Basic steps for setting up a new Branch Library in Voyager

Question

What are some basic steps for setting up a new Voyager Branch Library? We are particularly interested in setting up Circulation for a small departmental library with a single Location.

Introduction

Support strongly recommends you read Chapter Five of the Systems Administration User's Guide.

How you configure an additional branch depends in large part on what kinds of activities that branch will carry out - is it just Circulation? Or will they also be cataloging or ordering materials? And will operators have permissions for activities at just that branch or across branches?  These are the kinds of questions you need to ask yourself.

In general, you define a new branch by giving it its own set of locations, policies and security, separate from the existing branch.

If Circulation activities are needed; you will likely set up a separate Circulation policy for the new branch with its own Location. The following operates on that assumption.

Note that there is this very helpful article for creating new Locations: Add a New Location to Voyager 

if you're not able to add the new Location you already have set up to the new Circ policy, check that:

1. the Location is not associated with any other Circulation policy; and
2. the Location is selected in the Master Profile for your operator (SysAdmin > Security > Master Profile) - the Master Profile is what determines your security settings and permissions in System Administration, and in order to work with locations in SysAdmin, they must be part of your security profile.

Basic Steps

Here are some basic steps for you to review. Please note that some are optional:

1. Create a new Location for this project - example: TNB (The New Branch)
2. Create a new Circulation policy for this group: example: The New Branch
3. Remember to add the new Location to your SysAdmin operator (this is a common thing customers forget)
4. Set up all of the rights, permissions, etc. by creating security profiles in Circulation and perhaps cataloging too (if needed?) for the new branch and associate the new Location with those profiles
5. Create new bib and MFHD records for the new Location if needed for testing
6. Create new item records for this new Location if needed for testing
7. Add an address for the new Location by going to System Administration > System > Locations > The New Branch > Edit
click Address and fill in relevant fields
check "Circ Desk" in the Address Type area (and any other types applicable to this address)
click Save in the System Address window
click Save to save the changes to the Location
8. If needed set up printing/processing notices for the branch in System Administration > System > Print Locations > New
provide a code and name
Save
Go to Circulation > Policy Definitions > {your new policy} > Locations:highlight the Circ Happening Location > Settings > select your new Print Location as the Default Print Location
Save

Additional Information

Note that you do not need a separate Owning Library in most situations.

If needed, you can set up a separate Circulation Calendar and use it in your new branch Circulation policy definition.  This is done in System Administration > Circulation tab.

You may find it useful to take screenshots of existing Location Policies and Existing Matrices from other Locations that have already been set up to use as guides to creating new Location Policies and Loan Matrices.

In the System Administration > Security tab create any new operator profiles for the new branch library.  Create new module profiles if needed, or add the branch library operators to existing module profiles. 

In the System Administration > Cataloging tab set up new policy/policies with relevant locations and settings if the new branch will be doing its own cataloging

In the System Administration > Circulation tab you can set up new patron groups if needed for the branch library

If you will be printing/processing notices for the Branch Library separately, you may want to set up a Print Location for the branch:
1. System Administration > System > Print Locations > New
2. Give it a code and name; it doesn't need to be specified as a default for any module unless you'd like it to be.
3. Save
4. Circulation > Policy Definitions > {branch policy} > Locations: highlight the Circ Happening Location > Settings ... > Choose the newly-created Print Location as the Default Print Location.
5. Save

The address/contact details for notices are determined by where the Circulation transaction took place (i.e., the Happening Location). So anything charged at New Branch should have a different address in the notices than transactions that occur at other Circ desks. To set this up:

1. System Administration > System > Locations > New Branch > Edit
2. Click Address
3. Fill in Address and any other relevant fields (phone, email, etc.)
4. Check "Circ Desk" in the Address Type area (and any other types that this address applies to)
5. Click Save in the System Address window.
6. Click Save to save changes to Location.

• Article last edited: 11-Jan-2019