Glossary & Key Concepts
Understanding the numbers, terms and relationships used throughout Papyrus Cloud
Papyrus Cloud uses a precise set of terms to describe the people, items and identifiers in your library. Understanding these concepts before working with the system will help you configure it correctly and use it with confidence. This page explains each term, how it is used, and how the different identifiers relate to one another.
How the key identifiers relate to each other
A single catalogued title (BRN) can have many physical copies. Each copy carries its own accession number and barcode. The ISBN belongs to the title, not the copy.
ISBN
Identifies the edition
→
→
Accession + Barcode
Copy 1
Accession + Barcode
Copy 2
Accession + Barcode
Copy 3 … n
Papyrus Cloud distinguishes between two groups of people who interact with the system:
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A library staff member who also borrows books must have both a User account (to log in and administer the system) and a Library Member record (to borrow items). These are two separate records.
Every library member belongs to a Member Type and optionally a Category. Together, these two levels of classification allow you to group members for reporting and to control how circulation rules are applied.
Example — school library
A school library might define Member Types for each grade level: Grade 1 through Grade 12. Within Grade 3, Categories could represent individual classes: Gr3 A, Gr3 B, and Gr3 G. Each grade can have different loan periods — for example, Grade 1 members may borrow one book for one week, while Grade 12 members may borrow three books for two weeks.
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Member Types and their borrowing rules are configured under Parameters. The default Member Type applied when creating new members is set in Global Parameters.
Every bibliographic record in Papyrus is linked to a Publication Type. This classifies the kind of media being catalogued and is used extensively in reports to group and filter the library's holdings.
Papyrus supports an unlimited number of Publication Types. However, it is recommended to keep the list concise — too many types make reports harder to read and cataloguing more complex than necessary.
Typical Publication Types
Book · Fiction · Non-Fiction · English Fiction · Afrikaans Fiction · Serials · DVD · Reference · Poster · Equipment
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Publication Types are defined under Parameters → Publication Types. Plan your list before cataloguing begins — changing Publication Types later requires updating existing records.
Every catalogued item in Papyrus is uniquely identified by a Bibliographic Reference Number, commonly referred to as a BRN. The BRN is the system's internal identifier for a catalogue entry — it represents the title, not any physical copy of it.
A BRN does not necessarily represent a physical item. A catalogue entry for an online resource or a website, for example, would have a BRN but no associated physical stock. Most catalogue entries, however, will have at least one physical stock item linked to them.
Example
The book Great Monster Hunt by Norbert Landa might be assigned BRN 10671132. Its Publication Type would be Book. If the library holds two physical copies, both copies are linked to BRN 10671132 — each with its own accession number and barcode.
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The BRN is not the same as the accession number or barcode. The BRN identifies the catalogue record; the accession number and barcode identify individual physical copies.
The ISBD is a standardised, human-readable summary of a catalogue record. Papyrus automatically generates this description from the catalogued fields when you save a bibliographic record. It is used in reports, search results, and the OPAC to present publication details in a consistent, internationally recognised format.
Example ISBD description
Great Monster Hunt / Norbert Landa. – 2010. – 32 pages. – 9781848950221
You do not need to construct the ISBD manually — Papyrus generates it from the individual fields you enter during cataloguing (Title, Author, Year, Pages, ISBN, etc.). Saving the record in EasyCAT triggers the ISBD to be built automatically.
The Accession Number is a unique identifier assigned to each individual physical copy of an item held in the library. While the BRN identifies the title, the accession number identifies the specific copy on the shelf.
Common accession number formats
1997/1172 — Copy acquired in 1997, sequential number 1172
2008/781 — Copy acquired in 2008, sequential number 781
2024/0034 — Copy acquired in 2024, sequential number 34
If a library holds three copies of the same title, each copy will have its own accession number, even though all three share the same BRN. The accession number is the number typically written inside the front cover of a book.
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Accession numbers cannot be changed. Once assigned, the accession number becomes a permanent part of the stock record and audit trail. Choose your numbering format carefully before you begin adding stock.
The Barcode is a scannable number printed on a label affixed to each physical copy. Its primary purpose is to allow fast, accurate entry of a copy's identifying number using a barcode scanner at the Front Desk — eliminating the need to type accession numbers manually during busy circulation periods.
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Keep barcodes short. The physical barcode printed on a sticky label must fit on the inside cover of a book. Long numbers produce wide barcodes that may not fit. A 5- or 6-digit barcode (e.g. 10001 to 99999) is recommended for most libraries. Configure your scanner to append a carriage return after each scan so Papyrus advances automatically to the next field.
Accession number vs barcode — an example
A copy of Badger Boy added in 2008 might have Accession Number 2008/781 and Barcode 10045. At the Front Desk, either number can be entered or scanned to identify the copy.
The ISBN is a 13-digit number assigned by publishers to uniquely identify each separate edition of a book. It is an industry standard used worldwide by publishers, booksellers, and libraries.
In Papyrus, the ISBN serves two purposes:
Purpose 1 — fast cataloguing
When you enter an ISBN in EasyCAT and click Search, Papyrus looks up the title in its publisher database. If found, it automatically populates the Title, Author, Publisher, Date, Page count, and other fields — saving significant data entry time.
Purpose 2 — edition identification
Different editions of the same title (e.g. a revised edition, a paperback edition, or a large-print edition) each have their own ISBN. This allows your catalogue to distinguish between editions of the same work.
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The ISBN belongs to the
bibliographic record (the title), not to a physical copy. If your library holds two copies of the same edition, both copies share the same ISBN but each has its own accession number and barcode. For more information, see the
Wikipedia reference.
A summary of all key terms for quick lookup.
User
A library staff member who logs in to administer the system
Library Member
A person registered to borrow items. Identified by their Member Number
Member Type
Primary classification of a member. Controls loan periods and borrowing limits
Category
Sub-grouping within a Member Type, used for reporting
Publication Type
Classifies the kind of media in the catalogue (e.g. Fiction, DVD, Reference)
BRN
8-digit internal number identifying a catalogue record (title), not a copy
ISBD
Auto-generated standard description of a catalogue record
Accession Number
Permanent unique identifier for each physical copy. Cannot be changed
Barcode
Scannable label number on a physical copy. Can be updated if needed
ISBN
13-digit publisher number identifying a book edition. Used to auto-fill catalogue records