Creating Special Collections

Owned by Ashley Sneesby, created
Last updated: Apr 22, 2022
6 min read

This documentation describes how to create special Locations in Pika to use for scoped searching or unique catalog interface.

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Table of Contents

Purpose of ‘Special Collections’

Special Collections can be created in Pika to serve several different purposes.  

  1. A library can have the collections show from the search bar drop-down menu. 

  2. An entirely new interface for all the consortia members can be created that contains just that collection’s materials. This will allow for different theming and different browse categories. 

  3. An entirely new interface can be created that limits to just a special collection of materials owned by a certain library.

Unique children’s catalogs are the most common use of Special Collections.

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Creating Location

In order to create a special collection for each branch, a location must be created in Pika.  This will allow scoping items for those collections.  The Pika admin of your library will create the virtual branches for this process.  

Go to Pika Configuration and Locations. 

Go to the bottom of the page and click the Add New Location button.

Here is an example of a Location for a specific branch.

The Code will need to be a unique value.

The Display Name will also need to be unique.


Choose your main library from the drop-down menu.  In addition, you do not need the Show In Locations and Hours List checked, because this is a virtual branch.  When patrons click on the locations, you do not want to show them that the special collection is a separate actual physical location.

Click on the Searching tab & Search Facets tab.

Under the Search Facets tab is the Facet Label. 

The SuperScope Toggles Label can be used to show the entire or a specific collection.  The Local Collection Toggle Label can be used to show part of a collection for a branch or part of a certain collection.  The Available Toggles Label shows what is available.  The Available Online Toggle Label shows what is available online. When updating the Records Owned, Records to include, and Availability Toggles it takes overnight to update completely.

You will want to check the box for the Base Availability Toggle on Local Holdings Only to show only what is available in a certain library, instead of what is available across the collection.

Go to the OverDrive tab to pick which collections should be shown if applicable. You can check the box for the Enable Overdrive Collection and include the titles for the specific collection.

The Records Owned will show which titles are owned by a library or branch. This is normally done using the location code. If the OPAC Mode option is enabled, records in the special collection will display as “It’s here” for holdings in the Records Owned. If the OPAC Mode is not enabled, records in the special collection will display as “On Shelf.”

The Records To Include will show the titles across the entire library district. These are the available titles in the special collection. You can also choose what sideloaded collections to include. It will show “available at another library” for anything in the Records To Include.

Make sure to save your changes.

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This is used to display Special Collections as a search option in the drop-down menu.

Go to Pika Configuration and Library Systems.

Open your Library System by clicking on the Library ID number or the Edit link.

Click on the Searching tab.

Click on Search Box.  The Systems To Repeat In will display the location codes that will appear in the drop-down menu on the search bar.  These locations are separated by pipe symbols.

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New interface for a special collection

When creating a new interface for all the consortia members or an interface that limits to just the special collection materials owned by a certain library, it is best to contact the Pika team to create and enable the appropriate new subdomains in Pika and DNS. If Marmot were managing your DNS, we would set it up.  If you manage your own DNS, you will have to set it up, but would still need to coordinate with the Pika team.

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Testing needs and other considerations

  1. Make sure to test that everything is working properly.  

  2. Searching works properly.  Make sure you are getting the proper special collections.

  3. Make sure that you are getting the availability that you want for each location.

  4. You would want to test based on IP location.  See page Testing IP Addresses in the OPAC Configuration document.

  5. When using a general search for a special collection, some of the availability may not show the Available at Another Branch and the Available Here. The records owned are everyone’s records. 

  6. One location can be tied into an IP address. If you have OPAC stations that have specific IP addresses, Pika can tie into those stations.  If you have an IP address for the entire library, Pika would not be able to identify each station.

  7. Default URLs can be used if you have an OPAC station, Pika could recognize if it was at an OPAC, and display the proper availability.

  8. When you update Records Owned, Records to Include, and Availability Toggles the changes will take overnight to update completely. 

  9. This process can also be used for other collections.

  10.  The Pika team can setup these collections for any member.

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