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Reading Lists
Reading Lists
Curated collections of publications surfaced to members through the OPAC
Reading Lists are named collections of publications that library staff assemble and publish to members. Each list can be targeted to a specific Member Type, Category, Program, or Module — so that when a member browses Reading Lists in the OPAC, they see only the lists that are relevant to them. A single list can hold any number of publications, referenced by their catalogue record (BRN).
Reading Lists are published to members through the OPAC Reading Lists screen. When a member opens that screen, Papyrus filters the available lists based on the member's own Member Type and Category, showing only those lists where the targeting fields match — or where no targeting has been set (making the list visible to everyone).
Staff creates list
→
Sets targeting
(Type / Category / Program)
→
Adds publications (BRNs)
→
OPAC — Reading Lists
→
Member sees
their lists
| Scenario | What the member sees |
|---|
| List with no targeting set |
Visible to all members regardless of type or category. Use this for general interest lists that apply to the whole library community. |
| List targeted to a Member Type |
Visible only to members of that type — for example, a list targeted to Grade 8 will not appear for Grade 6 members or Staff. |
| List targeted to a Member Type and Category |
Visible only to members who match both fields. Useful for curriculum-aligned lists within a year group — for example, Grade 10 Science students. |
| List targeted to a Program or Module |
Visible to members enrolled in that program or module, as recorded in their member record. Useful for subject-specific or course-based reading. |
ℹ
Targeting is additive filtering. A list with both Member Type and Category set is only shown to members who match both. Leave targeting fields blank to make a list available more broadly. A list with all targeting fields blank is visible to every member who opens the OPAC Reading Lists screen.
The Reading Lists Maintenance screen shows all defined Reading Lists in a table. Each row shows the list's description, its targeting fields, and action links. Click Select on any row to load that list's publications in the panel below.
|
Description |
Member Type |
Category |
Program |
Module |
|
|
| Select |
Computer Graphics |
Grade 1 |
Cat |
Prog |
— |
Edit |
🗑 |
| Select |
iPads and Tablets |
All |
All |
All |
All |
Edit |
🗑 |
| Select |
Expert Systems |
Grade 3 |
All |
All |
All |
Edit |
🗑 |
| Select |
Ken Test |
All |
Cat |
Prog2 |
Mod |
Edit |
🗑 |
Targeting columns show the value set for each list, or indicate that the field is open to all members when blank. The table can be sorted by any column heading.
💡
Click Select on a list to load its publications in the panel below the table — this is how you add or remove publications from an existing list without leaving the screen.
To create a new Reading List, type a description in the field at the top of the screen and click Add. The new list will appear in the table immediately.
| Field | Description |
|---|
| Description |
The name of the Reading List as it will appear to members in the OPAC. Maximum 50 characters. Choose a name that is clear and meaningful to the audience — for example Grade 8 Science Reading, Staff Recommendations, or Holiday Reads 2026. |
Once created, click Edit on the new list's row in the table to set its targeting fields (Member Type, Category, Program, and Module). Then click Select to start adding publications to it.
Click Edit on any Reading List to open its targeting fields for editing. Set the fields that apply to this list and click Update to save. All targeting fields are optional — leave any field blank to make the list visible to members regardless of that attribute.
| Field | Description |
|---|
| Member Type |
Restricts this list to members of the selected Member Type. Leave blank to show the list to members of all types. The drop-down lists all Member Types defined under Member Parameters → Member Types. |
| Category |
Restricts this list to members who belong to the selected Category within their Member Type. Leave blank for all categories. Categories are defined under Member Parameters → Categories. |
| Program |
Restricts this list to members enrolled in the specified Program, as recorded in their member record. This field is free text — it must match the Program value recorded on the member records you wish to target. |
| Module |
Restricts this list further to members in a specific Module within a Program. Used in conjunction with the Program field for course-level targeting. Leave blank if module-level targeting is not required. |
Examples — using targeting fields
General library list: Leave all targeting fields blank. The list appears for every member in the OPAC — useful for new arrivals, staff picks, or seasonal recommendations.
Year-group list: Set Member Type to Grade 10, leave Category, Program, and Module blank. All Grade 10 members see this list; no other members do.
Subject class list: Set Member Type to Grade 10 and Category to Science. Only Grade 10 Science members see this list.
Course-specific list: Set Program to IEB History and Module to Cold War. Members enrolled in that program and module see this curated list of sources.
⚠
Program and Module values must match exactly. These fields are matched as text against the values recorded in each member's record. A mismatch in spacing or capitalisation will mean the list does not appear for the intended members. Establish consistent naming conventions before using these fields.
Click Select on a Reading List in the table to open its publications panel below. This panel shows all publications currently on the list, and provides a search field to add new ones.
Searching for a publication
Type a title, author name, or ISBN into the Search ISBD field. Papyrus uses autocomplete to suggest matching catalogue records as you type. Select the correct record from the suggestions and click Add Publication to add it to the list.
ℹ
ISBD stands for International Standard Bibliographic Description — the full formatted bibliographic record as stored in the catalogue, including title, author, publisher, year, page count, and ISBN. Searching by any part of this string will find matching records.
Publications on the list
The publications panel lists all items currently on the selected Reading List, with the date each was added and a delete button to remove it.
| ISBD |
Date Added |
|
| Research on Library Computerisation, Dr. Anil Jharotia. — Random Publications, 2023. — 9789386372529 |
2023/04/03 |
🗑 |
| National Liberation in Postcolonial Southern Africa, Christian A. Williams. — Cambridge University Press, 2017. — 282 pages. — 9781107492028 |
2023/04/03 |
🗑 |
| Children's Book of Making Friends, Sophie Giles. — Star Rewards — Life Skills for Kids, 2016. — 32 pages. — 9781782701293 |
2023/08/22 |
🗑 |
| Column | Description |
|---|
| ISBD |
The full bibliographic description of the publication as it appears in the catalogue, including title, author, publisher, year, page count, and ISBN. This is what members see in the OPAC when browsing the list. |
| Date Added |
The date and time the publication was added to this Reading List. Newer additions appear in the order they were added. |
| Delete |
Click the delete icon to remove the publication from the Reading List. You will be asked to confirm before the publication is removed. This does not affect the catalogue record — it only removes the publication from this list. |
💡
A publication can appear on multiple Reading Lists simultaneously. Adding it to one list has no effect on any other list it may belong to.
To rename a Reading List or change its targeting fields, click Edit on its row in the table. Update any fields as needed and click Update to save, or Cancel to discard changes.
To delete a Reading List entirely, click Edit to open the edit panel, then click Delete. You will be asked to confirm. Deleting a Reading List removes the list and all its publication entries — the underlying catalogue records (BRNs) are not affected.
⚠
Deletion is permanent. Once a Reading List is deleted, its description, targeting settings, and all publications added to it are removed. There is no undo. If you are unsure, consider leaving the list in place and removing its targeting so it is no longer visible to members, rather than deleting it outright.
A well-organised set of Reading Lists makes the OPAC more useful for members and reduces the effort of keeping content current. Here are practical guidelines:
| Guideline | Detail |
|---|
| Use clear, audience-facing names |
Members see the list description in the OPAC. Names like Grade 9 History Sources or Staff Book Club — Term 2 are immediately meaningful. Avoid internal shorthand. |
| Keep lists focused |
Shorter, well-targeted lists are more useful than large general ones. A Grade 10 Science list with 10 relevant titles is more valuable to a student than a general list with 80 mixed items. |
| Use blank targeting for whole-library lists |
New arrivals, award shortlists, holiday reading, and staff picks are best left with all targeting fields blank so every member can see them. |
| Agree on Program and Module naming before use |
If you plan to use Program or Module targeting, establish the exact values used in member records first — and keep them consistent. A list set to IEB History will not match members recorded as IEB history (lowercase) or IEB Hist. |
| Review lists at the start of each term |
Reading Lists do not expire automatically. Schedule a review at the start of each term to remove outdated lists, update publications, and create new lists for current curriculum topics. |
| Ensure publications are in the catalogue first |
Only publications with a BRN in the Papyrus catalogue can be added to a Reading List. If a title you want to include is not yet catalogued, catalogue it first using EasyCAT, QuickCAT, or FastCAT before adding it to the list. |