Autosorting Items with Non-unique Call Numbers

If your library has acquired the SIP2 Circulation Interface product and uses an autosorting machine to automatically sort items upon checkin, but does not use a unique call number for each item, you can request that Innovative enable the Autosorting Items with Non-unique Call Numbers feature.

Libraries that use the SIP2 Circulation Interface with an autosorting machine usually require the Autosort feature, which enables display of the call number in the SIP2 Checkin Response message. However, if your library does not use a unique call number for each item (e.g., if your library uses "FIC" or "FICTION" instead of a unique alphanumeric code), the autosorting machine might be unable to sort items properly.

The Autosorting Items with Non-unique Call Numbers feature enables the system to add information from the bibliographic record to the call number in the SIP2 Checkin Response message, thus creating a unique call number.

To enable the Autosorting Items with Non-unique Call Numbers feature:

  1. Decide on one bibliographic record variable-length field that contains the information you want added to the call number data; e.g., the AUTHOR field.
  2. Determine, in number of characters, how much of this bibliographic record data you want the system to display. Note that the number of characters displayed in the call number element includes spaces. For example, if the system is set to display 10 characters from the AUTHOR field, the call number element display for call number "FIC" and author "van der Hafen" is: FIC van der Ha.
  3. If you want the system to only add bibliographic data to certain non-unique call numbers, make a list of these call numbers (e.g., FIC, FICTION). If you want to add bibliographic data to call numbers regardless of call number type, you can skip this step.
  4. Contact Innovative and request that the Autosorting Items with Non-unique Call Numbers feature be enabled. Inform Innovative of the field you chose to add to the call number element as well as the number of characters to display from this field. If you want the system to only add bibliographic data to certain non-unique call numbers, inform Innovative of these call numbers.

In addition to enabling additional data for the call number in the SIP2 Checkin Response message, the Autosorting Items with Non-unique Call Numbers feature also enables the SIP2 Checkin Response message to display the pickup location code and the barcode of the patron for whom the item is being held if during checkin the item is placed in transit to satisfy a hold.