The Community Information module enables libraries to manage a directory of community organisations and their contact details.
If your library is using the Community Information module, staff can search for Community Information records through the Quickfind, Name, Subject and Advanced links.
Community Information records are saved in MARC format, and libraries can choose to display the records on the OPAC. Information can be kept on local organisations, events, government bodies and any groups or services important to the local community.
Records can be added to the Community Information database by using the Worksheet Entry menu option.
Worksheets are enabled for Organisations, Individuals, Events and Programs or Services.
The worksheets will create a CI record in the same way as the Cataloguing worksheets create a bibliographic record. The fields are mapped to the appropriate MARC tag on the record.
An Organisation worksheet will include information such as the address and contact details, together with details of programs, area serviced and any membership fees charged.
Authority records for Subjects and the Organisation Name can be created, or a link to existing authorities can be made.
Before submitting the form, staff should specify a Next Action Date. This would usually be a date when the details need to be checked, or the record deleted. It is then possible to search Community Information records to find any that require action at a given time.
Under the Operations option in the menu, staff can generate letters or emails to send to organisations or contacts who have been added to the Community Information database. You can also purge CI records from the database when they are no longer required.
If you select Validation Letters or Validation Emails, a task will run in the background and the letters or emails will be generated for staff to send. Staff can then reset the next action date for the process to happen again in a year’s time.
It is possible to view the records before the letters or emails are generated, and remove those you don’t want to create.
If you want to purge records, a purge date must be added to the records.
Select Purge Records and this will start a background task. You can view the records to purge prior to starting the task, and remove those you don’t want to include in the process.