The System Parameters link will take you to functions to manage fundamental system parameter tables. This function is expected to grow and currently presents the following separate tabs:

Enterprise  |  System  |  Locations  |  Item Formats  |  Operators  |  Workstations  |  User Types  |  Streets  |  Post Codes  | Management View  |  Matching Routines  |  Databases  |  Workforms  |  User Codes  |  User Definition

Control panel #

At the foot of the screen, a small control panel is provided. When a specific parameter is selected, the associated details are displayed, and these will be varied according to context.

Command buttons #

A common set of command buttons is available. These buttons are context sensitive. None will be enabled initially, and each will enable as and if appropriate:

• Add new. This button is allowed in library defined parameters, such as GC: General Charge, but not in system-controlled parameters, such as IS: Item Status.
• Save. This is only enabled when a change has been made to a parameter.
• Delete. Library defined parameters may be deleted; system-controlled parameters may not be.
• Clear and reload parameters into memory

Enterprise #

This presents your library’s Enterprise parameters, allowing display of current settings, and the ability to update them.

Display #

The Enterprise parameters are displayed alphabetically, according to their parameter id:

Control panel #

At the foot of the screen, the control panel is provided to display associated details when a specific parameter is selected:

• Description. This will provide a brief explanation of the parameter. Full details of the Enterprise parameters can be found here. Note that a number of parameters include values 0 or 1, and in such a case the Value control will hold a checkbox below, which simply has tick on or off – 1 = On and 0 = Off.
• Value. This control may have either:
  a checkbox (as illustrated above) to define whether a parameter is applied (Ticked = ON = 1) or not (Unticked = OFF = 0)
  or, a textbox allowing entry of a string (see the Enterprise parameter details for full information on appropriate values), e.g.

• GST/VAT. Some parameters define a charge which may be levied, e.g. Account_Charge_Admin. In such cases, the charge may be subject to tax, and this checkbox allows that to be defined.

The standard Command buttons are provided.

System #

This presents your library’s System parameters, allowing display of current settings, and the ability to update them.

Display #

The System parameters are organised by grouping according to an ID. As a group is highlighted, its constituents are listed in a panel on the right:

Language dropdown – A language combo is provided to allow parallel languages to be maintained. In the first instance, this will be limited to English and Korean.

ID Panel  – (left hand side) The ID panel lists the System group ID and the description (according to the selected language):

Code and Description Panel  – The Code panel shows the individual constituent elements within the ID group, listing their code, description (variable by language), charge, visibility, default indicator, and tax indicator:

• Charge – this element is not used in the majority of cases but is required for instance when listing GC: General Charge codes, listing the items for which the library will make a charge.
• Visibility – a parameter can be marked ‘invisible’ to allow it to be suppressed without deletion.
• Default – if a code is set as default, then it will be the default prompt in the application; if no code is set as default, the lowest value code will be shown in the prompt.
• Tax – this applies if the parameter reflects a charge and indicates if the charge includes tax or not.

Control panel – At the foot of the screen, a small control panel is provided. When a specific parameter is selected, the associated details are displayed. The standard Command buttons are provided.

Locations #

Display #

The Locations parameters control both Logical and Physical Locations.
Note The information for Logical locations will only display when a Logical location is selected and likewise when a physical location is selected.

Summary #

Language dropdown – The Summary panel has a control to determine the language of the interface:

Locations display – (Left hand panel) #

Locations are displayed according to the numeric code applied, and show the logical location (e.g. Branch) and subsidiary to this any physical locations (e.g. collections or departments) that are so defined, in alphabetical order. Note that as above, even if the logical location has only one physical location, that must be defined; a branch may have multiple physical locations as below:

Clicking a logical location description will select the logical location attributes to the right (above); and clicking a physical location description similarly will select the physical location attributes to the right (below).

Logical Locations #

The Logical Locations panel determines the settings to define the logical location, such as a branch:

The following elements are available.

The standard Command buttons are provided.

Physical Locations #

The Physical Location table is used to identify the library’s physical locations: these may be the actual collections or parts of collections in a building, e.g. Children’s Library, Local History section, Stack. Physical locations may be combined to form logical locations; multiple physical locations may be combined in this way, and this table relates each defined physical location to the Home location that is defined for the logical location. (see also Loans Control Parameters, where the Logical Locations are combined with other data elements to form a loans control matrix)

Each Physical location to be used is defined, and is given a code, which is held in the associated Holdings data (equates to MARC21 852$b). In addition, the library may define a contact for the location, and indicate whether the location will be used as the reservations collection point for the home library: for instance, a library could be split into seven floors, each floor constituting a separate physical location, but all combining to form a logical location which is a Home location; when a user makes a reservation at the seventh floor, the system knows that the standard collection point is actually on the ground floor, and so provides this as a prompt.

This Locations panel presents the physical location attributes for display and maintenance. Each item recorded must belong to a physical location.

The panel presents the following elements.

The standard Command buttons are provided.

Physical Location table #

The Physical Location table is used to identify the library’s physical locations: these may be the actual collections or parts of collections in a building, e.g. Children’s Library, Local History section, Stack. Physical locations may be combined to form logical locations; multiple physical locations may be combined in this way, and this table relates each defined physical location to the Home location that is defined for the logical location. (see also Loans Control Parameters, where the Logical Locations are combined with other data elements to form a loans control matrix)

Each Physical location to be used is defined, and is given a code, which is held in the associated Holdings data (equates to MARC21 852$b). In addition, the library may define a contact for the location, and indicate whether the location will be used as the reservations collection point for the home library: for instance, a library could be split into seven floors, each floor constituting a separate physical location, but all combining to form a logical location which is a Home location; when a user makes a reservation at the seventh floor, the system knows that the standard collection point is actually on the ground floor, and so provides this as a prompt.

Loan Parameters #

Logical location details are used in loans control processes: see Loan Control Parameters, where Location details are combined with other parameters to form a loans control matrix.

Item Formats #

The Item Format table links information held in an item’s parent bibliographic record to a format description, to be used for display of the appropriate item format icon. The defined Item Format may then be combined with other similar formats to form a Material Type, which may be used in controlling loan parameters: for instance, video recordings may come in a number of formats, each of which may be specifically identified by the library; to allow all videos to be controlled in a consistent way, they may be collated under a Material Type to allow loan parameter control to be exercised once only for all item formats. Alternatively, an Item Format may be withheld from the Material Type for special treatment – e.g. if all masters are held in U-Matic, and all loan copies are held as other video formats, then the U-Matic may be identified as a unique Item Format and maintained in parameters separately from other video formats. See also Aurora Administrator – Loan Control Parameters, where the Material Types are combined with other parameters to form a loans control matrix.

For libraries for the blind, specific elements identify that settings reflect the format’s property as either Braille or Audiobook.

If a specific format is to be recorded but is not formally bibliographic – or explicitly a piece of equipment – then it is possible to mark the format as requiring no holdings record to be attached to a master bibliographic record. Formats may also be designated to be set apart from limits calculations, and not to be tallied as part of a user’s loans.

The Item format tab of system parameters opens to a form with a formats tree on the left and two panels:

Formats tree (Left hand panel) #

The tree shows each Material Type defined (highlighted with a green blob) as a tree node, with each item format included in the Material type listed below.

Top selection settings (left hand panel) #

Language –  A combo selection is provided to allow selection of an alternative language in the user interface – usually this will be English in your system by default.

May be auto allocated checkbox –

Show ID’s Checkbox – shows material type id next to material type in tree – This can be very useful if you are adding a new format, as it allows you to check that the value you are going to use has not already been applied.

Show Material Types checkbox – Shows material type in () at the end of each format

Show Collection Group 1 – shows collection 1 description next to the format (can only select 1 at a time)

Show Collection Group 2 – shows collection 2 description next to the format (can only select 1 at a time)

Show Collection Group 3 – shows collection 3 description next to the format (can only select 1 at a time)

Material Types panel #

When a Material Type or an Item Format is selected in the tree, the panel will be populated with the appropriate details:

The panel displays:

• Material Type ID (MT_ID)
• Description (MT_Desc), which can vary according to the selected language of the interface. Note that ‘Material type’ is usd only for collation of loan parameters – this is never seen in public displays.
• The associated item formats, listed by their internal id and separated by ^ Note that this is for display only and cannot be edited here
• Material Type Loan Limit (MT_LoanLimit) – the increase/decrease controls may be used to change this, or you can simply overtype the current value

The standard Command buttons are provided.

Adding a new Material Type #

To add a new Material Type select the Material Type panel and click the green cross. Aurora will automatically apply a new id when the details are saved, so this does not have to be set – all that is needed is entry of a description, and an indication of the loan limits for the material type (applicable to all user types). When complete, press the Save button to save the data.

Deleting a Material Type #

If no longer required, a Material Type definition may be removed by selection of the parameter, and when displayed, clicking the Delete button (red cross).

Note that a Material Type may not be deleted if it still contains Item Format definitions.

A confirmation message will be returned.

Item Formats panel #

When the tab is initially opened, no Item Format will be selected, and this panel will be blank

When an item format is clicked in the tree, the panel details will be populated:

Item Formats panel elements descriptions #

The standard Command buttons are provided.

Adding a new Item Format #

To add a new Item Format, you must first select the Material Type to which the new format will belong. With the Material Type details then showing in the top panel, the green cross in the lower panel will become enabled, and this is clicked to allow the details of the new format to be entered. Please though take a few minutes before entering the details to review the information available as above – in the case of item format, you will supply the necessary code, and this must be a three-letter code, and must not of course match an existing code. You should also have the details of the required 007 settings for entry of items in Cataloguing. Fill the form in as much as is required and save.

Deleting an item format #

If an item format definition is no longer required, it may be deleted by selection, and then clicking the Delete button. A check is made of items currently defined with this format, and the deletion will only be allowed to proceed if there no items with the associated format.

Operators #

This screen defines the operators (predominantly staff) who will be using the Aurora system.

Note that there is a slider control between the major panels – this allows each panel to be expanded for closer examination.

Operators listing  #

Each operator must have a unique ID, and be equipped with a PIN, to allow sign-on. Operators may sign on from a picklist on screen, and to allow this, their name is recorded in OP_Name – or as here, the operator descriptions can be generic:

Flash indicators #

Operator entries may have an associated flash indicator:

•  – indicates that the operator id is hidden in the login screen. This is usually applied to self-service operator identities to prevent an operator incorrect selecting that id to login.
• – shows that the operator has an associated user id

Operator attributes #

The right hand panel is split, with two separate tabs:

• Security
• Task access

As a general rule regarding the description of these two functions,

• Task access determines what an operator can see/access e.g. what modules are greyed out and what are accessible and
• Security determines what an operator can do with the pages they can access.

Note task level may also be associated with specific enterprise parameters e.g. ReservePriortyTaskLevel – Operator task level required to change reserve priority – this can be set to a specific level and above.

Security #

This panel shows the operator PIN/Password in plain text, and sets the operator Task level: the functions available per task level are shown on the Task access tab.

Two separate panels present details of the operator’s security level:

• Security levels (General)
• Security levels (Databases)

Security levels (General) Table 1 #

In this general section, each operator is provided with read, add, modify and delete access privileges to

• User maintenance  – User add , User Modify, User Delete
• Item maintenance – Item add, Item Delete, Item Modify
• Reservation queue management – Reserve Modify, Reserve Delete
• Production – Used by Libraries for the Blind
• Acquisitions – Acquisitions

For each of these accesses, a sliding scale of authority is applied with 0 being the lowest level e.g. OFF, and 9 being the highest e.g. ON

Where an operator does not have appropriate security to perform a task, a flash is provided when hovering over input box with a tooltip showing what level is required to turn ON the security level

Checkboxes #

Four checkboxes are provided to further define the operator:

Security levels (Databases) Table 2 #

This panel defines Security attributes for individual operators; determining their level of privilege for cataloguing access by database by method: read, add, modify, and delete.

In all cases the highest authority is 9 and the lowest 0 (and 0 means that the operator will not have any access to that database).   The minimum level required to turn on the access is listed in grey next to the input box.
Public users may also be controlled for access to remote, or internal databases, through application of minimum access level settings.

Note that the Security level of an operator is recorded against a particular action in User History and Record History tables and is also recorded in the Document Record (DDR) when a record is added or updated.

Note that it is necessary to define access levels for each of the databases to which the operator may have access:

• Bibliographic
• Authority
• Holdings
• Orders

Task access #

This screen shows the functions available in Desktop, correlated against the available Task Groups. At the top of the screen, the available Task Groups are shown [These may be renamed locally]; and below this the functions, with a tick in the intersection of function row and task group column to indicate that members of the group have access to that function. When a specific operator is selected, the assigned task group is known, and the tasks available are then highlighted in green.

Assignments may be managed using the context sensitive pop-up menu:

Pop-up menu #

For each task, a pop-up menu can be invoked. Note that there is only one main option on the menu, but this changes to reflect the chosen Task:

Note that if one task is selected (highlighted in the display), and the mouse is on another task row when right-clicking, then the highlighted task is the one selected. Operators should always visually check the main menu caption.

The main option can then be expanded to show sub-menu options:

These options show the various task groups available from Group 1 to Group 8 (Group 9 is reserved). A tick shows that the task is enabled for the users of the ticked group. Mouse action can then be used to toggle group access on or off.

The final option on this sub-menu is Save. All changes must be saved within the specific task – if not saved, then the change will be highlighted in the display with a yellow fill:

Workstations #

This tab presents the controls to maintain your licenced workstations.

Opening the tab will list all of the defined workstations, and show their attributes:

The tab is made up of a number of separate panels:

Workstations List panel – Left hand side #

A Drop down panel at the top of the screen allow the list to display the Libraries within consortias.

This panel lists all the registered workstations. Note that if you add more workstations than you have licenses for, then all workstations will breach the licensed terms and will no longer be valid.

Workstation maintenance panel – Right hand side Top #

You can inspect the details of a workstation by selecting it: the details are then displayed in the maintenance panel on the right. The following details are available:

Workstations can be added and deleted using the Command buttons detailed below.

Workstation Summary panel – Right hand side Bottom (grey) #

The summary panel presents tallies:

• of the number of licenced users (according to the licence file)
• of the number of workstations defined
• of the number of staff workstations
• of the number of public workstations
• of the number of kiosk workstations
• of the number of other workstations

Workstation Command buttons #

The Workstation Maintenance panel uses the three common Command buttons plus two additional specifically for use here:

•  Unlock workstation.
• Use this button simply to replace the workstation name, e.g. when replacing the workstation and all other settings remain the same
• Refresh the workstation counts, e.g. following entry of new workstations, or deletion of old
• Add a new workstation
• Save the workstation details
• Delete the existing workstation