Add Summary Tab to New Staff Catalog

The biggest issue NOBLE libraries have had with the new staff catalog is the lack of a summary tab — when you select a title record, there’s minimal information at the top of the screen and then tabs for different views: Item Table, MARC view, MARC Edit, View Holds, Monograph Parts… but no easy way to see the number of copies, number of holds, links to other editions, and the rest of the record — series, subjects, etc. Having this kind of information is important to both cataloging and public service staff.

There is a Patron View button that essentially takes you to the old catalog view of the record, but because it’s a button and not a tab, it can’t be set as the default view, you have to click it every time. And since it basically takes you back to the old catalog, it’s not really helping people get used to the new catalog.

Fortunately, a new Summary tab is in the works, contracted by CW MARS. This will be the first tab, so it will be the default view for everyone unless they specifically set a different tab as their default, which is just how this works in the old catalog.

The work on this is in progress. It hasn’t been assigned a specific release yet, but it won’t be in Release 3.8 or 3.9, which are already in general release. You can see the CW MARS mock-up of the summary screen here: Mock-Up of Proposed Summary Screen

Note that the work being sponsored by CW MARS does not include the display of the NoveList Select content.