a copy EasyCAT → Stock Details tab
Print barcode and spine labels Cataloguing → Barcode Labels
Full UNIMARC cataloguing AdvanceCAT