Under Admin > Float groups you can define various float groups. Float groups specify whether a material with a branch placement may float to another branch. You can edit and create new float groups, and a material's float group can be changed or selected directly on the material.
Create/edit float group
- Click
to create a new float group, or click an existing float group in the list to edit it.
- Enter a name, and optionally an abbreviation and a description of the float group.
- Click "Add branch" and select a branch to include in the float group.
- Optionally select placement information (department, section, shelf location and sub-location) to be used for the material when it is received at the given branch.
- Each field is set by default to "[Keep current]", which means that the placement information in question is not changed when scanning.
- Continue adding branches until the float group contains all the desired branches.
- Optionally click the "Copy" icon
next to a branch to reuse the same placement information.
- Click the "Delete" icon
next to a branch to remove the branch from the float group.
- Optionally click the "Copy" icon
The detail page for a float group called ”The Other Half”; materials in this float group can only float between ”Gedved Bibliotek”, “Hovedgård Bibliotek”, “Østbirk Bibliotek” and “Søvind bibliotek”.
Delete float group
A float group can be deleted by clicking the desired float group and then clicking "Delete" at the bottom of the page. When you attempt to delete a float group, you will be presented with information about where the float group is in use.
Updating placement
If a material is associated with a float group and is checked in at a branch that is part of the float group, the material's placement will switch to the check-in branch. If specific placement information (department, section, shelf location and sub-location) is configured for the branch, this will also be added to the material's placement.
If a material is associated with a float group and is checked in at a branch that is NOT part of the float group, the material's placement will not change, and the material will therefore need to be forwarded to the branch shown in the material's placement information.
Both the material and its theme (if any) can have a float group. If the theme has a float group, that is the one that determines where the material may float — otherwise the material's own float group applies.
Overview of how the material's placement is updated
A material has a default placement (the material's fixed placement) and an active placement (where the material is right now, e.g. based on placement information from a theme).
The following is updated when checking in a material with a float group:
- Float group without theme: The material's own float group applies. Both the default and active placement are updated from the float group's placement for the branch.
- Float group with theme (theme has a placement specified, but no float group):: The material's own float group still applies. The default placement is updated from the material's float group, while the active placement comes from the theme.
- Float group with theme (theme has both a placement and a float group specified): The theme's float group takes over and determines where the material may float. The active placement comes from the theme's placement, and the default placement does not change. The material's own float group and its placement per branch are not used.
- When IMS/BLS controls the placement (and the material does not have an active theme): IMS/BLS determines the default placement; the float group only determines whether the material may float.
Examples of using float groups and themes
Below you can see some examples of how a material's placement is updated based on information from float groups and themes. Each example shows the preconditions, an action and the resulting placement. Click an example to jump directly to it:
- Material without float group
- Material with float group
- Material with float group + theme (with placement, without float group)
- Material with float group + theme (without placement, with float group)
- Material with float group + theme (with placement, with float group)
- Material with float group + theme (without placement, with float group) + BLS
Material without float group
Preconditions:
- Float group: none
- Theme: none
- Material: "The Great Gatsby"
- Float group: none
- Theme: none
A patron checks in "The Great Gatsby" at Branch B. The book has neither a float group nor an associated theme, so there is no basis for moving the material.
The material keeps its placement:
- Active placement: unchanged
- Default placement: unchanged
Material with float group
Preconditions:
- Float group: City Libraries
- Branch A / Non-fiction ///
- Branch B / Non-fiction ///
- Theme: none
- Material: "Norwegian Wood"
- Float group: City Libraries
- Theme: none
A patron checks in "Norwegian Wood" at Branch B. The book belongs to the float group "City Libraries" and has no associated theme, so the placement is updated from the float group.
The material gets the following placement:
- Active placement: "Branch B / Non-fiction ///" (from the float group "City Libraries")
- Default placement: "Branch B / Non-fiction ///" (from the float group "City Libraries")
Material with float group + theme (with placement, without float group)
Preconditions:
- Float group: City Libraries
- Branch A / Non-fiction ///
- Branch B / Non-fiction ///
- Theme: New Materials
- Branch A / New Materials ///
- Branch B / New Materials ///
- No float group configured on the theme
- Material: "The Midnight Library"
- Float group: City Libraries
- Theme: New Materials
A librarian at Branch A associates the theme "New Materials" with the material "The Midnight Library" and places it in the display for new materials. A patron borrows the material and subsequently checks it in at Branch B.
The material gets the following placement:
- Active placement: "Branch B / New Materials ///" (from the theme "New Materials")
- Default placement: "Branch B / Non-fiction ///" (from the float group "City Libraries")
Material with float group + theme (without placement, with float group)
Preconditions:
- Float group: City Libraries
- Branch A / Non-fiction ///
- Branch B / Non-fiction ///
- Theme: Crime Month
- No placement configured
- Float group: City Libraries
- Material: "Dark Waters"
- Float group: City Libraries
- Theme: Crime Month
- Current placement: Branch A / Fiction ///
A librarian at Branch A associates the theme "Crime Month" with the material "Dark Waters" and places it in the crime display. The theme has a float group but no placement configured. A patron borrows the material and subsequently checks it in at Branch B. Branch B is part of the theme's float group, "City Libraries", so the book may float there. Since the theme has no placement, only the active branch is updated — department, section, shelf location and sub-location are kept unchanged.
The material gets the following placement:
- Active placement: "Branch B / Fiction ///" (only the branch has changed; the other placement information is kept from the previous placement)
- Default placement: unchanged
Material with float group + theme (with placement, with float group)
Preconditions:
- Float group: City Libraries
- Branch A / Non-fiction ///
- Branch B / Non-fiction ///
- Theme: Summer Reading
- Branch A / Seasonal Reading ///
- Branch B / Entrance ///
- Float group: City Libraries
- Material: "DIY Cocktails"
- Float group: City Libraries
- Theme: Summer Reading
A librarian at Branch A associates the theme "Summer Reading" with "DIY Cocktails" and places it in the seasonal display. A patron borrows the book and checks it in at Branch B. Branch B is part of the theme's float group, "City Libraries", so the book may float there and is assigned the theme's placement.
The material gets the following placement:
- Active placement: "Branch B / Entrance ///" (from the theme "Summer Reading")
- Default placement: unchanged
Material with float group + theme (without placement, with float group) + IMS/BLS
Preconditions:
- Float group: City Libraries
- Branch A
- Branch B
- Theme: Summer Reading
- No placement configured
- Float group: City Libraries
- IMS/BLS: active — handles placement assignment
- Material: "DIY Cocktails"
- Float group: City Libraries
- Theme: Summer Reading
A patron checks in "DIY Cocktails" at Branch B. Branch B is part of the theme's float group, "City Libraries", so the book may float there. Since IMS/BLS is active, it is IMS/BLS and not Cicero that determines the book's placement based on the float group.
The material's placement:
- Determined by IMS/BLS — not by Cicero.