Record Grouping

Pika includes a unique FRBR-like feature that eliminates confusion over why titles appear multiple times in the catalog.

Traditional library catalogs present all formats of a title as individual results which makes it difficult for patrons to determine which result will be best for them and for lengthy results can even lead them to believe that the library doesn't own the format or title they want.  Pika implements record grouping which shows all formats and editions of a title in an easy to navigate format.  This allows patrons to easily select the format they want to use. 

When patrons select a format to place a hold on, Pika will automatically sort editions to give the user the best edition based on a number of factors including the language of the edition, how recent the edition is (for non-fiction titles), the availability of the edition both locally and at other libraries in a consortium, hold queue lengths, and more. If a patron does not want the preferred edition, they can easily choose any other edition as well.

In the rare cases a librarian wants to override the default grouping provided by Pika, they can easily can group and ungroup records.

Books, ebooks, and audio books group together

Movies including DVD, Blu-Rays, and Streaming Video group together

Music and soundtracks show independently from other groupings

Click here for an example of record grouping in action.

Patrons and staff love, love, love the grouping feature!

Diane Swint Levin
Technical Services Manager
Eagle Valley Library District
Marmot Library Network Member