FAQs: Setting up Serial Distributions

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How do I set up a single copy distribution?

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How do I set up a multiple copy distribution?

How do I set up a single copy distribution?

If allows in behavior properties to update MARC holdings, click the OPAC Display tab of the single copy serial control and select the Automatically Update MARC Holdings check box. This check box may be selected in the properties when the control is created. Click Save Your Changes.

Click the Distribution tab, and click the Change a Distribution tool. In the Holding Code box, select a holding code from the list. The default may be defined in the properties when the control is created.

If you manually changed Automatically Update MARC Holdings, you will also need to select the Update MARC Holdings Records check box on the Distribution tab to allow update MARC Holdings for this particular copy.

Only one copy is distributed or may be added to the catalog. Or, you may select to add zero copies to the catalog.

Click Save Changes to save changes to the distribution.

Click Save Your Changes to save changes to the serial control.

How do I set up a multiple copy distribution?

Create or modify a serial control that is receiving more than one copy. This is determined by the Copies to Receive box on the Subscription tab. If you modify this value, click Save Your Changes before proceeding.
SirsiDynix Symphony will not allow you to distribute more copies than the number of copies to receive on the Subscription tab. If you have increased or decreased the number of copies to receive just prior to creating, modifying, or removing distributions, SirsiDynix Symphony will require that you save your changes first, so that the number of copies to receive and the number of copies to distribute are balanced. SirsiDynix Symphony will return the message, “The number of copies to receive has been changed. You must save your changes before you can work with distributions.”

If permitted in behavior properties to update MARC holdings for any of the copies received, click the OPAC Display tab of the serial control and select the Automatically Update MARC Holdings check box. This check box may be selected in the properties when the control is created. Click Save Your Changes before proceeding.

Click the Distribution tab. In the toolbox, click either the Create a Distribution tool or Change a Distribution tool. When creating a changing distributions, it is important to remember that the total number of all copies expected cannot exceed the number of copies in the subscription.

In the Holding Code box, select the first holding code from the list. Customarily, the central receiving library or main library is selected first. The default may be defined in the properties when the control is created.

You may also need to select or clear the Update MARC Holdings check box on the Distribution tab, create MARC holdings records, and link them in order to properly manage MARC Holdings for new distributions.

Type the number of copies for this distribution. You may type any number in the Copies Expected box, up to the Total Copies to Receive value on the Subscription tab.

In the Copies to Add to Catalog box, type the number of copies of this distribution to be added to the catalog. You may type any number up to the number in the Copies Expected box, including zero.

Click Create or Save Changes. The remaining number of copies to distribute appears at the top of the Modify or Create a Serial Distribution window. If you are splitting your copies to more than one distribution, the recently modified or added distribution appears at the bottom of the Distribution table.

Create or modify other distributions until all expected copies have been distributed.