Polaris Administration Records and Settings

In the Administration of Innovative Interfaces® software Polaris, these organizational levels create the basic structure (hierarchy) of your system:

• System - The system level is at the top of the Polaris hierarchy. It represents a single library or group of libraries that use one Polaris system. Only one system-level administration record is defined for each Polaris installation.
• Library - In Polaris, organizations at the library level can represent any of the following entities:
  • A single, functional repository (branch) in the system

  Important:
  
  If you create a library level consisting of a single functional repository, you also need to create a branch level for that facility.

  • Multiple branches, with the library itself being a functional branch in the system
  • Multiple branches, but the library organization itself is not a functional repository (branch) in the system.
  • Each organization at the library level is represented by its own record.

• Branch - A branch is part of a library, usually in a separate physical location or repository, consisting of one or more collections. Each branch you identify must be associated with a parent at the library level. Each branch is represented by its own record.
• Staff member and workstation records are associated with specific organizations in your Polaris system. They take many settings from the organization with which they are associated. By setting permissions, you control what each staff member is allowed to do, and what tasks can be done on a staff or public workstation. You can place staff members, workstations, and even entire organizations into permission groups, and then give all the members of the group a set of permissions.

In addition, server records contain information about the computers that control Polaris, store the catalog database, and handle Internet traffic.

See also: Accessing Administration Records.

Polaris Administration Settings

Some Administration settings are shared by all organizations in Polaris, while other settings can be independent. For example, you can make most settings that control functions available in the PAC at the branch level, without affecting the PAC functions are offered at other branches. With certain exceptions, each organization at a level in the Polaris system administration hierarchy can set its controls without affecting the settings for the higher levels. (Certain settings are available only at a specific level.) See also: Editing Parameters, Profiles, and Tables.