📚 Cataloguing
⚡ QuickCAT
A streamlined cataloguing screen for fast, straightforward data entry — covering the essential fields needed to get a title into the catalogue and available to borrow.
ℹ️ Overview
QuickCAT presents just the fields you need to catalogue a title: ISBN, Title, Author, Subjects, Publication Type, Accession Number, and Barcode. By removing the additional fields found in EasyCAT and AdvanceCAT, it keeps the screen uncluttered and lets you move through new acquisitions quickly.
Every record created or edited in QuickCAT is fully visible in EasyCAT, AdvanceCAT, and the OPAC. The four cataloguing tools — QuickCAT, EasyCAT, FastCAT, and AdvanceCAT — share the same underlying catalogue database. You can catalogue a title in QuickCAT today and add extra detail in EasyCAT tomorrow without any duplication or data loss.
ℹ️
One stock item per BRN session
QuickCAT manages one stock item at a time. If a title has multiple physical copies, open each additional copy in QuickCAT and use the same BRN — or switch to
EasyCAT, which shows all copies in a grid and lets you add or update them from a single screen.
🔀 Choosing a Cataloguing Tool
All four cataloguing tools are equally capable — the right choice depends on how much bibliographic detail you want to record in a single session, not on experience level. You can mix and match freely within the same library and the same catalogue.
| Feature |
QuickCAT |
FastCAT |
EasyCAT |
AdvanceCAT |
| ISBN lookup (auto-fill) |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Title, Author, Subjects |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Publisher, Series, Shelf, Price |
– |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Full physical description (pages, edition, language…) |
– |
– |
✓ |
✓ |
| Multiple stock items per session |
– |
– |
✓ |
✓ |
| Attachments and circulation history |
– |
– |
✓ |
✓ |
| UNIMARC field-by-field entry |
– |
– |
– |
✓ |
| Best suited to |
Fast intake of straightforward titles |
Adding location and price at intake |
Day-to-day cataloguing & stock management |
Precise UNIMARC bibliographic control |
💡
Nothing is locked. A record started in QuickCAT can be opened in EasyCAT at any time to add more fields — and vice versa. There is no commitment to staying with one tool once a record is created.
🖥️ The QuickCAT Screen
The screen has three main areas:
Search bar — a single input field at the top where you type a title, ISBN, accession number, or barcode to find or load a BRN. The field highlights in pink when a record is loaded.
Action buttons — immediately below the search bar: Clear, Add New, Save, and Delete.
Record fields — the bibliographic and stock fields for the currently loaded BRN, displayed in a clean two-column layout. A book cover thumbnail is shown to the right when one is available.
A status message area appears between the search bar and the record fields. When a BRN is found that already has stock items, the system displays a notice such as "You already have 94 copies of this book in your library. Use EasyCAT to manage all the stock" — this is informational and does not prevent you from adding another copy.
🔍 Finding an Existing BRN
Before adding a new record, always check whether the title is already in the catalogue — this avoids duplicate BRNs for the same title.
| 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 your catalogue. Select a result to load the BRN. |
| ISBN |
Type or scan the ISBN into the search field. If the ISBN matches an existing BRN the record is loaded immediately. |
| Accession number or barcode |
Type or scan an accession number or barcode. The matching BRN and its current stock item are loaded. |
💡
If a title already exists in the catalogue and you need to add another physical copy, load the existing BRN and then generate a new accession number. This links the new copy to the correct bibliographic record rather than creating an unwanted duplicate.
📋 Field Reference
All fields in QuickCAT map directly to the same database fields used by EasyCAT, FastCAT, and AdvanceCAT. Anything entered here is immediately available in those screens and in the OPAC.
| Field | Description |
|---|
| Title (ISBD) |
A read-only display of the full ISBD-formatted bibliographic citation, assembled automatically from the stored fields. It updates after each save. Example: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7), Rowling, J.K.. – London : Pottermore, 2015-01-10. – 759 pages. – 9780545010221 |
| ISBN |
The International Standard Book Number (13 or 10 digits). Enter or scan the ISBN, then press Tab or Enter. If Papyrus Cloud finds a match in the online catalogue, the Title, Author, and other fields are auto-populated. The ISBN also links the record to a cover image. Even if auto-fill is unavailable, recording the ISBN is good practice for future lookups. |
| Title |
The main title of the item as it appears on the title page. Include any volume or part designator in parentheses if needed, e.g. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7). This is the primary field searched in the OPAC. |
| Author |
The primary author in Surname, First Name format (e.g. Rowling, J.K.). This maps to the First Author field in EasyCAT. Entering it correctly ensures the OPAC sorts and displays the author consistently. For corporate authors or bodies, enter the name as it should sort (e.g. BBC, National Geographic). |
| Subjects |
One or more subject headings that describe the content of the item. Separate multiple subjects with a semicolon (e.g. Juvenile Fiction; Wizards; Magic). These populate the first subject fields in EasyCAT and are the keywords members search in the OPAC. Use consistent terminology — check existing subjects in the catalogue before inventing new ones. |
| Publication Type |
The type that best describes this item — for example Fiction, Non Fiction, or Textbooks. This controls which circulation rules apply and which OPAC category the title appears under. Publication Types are defined in Parameters → Publication Types. |
| Accession Number |
The unique identifier for the physical copy being catalogued. QuickCAT pre-fills this with the next available number when a new BRN is created (read-only on an existing record). If you need to set a custom number, use EasyCAT → Stock Details tab instead. Leave blank on a new record to let the system auto-generate the number based on your Global Parameters settings. |
| Barcode |
The barcode printed on the physical label attached to the item. Like the accession number, this is pre-filled automatically on new records and shown read-only on existing ones. If your Global Parameters setting has Accession Number is Barcode enabled, both fields will be identical. To use custom barcodes, manage stock items in EasyCAT. |
ℹ️
Accession Number and Barcode are read-only in QuickCAT. They are shown for reference. To change these values, or to add further copies to the same BRN, open the record in
EasyCAT and use the Stock Details tab.
🛠️ Buttons
| Button | Action |
|---|
| Clear |
Clears the screen of the currently loaded BRN without saving. Use this to start a fresh search after loading the wrong record, or to return to a blank screen between items. |
| Add New |
Creates a new BRN record using the title currently in the search field as a starting point, and switches the screen into edit mode. The Save and Delete buttons become active. Use this after confirming via the search that the title does not already exist. |
| Save |
Saves all changes to the current BRN's fields. Only available (active) when a record is in edit mode after clicking Add New or after loading and modifying an existing record. Always click Save before clearing the screen or searching for another title. |
| Delete |
Permanently deletes the current BRN and its associated stock item after a confirmation prompt. Only available when a record is loaded. A BRN with active circulation transactions (loans or reservations) cannot be deleted. |
📦 Stock Item and Barcode
When you create a new BRN in QuickCAT, the system automatically generates an accession number and barcode for the first physical copy based on the sequences configured in Global Parameters. These are displayed in the Accession Number and Barcode fields (read-only) so you can verify them before printing labels.
If you need to catalogue additional copies of the same title, you have two options:
Load the BRN again in QuickCAT using the search field. The system will display the first stock item. You can then update the record if needed, but to add a second copy you will need to use EasyCAT, which provides the full Stock Details grid with Add, Update, and Delete controls for multiple copies simultaneously.
💡
Printing labels — after saving a new record in QuickCAT, open
Barcode Labels (Cataloguing → Barcode Labels) to generate and print the spine label and barcode sticker for the new copy. You can print a single label or batch-print for a session's worth of new stock.
🖼️ Book Cover Image
A book cover thumbnail is displayed to the right of the record fields when one is available. Covers are shared across all cataloguing tools — an image added in EasyCAT appears here, and vice versa.
QuickCAT displays the cover for reference but does not provide a drag-and-drop upload area. To add or update a cover image, open the record in EasyCAT and use the drag-and-drop zone or the thumbnail upload on that screen. The cover will then be visible in QuickCAT immediately.
If a valid ISBN was entered and an online cover source is available, Papyrus Cloud may retrieve a cover image automatically when the record is first saved.
🔁 Typical Workflow
The recommended sequence for cataloguing a new item using QuickCAT:
- Type part of the title or the ISBN into the search field. Check whether a matching BRN already exists in the auto-complete drop-down.
- If the title already exists, select it from the drop-down. The record loads and you can confirm or update the details, then Save. If you need to add a further copy, switch to EasyCAT.
- If no existing record is found, click Add New. The record fields become editable.
- If you have an ISBN, enter it in the ISBN field and press Tab. If an online match is found, fields are auto-populated. Review and correct any auto-filled data — online catalogues are not always accurate for your edition.
- Enter or confirm the Title (exactly as on the title page), Author (Surname, First Name), and Subjects (semicolon-separated).
- Select the correct Publication Type from the drop-down.
- Click Save. The BRN is created, an accession number and barcode are generated automatically, and the ISBD citation updates at the top of the screen.
- Note the accession number and barcode displayed, then print a label from Barcode Labels and attach it to the physical item.
- Click Clear and move on to the next item.
💡
Processing a stack of new books? Work through the search → Add New → fill fields → Save → Clear cycle. Keep QuickCAT open in one browser tab and the Barcode Labels screen in another so you can switch to print a label immediately after each save.
➡️ Next Steps
Once a record exists in the catalogue — regardless of which tool created it — you can enrich and manage it further at any time:
| Task | Where to go |
|---|
| Add publisher, series, edition, pages |
EasyCAT → Advanced tab |
| Add or update a book cover image |
EasyCAT → drag-and-drop cover zone |
| Add more copies (stock items) |
EasyCAT → Stock Details tab |
| Add shelf location, price, or collection to a copy |
EasyCAT → Stock Details tab |
| Add notes or a Dewey number |
EasyCAT → Subjects & Notes tab |
| Print barcode and spine labels |
Cataloguing → Barcode Labels |
| Full UNIMARC cataloguing |
AdvanceCAT |