Libraries and catalogs
This section is for libraries, archives, documentation centers, schools and any organization that publishes a catalog of records: books, reports, standards, recordings, products with long data sheets. It shows how the content model, tagging, search, files, PDF exports and feeds of Exponential combine into a public catalog site, and it says clearly where a dedicated library system is still needed.
Contents
- What you can build
- What Exponential is not
- The pages of this section
- Suggested reading order
- Neighboring sections
What you can build
| Need of a library | Exponential feature | Page in this section |
|---|---|---|
| A record per item with structured fields | Content classes with datatypes such as ezisbn, ezdate, ezobjectrelationlist | Modeling catalog records |
| Subject headings with a hierarchy and synonyms | The eztags extension, shipped with the product | Tagging and subject headings |
| Finding records by words, and later by facets | The built-in search engine; Solr through ezfind when the catalog grows | Catalog search |
| Digitized documents and downloads | File objects, permission-checked downloads, text extraction for search | Files and digital collections |
| A printed or PDF catalog | PDF exports of a node or a tree | PDF and print exports |
| "New in the library" for readers and other sites | RSS 2.0, Atom and other feed exports | Feeds for new acquisitions |
All of these are part of a standard installation except Solr: eztags, enhancedezbinaryfile and xrowmetadata are
in the require block of composer.json, and se7enxweb/ezfind is in its suggest block, with the note "Install it
with: composer require se7enxweb/ezfind:~3.0.7".
What Exponential is not
Exponential is a content management system. In the repository there is no support for library exchange formats or library operations: no MARC import or export, no Z39.50 or SRU interface, no circulation, loans, holds or patron fines. A search of the code and documentation for these terms finds nothing. If you need them, keep your integrated library system for them and use Exponential for the public site, the digital collection and the news around it. Records can be brought in by a developer script or through the REST API (Creating and updating content in code, REST API v1 and v2).
Note
When this section says something is possible, it names the feature and the page that documents it. If a feature you need is not mentioned, assume it is not there and ask your developer or partner to check.
The pages of this section
| Page | What it answers |
|---|---|
| Catalog planning | Scope, audiences, the record types, who catalogs, and the decisions to take first |
| Modeling catalog records | Turning a record into a content class: fields, datatypes, relations, required fields |
| Tagging and subject headings | A controlled vocabulary with eztags: hierarchy, synonyms, translations, permissions |
| Catalog search | The built-in search, search statistics, and when Solr is worth it |
| Files and digital collections | Digitized items, protected downloads, licenses, large files, missing files |
| PDF and print exports | A PDF of a node or a tree, generated once or on the fly, and what is public |
| Feeds for new acquisitions | Feeds of new records for readers, partner sites and newsletters |
| Library site checklist | One checklist from planning to launch and the routine afterwards |
Suggested reading order
- Catalog planning
- Modeling catalog records
- Tagging and subject headings
- Catalog search
- Files and digital collections
- Feeds for new acquisitions and PDF and print exports
- Library site checklist
Neighboring sections
- Newsletters: a newsletter of new acquisitions.
- Members: reader accounts and members-only content.
- Non-profits and Associations and small groups: many libraries are run by one or support one.
- Multilingual sites: catalogs in several languages.
- Public libraries run by a government body: see also Governments: start here.
Related pages
- Businesses: start here
- Designing your content model
- What you can build
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
Become an Exponential Partner
Partners share their information, provide funding, contribute back and develop the products with us, and that is how Exponential grows. A partner website and dashboard are planned for mid-2027: please become a partner today to speed up our growth rate and land new features faster.