Creating Lists

Millennium's report generator enables you to create lists of records based on your own criteria. This tool applies Boolean searching to help you create subsets of the database for use in reports. You can combine data from different record types, such as bibliographic and item records, look for specific values in the records, print out specified fields, sort the records in any order, and create precisely the type of list you want. Each list you create is stored in a review file. Once you create a review file, you can display the records, print them, or use them as input for other Millennium functions such as updating or exporting records.

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Review files contain lists of Millennium record numbers, not static copies of actual records. When you view the records listed in a review file, the system retrieves the current version of the included records. If any of the records have changed since you created the review file, the record display reflects those changes

Some examples of common lists that circulation creates are lists of patrons who owe over a certain amount of money, patrons who have recalled items on their record, items that patrons claimed to have returned, lists of new student records created, items on reserve, etc.

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1) Change the current mode to Create Lists by choosing Go | Create Lists.

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2) Choose an empty review file by selecting its row or choose a file to overwrite. To find empty review files, choose Empty from the drop-down menu of review file types.

3) Choose Search Records from the Review Files tab. If you chose a review file that is not empty, the system warns that you will overwrite the existing file. Choose Yes to overwrite the file or choose No to return to the list of review files.

Creating Lists, cont.4) The system displays the Boolean Search window. Remember to

name your file so that it is not overwritten. Begin the file name with your initials and a brief description of the file being run.

Creating Lists, cont.5) From the drop-down list of record types, choose the record type

to store. Most lists you will create will be stored as an Item or Patron record. Our Example will be a Patron record search, so it will be stored as such.

6) In the drop-down menu, specify the range, review file, index, or advanced syntax to search. Most searches will search by Range and changes are usually unnecessary.

Creating Lists, cont.7) In the table for search criteria, enter the type of record to search.

The record types offered depend on the type of record you chose to store in step 2. In our example we will be running a list of patrons who owe more than $15.00, so the first thing to do is double click the box for ‘Type’ and choose patron. This will only search patron records and ignore all else.

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8) Next you will choose the Data field which consists of fixed or variable fields that you want to limit the search to. In this example you want to search the money owed field, so double click in Field and select Money Owed.

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9) Next you want to select what type of Condition you want to limit this field to. In the example we want the money owed to be greater or equal to $15.00, so the condition of ‘greater than or equal to’ will be chosen.

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10) The last field to input is the Value you want to search. Our example was $15.00. Enter 15.00 into the Value A box.

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11) Hit Search and your query will start. A dialog box asking if you want to start searching appears. Click Yes. Usually a search will be done in less than 1 minute. After your search query finishes you can export the results to a text file that can be opened up and manipulated in Excel. You can choose from any number of fields to export. In our example we will export the Name, Money Owed and Campus Wide ID.

See next slide for screenshot.

Creating Lists, cont.

Creating Lists, cont.

12) For each field to be exported you will need to choose the appropriate type of record to pull from. For the Name you will double click in the Type field and choose Patron. In the Field portion you will double click and choose Patron Name.

Creating Lists, cont.13) To add a line you will choose Append and a new line will be

added. For Money Owed, you will again choose Patron under Type and in the Field choose Money Owed. For the Campus Wide ID, you will again choose Patron and Univ ID.

14) Next you will choose a location on your computer to export the file and name it.

Creating Lists, cont. In the example you will notice that there were 1243 results.

That may be too many results to act on and might need to be narrowed. You can either export to Excel or filter there, or you can add more layers to your search. For example you can add a layer that just looks for students. The possibilities are only constrained by the fields that can be searched.