Manage Library Categories

Set up categories for organizing books, journals, e-resources, and other library materials.

Time required: 10 minutes

Module: openeducat_library, openeducat_library_enterprise

User role: System Administrator, Library Admin

Prerequisites

System Administrator or Library Admin role
Library module installed

Steps

Step 1: Navigate to Library Categories

Go to OpenEduCat -> Library -> Configuration -> Categories
Click Create

Step 2: Enter Category Information

Field	Required	Description	Example
Name	Yes	Category name	”Computer Science”
Code	Yes	Unique code	”CS”
Parent Category	No	For hierarchy	”Science & Technology”

Step 3: Configure Category Settings

Setting	Description
Loan Period	Default borrowing days
Max Renewals	Allowed renewals
Max Items	Per-member limit
Fine Rate	Overdue fine per day

Step 4: Add Classification Details

Field	Description	Example
DDC Range	Dewey Decimal Class	”000-099”
Subject Areas	Related subjects	”Programming, Databases”

Step 5: Set Location Defaults

Setting	Description
Default Location	Shelf/Section
Access Level	Open/Restricted
Reference Only	Non-circulating

Step 6: Create Sub-Categories

Add detailed categorization:

Save parent category
Create new category
Select parent in Parent Category field

Step 7: Save Category

Click Save to create the library category.

Standard Library Categories

Main Category	Sub-Categories	DDC
General Works	Reference, Encyclopedias	000
Philosophy	Psychology, Ethics	100
Religion	World Religions	200
Social Sciences	Economics, Law, Education	300
Languages	Linguistics, Grammars	400
Science	Mathematics, Physics, Biology	500
Technology	Engineering, Medicine	600
Arts	Architecture, Music, Sports	700
Literature	Fiction, Poetry, Drama	800
History	Geography, Biography	900

Category Hierarchy

Library Categories
├── Science & Technology
│   ├── Computer Science
│   │   ├── Programming
│   │   ├── Databases
│   │   └── Networks
│   ├── Engineering
│   └── Mathematics
├── Social Sciences
│   ├── Business
│   │   ├── Management
│   │   └── Marketing
│   └── Economics
├── Arts & Humanities
│   ├── Literature
│   └── History
└── Periodicals
    ├── Journals
    └── Magazines

Material Types

Type	Categories	Loan Rules
Books	All subject areas	Standard loan
Journals	Academic publications	Reference only
E-Books	Digital resources	Unlimited
DVDs/CDs	Multimedia	Short loan
Theses	Research works	Reference only
Newspapers	Current affairs	Same-day only

Field Reference

Library Category

Technical Field	UI Label	Type	Notes
`name`	Name	Char	Category name
`code`	Code	Char	Unique code
`parent_id`	Parent	Many2one	Parent category
`loan_days`	Loan Period	Integer	Default days
`max_renewals`	Renewals	Integer	Allowed count
`fine_per_day`	Fine Rate	Float	Daily fine

Troubleshooting

Category not appearing in book form

Ensure category is Active and saved properly.

Books not showing in category

Check book records have correct category assigned.

Hierarchy not displaying correctly

Verify parent category relationships are set correctly.