Each reader reference displayed on the left hand side of the Reader Dialog consists of an reader record forming a folder, and none, one or more contacts within it. Depending upon which record is selected, the right hand side of the dialog may display an reader record, or a contact record.

Tell me about:

• The general readers management dialog layout
• Reader and contact records
• Bookmarking
• Individual and Organisation records
• Attachments
• HID (Barcode) Formats
• Option Indexing
• Dynamic Indexing
• Persistent Menu Options

How do I:

• Create a new reader or contact
• Edit an existing reader or contact
• Removing an existing reader or contact
• Editing the advanced fields

As with many of the dialogs within Pergamon, the %AGENT% Manager dialog follows a standard pattern in order to ease end-user learning of the system.

The left-hand side of the dialog contains a basic filtering system and a list of %AGENT% and associated contacts within the database. On selection of an %AGENT% or contact in the list, the details of the record are displayed in the larger right-hand area.

The standard fields at the top of this section continually display the human-readable identification code of the %AGENT%, the %AGENT%'s name, and whether or not the %AGENT% is currently active, and the group into which the %AGENT% has been placed. This latter field is important as the type of group determines whether the %AGENT% represents an individual or an organisation.

The bulk of the information about the %AGENT% is presented on a number of tabbed pages that can be displayed by right-clicking the title of each tab. As far as possible, each page only displays relevant and related information.

The Borrower page displays information that is dependant upon whether the %AGENT% represents an individual or an organisation. With the Ptolomy release of Pergamon, the organisation %AGENT% type contains no additional information and the page is therefore deliberately blank. The remaining pages are displayed for both Individual and Organisation types of %AGENT%.

The Membership page contains information regarding the time period during which the %AGENT% is an valid member, and also the circulations profile that is used to determine the rules in use for funcationality such as the Circulations package.

The Options page displays any dynamic indexes that have been created but which have only a single selection possible. The Gender of an %AGENT% for example, would fall into this area as an individual may be 'Male' or 'Female', but not both.

The second dynamic indexing page, simply titled Indexing displays dynamic indexes that may have no, one or many selections possible. These dynamic indexes may include things such as spoken languages and disability information.

The Contact page contains a descriptive name for the contact information, along with a large text field that can be used for notes. The Address tab contains fields that allow the entry of an address, while the Numbers tab allows the entry of contact telephone numbers and email addresses.

As many contact records may be recreated for each %AGENT% as required.

The command buttons along the base of the dialog allow the user to update the %AGENT% or contact if it has been modified and start any advanced editor that is available for an %AGENT% in this group.

The %AGENT% Manager dialog displays two different types of record in the left-hand list. Each %AGENT% is created as a folder, with a [+] symbol allowing the user to expand the %AGENT% to display the contacts belonging to that %AGENT%. Selecting either an %AGENT% or Contact record displays the HID and Name section of the %AGENT% at the top of the dialog, but the tabbed panel area will vary according to which type of record was selected.

In the case of an %AGENT% record, all fields are available for editing. In the case of a Contact, only those details relating to the Contact itself can be edited. Editing however, proceeds in the way regardless of which type of record is selected - once editing is completed, select the [Update] command button to write the changes into the database.

The %AGENT% Manager possesses an area in the top right-hand corner of the dialog marked 'Bookmark' and is accompanied by a [+] and [-] button. These command buttons provide the bookmarking features of the dialog.

Selecting the [+] bookmark button will record a bookmark for the currently displayed %AGENT% in the database. This bookmark will be displayed whenever the main [Bookmarks] menu is selected. Bookmarking %AGENT% in this way provides a fast-access facility to %AGENT% of special note (such as partially completed %AGENT%, or %AGENT% that need an investigation) without needing to perform a more lengthy search or record the HID of the %AGENT% physically on note-paper.

In order to remove the bookmark, the %AGENT% Manager must be displayed with the %AGENT% selected (the bookmark can simply be selected from the [Bookmarks] menu to display the %AGENT%). Once displayed, select the [-] button to remove the bookmark.

All %AGENT% group types can be configured to contain either Individuals or Organisations by setting the appropriate checkbox in each record. While this distinction is primarily visual, it also enables the %AGENT% Manager to modify the display of the first tabbed page so as to show fields relevant to either Individuals or Organisations.

By doing this, it is possible to use the functional areas of Pergamon, such as the Circulations package, to operate both as a standard library management system and as a means to operate with organisational bodies.

%AGENT% attachments are available from the [Edit Attachments] command button at the bottom of the %AGENT% Manager dialog. The attachments dialog provides the ability add and remove five types of attachment to the %AGENT% record: Abstracts (bulk text), document references, images, audio files and video files.

A full explanation of the attachments dialog is available on the relevant help file page.

An HID (Human readable ID) is the unique number or sequence of Alphanumeric characters that uniquely identify an individual %AGENT% within the Pergamon database. While it is possible to enter these formats manually, keeping track of the last number used externally to Pergamon, a much easy and convenient method is built into the %AGENT% Manager dialog itself.

HID Formats can be created via the Lookup Manager that allow the user to specify:

• A set of prefix characters
• A body length (using a series of '0' characters)
• A set of suffix characters

When creating a new %AGENT% record, either enter a hash (#) or question mark (?) character rather than your own unique number, then complete the rest of the record. When saving the new record into the database for the first time using the [Update] button, a new and unique number is automatically generated based upon the current database content.

Entering a simple hash or question mark will generate the next available number based upon the first HID Format identified. If several HID formats have been created, perhaps for different types of %AGENT%, enter the prefix followed by the hash or question mark character - in this case the specific HID format identified by the prefix will be used as a preference.

The Option Indexing page displays all of the dynamic indexing types that have been created with the focus '%AGENT% Indexing' and which have been flagged as 'Single Use Only'.

During editing, all possible items within the index are displayed containing checkboxes that can be checked or unchecked so that the user can set the required option. Once the %AGENT% has been edited and updated, all non-selected indexing options are removed from the display to enhance clarity.

Typical 'Option Indexes' types include %AGENT% Gender and %AGENT% Audience.

In order to create a new index within any of the types, ensure that the required type is selected then right-click the [+] symbol to the right of the current page. This command button will display the Manage Index Items dialog through which a new entry can be created.

The general Dynamic Indexing page displays all of the dynamic indexes that have been created with the focus '%AGENT% Indexing' and which has not been set to 'Single Use Only'.

The folders containing the dynamic indexes are displayed in the list box but containing only those index phrases that have already been attached to the %AGENT%, rather than all possible options. This is because dynamic index types of this nature tend to possess a very high content.

In order to add, or even create new items to the type, ensure that the folder for the type is currently selected and then right-click the [+] button on the right-hand side of the current page to display the Manage Index Items dialog.

In order to remove an item from the index type, ensure that the required %ITEM% is selected in the list and right-click the [-] command button on the right-hand side of the current page.

The Manage %AGENT% dialog contains a number of persistent menu options that are accessible via [Manage %AGENT%] > [Options…]. Checking or un-checking any of these options will remain in force until manaually reset, even if the user logs out of Pergamon and shuts down the workstation.

Persistant menu options are recorded on a per dialog, and per user basis.

Any newly created record is automatically displayed and placed into edit mode. The cursor is placed into the first logical field, and the first tabbed page is brought to the front - in this way, editing of the record can take place using only the keyboard, with movment between fields possible using the [TAB] key.

The current location and size of the Manage %AGENTS% dialog is recorded at the point at which it is close. When the dialog is reopened, the recorded location and size are restored.

Open options with content Any of the tabbed pages that contain option or indexing lists automatically have their contents expanded if a contained type possesses any content.

How to…

To create a new %AGENT%, enter the %AGENT% Manager then choose [Create new %AGENT%] from the [Manage %AGENT%] menu (or press [F5]). On selection, a new %AGENT% is created in the database with a default HID based upon the current date and time.

Note that at this point, the new %AGENT% is fully created in the database but is not yet 'active' - this is deliberate so that the %AGENT% can be configured correctly before being made available to library users. In order to make the %AGENT% available, edit the %AGENT% when complete, check the [Active] checkbox and update the %AGENT% in the database.

In order to create a new contact for an %AGENT%, ensure that the required %AGENT% is selected in the left-hand list and then select [Create new contact] from the [Manage %AGENT%] menu (or press [shift]+[F5]).

n order to start the editing process of either an %AGENT% or contact, locate it in the left-hand list and then right-click it in order to display its details on the right-hand side. All fields are immediately available for editing. When editing is completed, select [Update] to update the changes in the database.

If changes have been made to an %AGENT% or contact the changes can be aborted simply by selecting any other record in the left-hand list. A warning will be displayed indicating that changes have been made - if the changes are required, select to save them. If the changes are not required, select to abandon them. In either case, the newly selected record will then be displayed.

In order to remove an existing %AGENT%, locate it in the left-hand list then select it in order to display its details on the right-hand side. Select [Remove %AGENT%] from the menu in order to begin the removal process.

Validation Before removal takes place, the Manage %AGENT% dialog will validate the removal request. Part of this validation involves checking functional areas of the database to ensure that the record is not currently in use. Once it has been confirmed that this is not the case, the %AGENT% is removed from the database.

If the %AGENT% is still in use for any reason, removal will be refused.

In order to remove a contact from the database, select the contact in the left hand list then select [Remove contact] from the menu. As contacts are not directly utilised by most functional areas, no validation is performed and the contact is removed immediately.

Some %AGENTS% may possess advanced editing features, governed by the group type to which it has been assigned. In order to edit these additional fields, select the [Advanced Edit] command button at the bottom of the dialog. The editing page will be temporarily placed into advanced edit mode. In order to return the page to normal, select the same command button that will have changed to display [Simple Edit].