Getting Started

In the "CS Library" folder will be two files "Code 39  18" and "Code 39C 18".  These are the bar code fonts for printing.  If you are on System 7 or higher just drag these two fonts into your system folder and let the system put them in the proper folder (Fonts folder).  We use "Code 3 of 9" because it can bar code both letters and numbers giving you much more flexibility in your ID system and because it can be read by virtually any bar code scanner.

When you first start CS Library (CSL) and you have not registered your program then the first screen you will see are the registration windows.  Enter your registration codes and these windows will not reappear.

The first window you normally see is the "Check Out" screen.

Up on the menu bar at the top of the screen is an "Options" menu.  Select "Librarian".  You will be asked for a password enter "mn" until you set up your own passwords (make sure it is lower case letters).

This will take you to the "Librarian" window.  Hit the Passwords button.

Hit the New button and fill in the following window for yourself.  Assuming the your name was "Bill Jones" the window would look like this:

Make sure that you give yourself a password level of zero so you can get back into Passwords Control to set up the other employees and volunteers.  In the Report ID field you would usually just put in the employee's initials  (for future use in marking who generated a specific report).

Passwords are case sensitive "bj43" is not the same as "Bj43" or "bJ43" or "BJ43".  Only the "bj43" would be accepted as the correct password.

Save your entry .  Go back to the Password Control window and select the sample employees one at a time by double clicking the mouse on the name.  This will take you to the Edit Password window where you can delete them.

At this time set up the rest of your employees and volunteers with their own passwords.  After all the employees are set up go back to the Librarian window.

Push the "Library Info" button.

Double click on the line that says "Library Name".

Change the "CoInfo any text up to 255 char." area to your library name.  This can be up to 40 characters (the shorter the better) since it will appear on book labels and patron ID cards.  "LCPL #4" is much better than "Leon County Public Library,  Branch 4".  (Do not change the "CoInfo type" area.)  Save your changes and return to the "Company Data 1" window.

Notice the "LAST BOOK ID#" it is now set at the last book ID# of 103.  This is the last ID# generated by the program and assigned to a book.  If you want your numbering to start at a different number, change it now (again - shorter is better).

Return to the "Librarian" window and push the "Catalog" button.

Catalog

If you double click on the "King James Bible" line you will go to the "Catalog" window.

Play around with this window.  The more button and the PICT button.  Everything should be pretty obvious.  For a sample that actually contains a PICT edit the "Stealth Bomber" catalog entry.

Note in particular the "Book ID Bar Code".  It can be made up of numbers or letters (or both).  If you wish to use numbers then CS Library will keep track of the last number.  Each time you hit the New button on the "Catalog Find" window the number, LAST BOOK ID# that is stored in Company Info, is incremented by one and the number put into the "Book ID Bar Code" field.  You can change it if you wish but it must be unique for each book.

To speed up entering information, a new catalog record will contain all of the information from the last entry.  This is great for entering five copies of the same book (you just have to hit New then Save for each of the last four copies).  Be careful though with one of a kind materials since the description etc. on the "More" window will also be filled in from the last record.

If you are going to be using a bar code reader you will need one that connects to the ADB port (keyboard) not one that connects to the modem port.  Set the bar code reader to automatically send a <tab> character ( CHR(9) ) after it does a read.  (A complete range of reasonably priced bar code scanning equipment and label printers for the Macintosh are available from POS Direct, Phone: 800-622-7670, Fax: 618-985-3014, Internet: posdirect@aol.com )

***  The speed and ease of use of CSL was accomplished by having people that normally write point of sale and invoicing software write the program.  When you return to the Librarian window you will notice a blank space.  This is reserved for an Import/Export button.  We would be happy to implement this feature but we cannot seem to get a straight answer to the following questions:

What are the field names, sizes and order of an export of your current patron list?
Is there a standard for import of catalog entries?

  We find it hard to believe that when you buy a bunch of books that there is no standard source that will allow you to just download from Internet the catalog cards or that the catalog card information is not included on a disk that comes with the order.  Please, someone give us an electronic standard catalog entry or create one and send it to us.  It is incomprehensible to us that every library in the nation is typing up essentially the same catalog card for "Gone With The Wind".