How to Add Existing Books to Your Library System

If you are an admin or librarian transitioning an existing book room onto this platform, you will need to digitize your current physical inventory. To do this, you must first define the book in the system, generate tracking labels, and then register the physical copies to build your stock levels.

Here is the step-by-step workflow to get your existing library fully cataloged.

Step 1: Define the Title in the Catalog

Before you can track a physical book, the system needs a master record of what that book actually is.

• Navigate to the Catalog (Titles & Metadata) view.

• Click the "Add Title" button to open the new catalog entry form.

• Select the Item Type Classification to specify if it is a Rental Textbook or a General Library Book.

• Fill in the core details, including the ISBN, Book Name, Author, Publisher, and Academic Subject.

• Save the entry to establish the master record.

Step 2: Generate Barcode Labels

Now that the title is recognized by the system, you need unique tracking barcodes for every physical copy sitting on your shelves.

• Navigate to the Print Labels (Manual Label Printing) view.

• Use the search bar to locate and select the book title you just created.

• Specify the total quantity of copies you need to label (up to a maximum of 500 per batch).

• Click to print the generated barcodes onto a 4x2 thermal roll or a standard 10-up letter sheet.

• Note that printing these labels generates the secure barcodes, but they are not yet actively tracked in your database.

Step 3: Affix the Labels

Take your freshly printed barcodes and attach them physically to each corresponding book. Ensure the labels are placed consistently so they are easy to scan later.

Step 4: Register Copies to Take Stock

The final step is to activate the barcodes so the system knows the physical books are on the shelf and available for loan.

• Navigate to the Inventory List (Inventory Management) view.

• Click the "Register Scanned Books" button to open the registration modal.

• Search for and select the book title you are currently processing.

• Set the current condition (e.g., New, Good, Fair) and the physical location within the bookroom.

• Scan the barcode on each book; this action instantly creates the individual copy record and increases your available stock limits at the same time.

Handling Brand New Incoming Stock

The manual print-and-register workflow outlined above is highly effective for retroactively taking stock of an existing bookroom.

However, if you are accepting a brand new shipment of books into the library, you should use a different process:

• Navigate to the Receive Stock view.

• This view is specifically designed to log incoming shipments, such as a new school purchase, donation, or an official Ministry of Education allocation.

• The receiving workflow allows you to process items by batch, log a delivery reference number, and automatically generate and print active copies into your inventory all at once.