CATS: Computerised Acquisitions and Tracking
| Pages | 246-249 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb044814 |
| Published date | 01 April 1988 |
| Date | 01 April 1988 |
| Author | Clayton A. Shepard |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
CATS:
Computerised
Acquisitions and Tracking
Clayton A.
Shepard
CATS
provides most of the needed acquisitions operations for a typical library.
It is easily mastered and straightforward, even for the most unsophisticated
user. CATS is versatile, flexible and essentially free of awkward demands and
hidden traps. For those who already own the dBase III database package, on
which CATS depends for
its
operation,
the
price of CATS is certainly an attrac-
tive one. Libraries needing instant acquisitions automation should give it seri-
ous consideration.
CATS runs on IBM/PCs and compatible computers. It requires the use of
the
dBase III database package. CATS sells for $100 from David Morse or Alice
Karasick, USC Norris Medical Library, 2003 Zonal Ave., Los Angeles, CA
90033,
USA. (213) 224-7413.
T
he emergence of the microcomputer, particu-
larly the IBM PC, has seen an impressive pro-
liferation of applications software, yet relatively
few software packages specifically oriented to li-
brary applications have appeared. A package like
CATS that provides effective, easy-to-use capa-
bilities for automating an important library oper-
ation is most welcome.
Produced by David H. Morse and Alice W.
Karasick, of the Norris Medical Library, Univer-
sity of Southern California, Cats is comprised of
a
set of dBase III programs and forms with capa-
bilities for order entry, order slip and letter print-
ing, searching by various data elements, claiming,
and logging of receipt and payment information.
Reports can be produced for books received and on
order, and for expenditures and encumbrances by
fund category.
Initially, Cats gives the appearance of being a
rather amateurish production. The manual was
produced on
a
dot-matrix printer, then photo-offset
and, together with typed index dividers, enclosed
in a three-ring binder. Cats menus and forms take
no advantage of
a
colour monitor's potential. How-
ever, as this reviewer began to dig into its features
and options, the thoroughness of the package
becomes evident. Certainly it has its limitations,
but considering the applications level and volume
for which it was obviously intended (it would
probably handle 2,000 to 4,000 current on-order
records before becoming bogged down by the
weight of the data files), and considering its
modest price, Cats fulfills its role very well.
Six database files
In operation, Cats makes use of an order file, for
all
titles actually on order or received. Apending order
file holds records that are being verified and pro-
vides the information from which order slips are
printed. A publisher file serves for lookup of pub-
lisher addresses and for normal vendor assign-
ments. A vendor file holds vendor addresses and
account numbers for use in vendor order and claim
letters. A library address file stores user library
Ship To and Bill To addresses. Finally there is a
file, transparent to the user, which stores data on
orders awaiting claiming.
The pending order file is used to hold orders
awaiting further preorder checking and slip and
order letter printing. After order slips or order let-
ters are printed, records are automatically trans-
ferred to the order file.
To provide retrieval of records during the course
of order processing, the pending order file is in-
dexed by title only, while the order file is indexed
on author, title, fund and order number. Menu
prompted full-text searching is available in the
order file but not the pending order file.
There is a total of fifty-six program files included
in the Cats system, but the only one with which the
user has any direct contact is the main program —
Cats.
The others are automatically invoked when
options are chosen from the various menus. The
Main Menu provides thirteen choices, including
entering new titles, consulting the publisher file,
editing pre-order records, and order processing and
printing. There are also choices for search-update
of orders through search of titles, authors, order
numbers or text words. The menu also offers ac-
cess to claims functions, the library-vendor file,
printed reports, file purging and rebuilding.
Cats provides a wealth of options including most
of those needed to support an acquisitions system
of considerable power. To furnish the basic infor-
mation, Cats maintains a comprehensive Order
record which contains twenty-eight individual
fields, with twenty of these replicated in the Pend-
ing record. Among these fields are: Author, Title,
Publisher, ISBN, Address, Series, Year, Price,
Fund, Copies, Order date, Vendor, Cost, and Paid
date.
SOFT
WARE
review
246
The
Electronic
Library,
August
1988.
Vol.6,
No.4
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