Cataloguing Centre

For medical reasons, this is a fragrance-aware workplace.  Please do NOT wear cologne, perfume, scented lotion, etc. while visiting. Thank you!

Sending in New Items for Processing

Use our processing instructions to send in new Learning Commons items to the Cataloguing Centre for processing. 

Note: These instructions apply to elementary teacher librarians only.

Helpful documents for LLC staff

About the Cataloguing Centre

The Cataloguing Centre makes order from information chaos! We support elementary and secondary Learning Commons by making their books and other items more discoverable and accessible.


Our team creates and modifies data in Insignia (the online library management system) to ensure this information is accurate and relevant. This includes supplementing each record with subject search terms that describe an item’s themes and topics, which help students and staff locate items with the information they need.


The Cataloguing Centre also coordinates with elementary and secondary teacher librarians and library technicians to help with adding call number labels to the spines of newly acquired books, protecting items from wear and tear, resolving issues with data in the online system, and supporting inventories, deselection, and other resource-related projects.


To learn more about the Cataloguing Centre, email cataloguing.centre@ugdsb.on.ca. 

Cataloguing Centre FAQ 

What does OPAC mean?

The OPAC (or Online Public Access Catalogue) is the front-facing version of our integrated library system software that students and staff use to search the Learning Commons collections. Our integrated library system is called Insignia. The OPAC is also called the "search website", "student/staff search site", "Insignia search", and "library search".

The cataloguing team has asked me to send in the physical copy of a book I am trying to add to Insignia for our Learning Commons. Can I send in photocopies instead?


No - if the cataloguers request the physical copy, it's for a good reason! We often need the actual item in hand to thoroughly analyze the subjects and related metadata associated with that particular copy. This process is essential for making the item discoverable in Insignia. 

How do I know if a novel is young adult or "YA" fiction?

Read our Young Adult (YA) fiction - Purpose and practice document for advice and instructions for dealing with young adult fiction in Learning Commons collection. One shortcut is to look at an item's "audience level" - if the level is Intermediate or Intermediate/Senior, it is likely YA.

I work in a secondary Learning Commons and I'm trying to create a copy record for an item - why cant I find a title to link to?

Make sure when you are in the Find/Add Item function that the box is ticked beside "All libraries". If you still aren't able to find a title to link to, contact Sandra Knapp at cassandra.knapp@ugdsb.on.ca 

What is an ISBN?

An ISBN is a International Standard Book Number - it is often found on the back of a book near the publisher barcode and begins with 978.

How do I determine the pagination of a book?

The pagination indicates how many numbered pages there are. Look for the last numbered page in the book - if there are extra pages at the end of the book that aren't numbered, they do not count them.

I want to keep a "series" of nonfiction books by the same publisher together on the Learning Commons shelves. Is this okay? 

No, not if the books are on different topics. Nonfiction items are ordered in the Dewey Decimal System by subject - if books from the same publisher are shelved side by side (i.e. all the DK books together), it makes browsing by topic area more challenging for students.