Home → Cataloging in NC Cardinal → Item Cataloging → Editing and Deleting Item and Call Number Records
3.22. Editing and Deleting Item and Call Number Records
Last Updated 03/12/2024
Important Note
Call number and item records are owned at the branch level for each library system in NC Cardinal. You should never attempt to edit or delete call number or item records that belong to another library system.
Batch Editing Item Records
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Note: Circulators also have permissions to edit items and volumes at their branch, so are able to perform common functions like changing copy status, shelving location, circulating library, replace barcode, etc. (either individually or in batch) using Item Attributes. They do not have permissions to delete item, volume, or bib records. |
Individually Editing Call Number and Item Records
Do NOT manually change the item status from Checked out, In transit, Long Overdue, Lost, Lost and Paid, or On holds shelf to another status using the Item Editor screen, as this simply relabels the items and does not close the underlying transaction correctly in the patron account (for Checked Out, Lost, Long Overdue, or Lost and Paid); or target a new item to fill the patron hold (for In transit or On holds shelf items).
For example, you would never want to manually change an item from a Checked out status to Available (or any other item status, for that matter) instead of checking in the item, because that manual action does not close out the open circulation transaction on the patron account. The same would be true for a manual status change from In transit or On Holds Shelf to something else (such as Available). Evergreen needs to close out those automated processes and transactions during checkin.
Deleting Items
Items with these item statuses may be deleted:
Available: Item is ready for check out.
Reshelving: Temporary status indicating that item has recently been checked in. Automatically changes to Available status based on interval designated by the library system.
Discard/Weed: This status can be manually applied by both circulators and catalogers to indicate that the item is marked for future deletion. These items no longer display in the OPAC for patrons.
Damaged: Marking an item Damaged on the Item Status screen essentially checks the item in, if previously checked out to a patron, before marking the item as permanently damaged. Since the transaction has been closed, the item may be deleted in a Damaged status. This retains any billing that may have been applied to the patron account.
On order: Item has not been received by the library and is no longer expected from the vendor.
Missing: Item cannot be located by the owning library.
In process: Item is currently in the midst of being cataloged, labeled, etc., or has otherwise been received by the library from the vendor but is not yet ready to be made available.
Repair: Item is currently in the process of being repaired.
Do NOT manually edit or delete items with statuses indicating open or incomplete transactions, because doing so would negatively impact database recordkeeping and give inaccurate results in reports.
Items with these item statuses must not be manually edited or deleted:
Checked out: Open transaction in which an item is assigned to a patron account. Do not delete items while in this status.
Lost: Open transaction in which an item is assigned to a patron account and marked as lost based on interval designated by the library system. Do not delete items while in this status.
Long Overdue: Open transaction in which an item is assigned to a patron account and marked as long overdue based on interval designated by the library system. Do not delete items while in this status.
Lost and Paid: Open transaction in which an item is assigned to a patron account and marked as lost based on interval designated by the library system. Do not delete items while in this status.
In transit: Open transaction in which an item is moving from one library branch to another. Do not delete items while in this status.
On holds shelf: Open transaction in which an item is waiting for a specific patron to pick up the item from the library. Do not delete items while in this status.
If you attempt to delete items in these statuses, you should receive a notification that you do not have permission to do so. These items MUST be scanned on the Check In screen to close the transaction before deleting.
Deleting items in other statuses
There are other statuses in addition to those listed above. You can find a list of all of the item statuses used by NC Cardinal and whether or not they are eligible for deletion (Restrict Copy Delete=FALSE) in the Knowledge Books here.
Before deleting items in any of the item statuses not listed above in the previous section, we recommend you first check this list to see if the item status is eligible for deletion or not. If the item status is not eligible for deletion, we recommend that staff check these items in to an Available/Reshelving status before deletion to prevent them from becoming 'ghost' items that appear in future report output even after they are deleted because the status affects the way they are stored in and retrieved from database tables.
Library Settings and Billing
Please keep in mind that certain library settings affect whether billing will automatically change in Evergreen by checking in items that were previously in a checked out status, such as Checked Out, Lost, Long Overdue, or Lost and Paid. These library settings come from the copy's Owning/Circ library (as shown on the Item Status screen, not the library that checked out the item):
Void lost item billing when returned: When a Lost item is checked in, Evergreen will automatically void the cost of the item billed to the patron. (Most libraries have this set to true.)
Void lost max interval: This is the cutoff point at which Evergreen will no longer automatically void lost billing and is determined by the library setting of the item's owning/circulating library. The void lost max interval starts running as of the due date, not the marked lost date. NC Cardinal recommends that libraries select the number of months they intend to leave items in a Lost status, after which time catalogers can safely check in an item to delete it without affecting billing. (Staff can always manually void billing if the patron returns the item and the library chooses to accept the return after the void lost max interval.)
Restore overdues on lost item return: When a Lost item is checked in, Evergreen will automatically add back fines originally billed to the patron (before the item was marked Lost and the overdue fines removed). (Most libraries have this set to true.)
Do not change fines/fees on zero-balance LOST transaction: When an item has been marked Lost and all fines/fees have been completely paid on the transaction, do not void or reinstate any fines/fees EVEN IF circ.void_lost_on_checkin and/or circ.void_lost_proc_fee_on_checkin are enabled.
Deleting Last Item on the Bib Record
Special care must be taken when deleting the last item record remaining on a bibliographic record, as NC Cardinal has several library settings in place that are intended to automatically clean up the library catalog:
| Delete volume with last copy= True |
| Retain empty bib records=False |
These settings mean that, when an item record is the last one on a call number record, the associated call number record is automatically deleted. If the last item and call number records are deleted from a bibliographic record, the bib record is also automatically deleted and will no longer be visible in the public catalog. Deleted bibliographic records can only be retrieved using the TCN/Database ID and will not show in the results for other catalog search methods.
| Note: Do not delete the last item from a bibliographic record if you intend to replace that item. If a cataloger adds an item onto a deleted record, the bib record is still deleted and neither will be visible in the catalog. |
Items to be replaced: If the library will be cataloging a replacement copy, the last item should not be deleted. Add the replacement item to the bib record first and then delete the lost/damaged/weeded item that is going away. If the same barcode will be used and the replacement copy is not yet available, change the copy status to On order or Cataloging until the replacement copy arrives, then replace the old copy with the new one.
Last Copy Warning
If your library will not be replacing the item and it is your system practice to note when deleting a last copy, please record this information before clicking OK/Continue to force the action, as the bibliographic record will be automatically deleted and can only be retrieved if a cataloger searches by the TCN/Database ID.
Permissions Flag
If an Item Cataloger deletes the last item on a bib record, a consortium library setting (to automatically delete the last bib record, as mentioned above) triggers the automatic bib record deletion, even though the Item Cat does not have permission to delete bib records. So, the Item Cat may see a message noting that permission is denied, but no further action is required. The bib record is still deleted and there is no cause for concern.