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Collection Management Services

Information on Collection Management Services and Operations

Call Number Label Printing

Background

Due in part to past limitations with the printing of call number labels, Voyager call numbers have been added to the holdings records in a non-standard manner. The implementation of Alma provides the opportunity to update procedures and add call numbers as per the Library of Congress Classification and Shelflisting Manual. The proposed changes will change the display of the call number labels but will not affect how the books are shelved.

Changes

  • A period will precede the first cutter number (not applicable to Dewey call numbers)
  • A space will be inserted between cutter numbers (applicable to both LC and Dewey call numbers)

 

Past Practice in Voyager Alma Call Number
AC8 K49 1875 AC8 .K49 1875
Law KE230 D68V47 2021 Law KE230.D68 V47 2021
PS35.5 I5G64 2010 c.2 PS35.5.I5 G64 2010 c.2
QA166.245 K63 2005 QA166.245 .K63 2005
CURRIC 823 L5325A43 CURRIC 823 L5325 A43

 

Call number labels

Examples of call number labels:

 

Library materials are shelved in call number order. Materials in the main and law collections are shelved according to the Library of Congress Classification (LC) system.

One exception is the Curriculum Collection which is shelved according to the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system.

How to Read a Library of Congress Call Number Label

Read the call number label top-to-bottom, line by line.

OVERSIZE

There may be a specific location specified at the top of the call number label.

Example: CURRIC
QH

Most LC call numbers begin with one or two letters. 

The first letter represents the major division or "class" within LC. Example: Q = Science

The second letter represents a subdivision within the class. Example: QH = Natural history (general)

Single letters are filed before double letters. Example: Q is shelved before QH, and QH is shelved before QR
442.2

These numbers represent the subject of the book. Example: 442.2 = books on cloning

Read this line as a whole number. Example: QH 442.2 is shelved before QH 443
.W544

The period is followed by the "cutter". The cutter represents the author, corporate body or title of the book.

Sometimes there are two cutters. In these cases, the first cutter will be a further refinement of the subject.

Read the letter alphabetically and then read the number as a decimal. Example: .W544 is shelved before .W55
2006

Year of publication, volume and/or copy number

Examples: v. 1, c. 2

 

For more information, refer to the Metadata Unit's Shelflisting section.

SpineOMatic

UVic Libraries will use Spine O Matic software in order to print call number labels from Alma. This software looks up barcodes via the Alma API to retrieve call number information and you can then print your spine call number label.

The SpineOMatic documentation is here:

https://github.com/ExLibrisGroup/SpineOMatic/wiki

 

First Configure Your Zebra Printer using the Zebra Setup Utilities

(Help for Zebra TLP 2824 Plus setup)

Find the Zebra Setup Utilities on your computer.

Select the ZDesigner TLP 2824 Plus (ZPL) USB001

and choose "Configure Printer Settings" under Printer Configuration. This will open up the Configuration Wizard.

Label Parameters:

  • Units: inch
  • Width: 2.00
  • Height: 1.00
  • Orientation: Normal

Speed and Darkness:

  • Speed: 3.0
  • Darkness: 25

Media parameters and handling

  • Print Mode: Transfer
  • Media Type: Web Sensing
  • Tear off adjust: 0
  • Label shift: 0

Advanced settings:

  • Media Handling:Tear off
  • Every 0 labels
  • Media feed options: Use printer settings
  • Backfeed: Default settings
  • Mirror image: unticked
  • ZPL Mode: ZPL II

Front Panel Protection:

  • All ticked

Sensor settings

  • all blank

 

Configure SpineOMatic

Configure your SpineOMatic in the following way for Zebra printers (TLP2824 Plus (ZPL)).

Open up the SpineOMatic program (Program called "SpineLabeler")

The top ribbon will have some values:

User: [none]

Station: don't worry about this

Require Username: leave unticked

Enable temp barcodes: leave unticked

Show tips: tick the box

For Auto Print vs. Review, choose Review

The Purple arrow at the top will expand / collapse the settings window.

Print Setup tab

  • Printer type: Single label desktop
  • Printer: Choose ZDesigner TLP 2824 Plus (ZPL)
    • click on the ellipses, choose ZDesigner TLP 2824 Plus and click on Preferences. Make sure the following are selected in the Printing Preferences popup:
      • NOTE: Ensure that TLP2824 Plus (ZPL) driver is installed. If you do not see (ZPL) after the Printer then contact lsyshelp to get the correct drivers installed.
      • Options tab:
        • No. or copies: 1
        • Speed: 3 "/s
        • Darkness: 25
        • Stocks: User defined
        • Paper format: inch, portrait
        • Size: 4.25 wide ; 11.00 high
        • Unprintable area: Left=1.02 ; Right=1.02 ; Top=0 ; Bottom=0
      • Advanced setup:
        • Use printer settings: unticked
        • Operation Mode: Tear off
        • Media Type: Thermal transfer
        • Tracking Mode: Web sensing
        • Adjustment: all 0s
      • Dithering
        • None
      • Leave as Default in other tabs
      • Click OK
      • Click Apply and X out of "Print" Dialog box 
        • You should be taken back to SpineOMatic software
  • Text font: Arial
  • Size: 12.5 ; bold ticked
  • Barcode font: Size 13
  • Top margin: 0.02
  • Left margin: 0.01
  • Line spacing: 0.2
  • Landscape
  • Maximums:
    • Lines/label: 8
    • Chars/line: 8

 

Call Number Format tab

  • Pocket Labels: unticked
  • Select Spine (not Custom)
  • Select SpineOMatic parsing (<call_number> should be present in the text box next to this option)
  • Include holdings ticked (<issue_level_description> should be present in the text box next to this option)
  • Include other value ticked
    • paste in the following value in the text box next to it: *"c."<copy_id>
    • *Format by prefixing these codes: * suppress if field is blank, if it does not exist, or if it has values(s): 1 0 
  • Click on Tweak & Test
    • That will bring up another screen "Tweak and Test SpineOMatic's Call Number & Holdings Parsing"
    • LC/Child.Lit/NLM tab
      • Class numerics: select Break before numerics
      • Class decimal: select No Break
      • Before Cutter: select Break before cutter
      • In Cutter: select Break on cutter spaces
      • Other: select Break before - in the yellow text box enter a space
        • Remove character(s) from call number : tick this box
      • leave all other values
    • Dewey tab
      • Alpha Prefix: select Break after prefix
      • Class: No break selected
      • Cutter: Break on spaces
      • Other: select Break before - in the yellow text box enter a space
        • Remove character(s) from call number : tick this box
    • SuDoc tab
      • Leave as is - UVic Libraries does not use SuDoc
    • Other
      • Spaces: select "Break on all"
      • Initial Numerics: select "Break after"
      • Other: select Break before - in the yellow text box enter a space
        • Remove character(s) from call number : tick this box
    • Holdings
      • Break on "(" in long lines : unticked
      • Break on colon : unticked
      • Break on spaces between elements: ticked
      • Other: select Break before - in the yellow text box enter a space
        • Remove character(s) from call number : tick this box

Label Prefixes

  • Select "Use system file, URL"
    • In the box paste in the following: http://docstore.library.uvic.ca//SpineOMatic/
  • Click on Download
    • NOTE this pulls in the call number prefixes from a file on a server. When changes are needed this file will be updated. The next time you open up SpineOMatic the changes in the source file should be reflected in the Label Prefixes tab. 
  • The prefixes should now be visible in the main text screen
  • Library source: <library_code>
  • Location source: <location_code>

Current XML

  • Ignore

Alma Access

  • Use RESTful API   https://api-ca.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com
  • Don't convert XML: leave unticked
  • Find the other details here

 

Reports tab

  • Ignore
Using SpineOMatic
  • Open up the program
  • Place your cursor in the text box next to the "scan" button and scan your barcode
  • The API will fetch the call number information
  • Click "Send to desktop printer"
Updating the Call Number Label Prefixes Rubric

Occasionally the call number label prefixes rubric will be updated. Follow this procedure to update the rubric:

  1. Open SpineOMatic
  2. Click on the small purple arrow located under "user" - this opens the SpineOMatic settings
  3. Click on the "Label Prefixes" tab
  4. Click "Download" - the updated set of label prefixes will download
  5. Click "Save"

 

 

Creative Commons License
This work by The University of Victoria Libraries is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License unless otherwise indicated when material has been used from other sources.