– Draft, March 2013 /
Circulation
Training Manual
MASTER Draft, March 2013
Copyright © 2013 by Innovative Interfaces, Inc.
This publication is supplied for the exclusive use of customers of Innovative Interfaces with the understanding that it shall not be shown or distributed to anyone outside of the customer's organization without the prior written permission of Innovative Interfaces. This publication may be copied only if the copies are for the exclusive use of staff members of libraries that have purchased the Innovative system.
Published XXX
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How to use this manual
Introduction
Log in
Custom settings and system options
Record fields
Fixed-length fields
Variable-length fields
Record templates
Retrieving records in Sierra
Search by index
Browse query
Creating and editing records in Sierra
General features
Using multiple windows
Substitution phrases
Macros
Insert diacritics or special characters
Creating patron records
Key a patron record
Load files of records
Edit patron records
Edit fixed-length fields
Edit variable-length fields
Modify groups of attached records from the Summary display
Copy records
Deleting records
Delete bibliographic records
Delete attached records
Delete records from a file
Scan/Delete items
Check Out (Circulation Desk)
Check Out tab
Check out an item
Creating Patron on the fly records
Creating an Item on the fly
Checked-Out Items tab
Renew
Claim Returned
Mark Lost Items
Change Due Date
Holds tab
Staff placed holds
Cancel Holds
Modify Holds
Fines tab
Collect money
Add Charge
Waive Fines
History of Fines Paid
Patron Notes
Check In tab
Linked Patrons tab
Search/Holds function
Check-in (No Patron)
Renew (No Patron)
Notices
Setting parameters for a notice job
Send notices
How to use this manual
This manual can be used as a training manual in its own right or as the basis for a local training manual where it is tailored to include more specific instructions based on library policy and practices.
For further information about Sierra functionality, see the online Sierra documentation ( Links to detailed information are embedded in the text and indicated with the hyperlink style: underlined and in a different color.
Introduction
Sierra Circulation allows library staff to check out items, check in items, place holds, maintain hold queues, maintain course reserves lists, manage fines and bills, and perform other Circulation-related functions.
- Circulation parameters record the Library policies in terms of how long items can be borrowed, the amount of fine if overdue, if and when overdues should be sent, whether holds can be placed, etc.
- The system uses the parameters to correctly calculate due dates, fines for overdues, etc.
- The 3 key elements for the circulation of material are Patron type, Item location and Item type but any block on the Patron record and the status of the Item record are also taken into consideration.
Log in
Log in to the Sierra Desktop application as instructed, using the user name and password given to you. EL: if including something about context users, should go here I think. DT: I don’t think it needs mentioning as it is covered by 'as instructed'. For full details on different ways to log in please see the System Administration Training Manual.
If your system has multiple Accounting and/or Serials Units, your login will associate you with a specific accounting or serials unit.
Each user is also associated with one or more workflows. Workflows define which functions the user has access to.
Once the login process has completed, the default function for the user’s main workflow appears on the screen. Other functions can be reached from the FUNCTION menu in the top right corner, or from the Go menu on the menu bar at the top left.
Working through all the tasks described in this manual will require the following functions to be activated for the user:
Check Out (Circulation Desk)
Search/Holds
Check-in (No Patron)
Renew (No Patron)
Notices
The user also needs appropriate permissions to perform specific tasks. If your login does not have the permissions you require you will be prompted for additional authentication when you try to perform the task requiring it. Menu options that are grayed out may also indicate you do not have the required permission.
Custom settings and system options
There are a number of system options that control certain behaviors within the Sierra Desktop application. Some of these can be set by the individual user through the Settings menu (Admin | Settings). It is always possible to adjust the Settings for the current session, but saving changes permanently requires permission.
Several options are set up via the User Account administration. Changes to these options can only be made by users who have permission to access the Administration Application. The Options area has many settings that affect the behavior within the Sierra Desktop application. This manual contains references to selected Options when appropriate. For full details on how to edit Options please see the System Administration Training Manual.
If the user has permission, Preferences can be edited from the Edit menu within the Desktop application. This includes options controlling the behavior of the record editor, such as setting the colors of various elements.
Access to Preferences is controlled in Options – SETUP (Login can edit preferences)
In addition to settings and options that can be customized for the individual user there are a number of system wide settings that affect all users. These are administered in the Administration Application. There are also a number of parameter tables accessible from the Desktop application (Admin | Parameters). Many of these contain values used in various places (patron types, languages, library addresses etc) while some control behavior, for example loan rules or order claim cycles. Users without Edit permission may still be able to view parameter tables.
Record fields
All record types (i.e.: bib, item, patron, etc.) are made up of fixed- and variable-length fields.
Fixed-length fields are presented in boxes at the top of the record display with the field label to the left of the box.
Variable-length fields are displayed on individual lines in the area below the fixed-length fields with a field label/tag to the left.
Fixed-length fields
Each fixed-length field contains one of the following: a code chosen from a set of valid codes (e.g. Item Type, Patron Type), a date (e.g. Expiry Date, Birth Date), or a numeric value (e.g. Current Checkouts or Price or number of copies). Predefined codes can be numeric or alphabetic or alphanumeric, and are selected from the set of valid codes for that field. Each fixed-length field for a particular record type appears in every record of that type. Fixed-length fields are not repeatable. Valid codes are established in parameter tables, and modification, addition, or deletion of these code values is performed only by a user with permission to modify codes in the system.
Variable-length fields
All variable-length fields are repeatable. Some fields have a specific use and are automatically generated by the system (such as Current Checkouts, Total Checkouts in patron records.) Other fields, (for example: Note), are available for you to enter free text. Some variable-length fields are indexed, and may be used to retrieve records through index searching.
Variable-length fields can be MARC or non-MARC but are always associated with a field group. Each field group is represented by a one-letter field group tag and a label, for example n Name, a Author and b Barcode. The use of field groups means that also MARC fields can be gathered into logical groups, which can be used for various purposes, for example to simplify the creation of lists and reports. Many field groups have a standard use, but new field groups can be defined if desired, for example to store local information in the item record and make it easily retrievable.
Record templates
The Sierra system uses templates to assist in the creation of new records. A record template can be configured by the library to prompt the user to fill in specific fields. A template can also be configured to contain default data in certain fields which is automatically inserted into the record during the new record creation process. The library may configure an unlimited number of record templates.
Please see the online Sierra documentation for instructions on creating and maintaining templates for new records.
By default Sierra offers a “wizard” (a series of dialogs) to help during the creation of new records. When the template is used to create a new record, the “wizard” will start by prompting for fixed-length fields and then prompt for variable-length fields, as specified by the template. Content in all fields can be edited after the “wizard” prompts are finished.
Use of the “wizard” is optional. If it is not used, the user is presented with a form without prompts, with default values as specified by the template.
Use of the “wizard” is controlled in Options – EDIT (Use wizard to create new records)
The use of templates is further controlled in Settings (Admin | Settings | New Records | New Record Templates). For each record type the user can specify whether to be prompted for a template from the list at the start of a session, to always be prompted for a template or to set a specific template to be used every time a new record of that type is created.
Retrieving records in Sierra
Search by index
Several Sierra functions offer the ability to search the bibliographic database by index. Functions such as Catalog, Search/Holds, Create Orders and Serials Checkin may be used, depending on what is available for your login.
In Check Out (Circulation Desk) Function, an index search can be forced by typing the index letter followed by the search term in the barcode prompt box, e.g. nTurner to do a name search for patron or tDog to do a title search for item. This will force the display of a drop-down menu of patron record indexes. DT: does this work only if you have permission to search by index?
When an individual record is retrieved the default is to display brief details for a patron or brief bibliographic information above an attached record or a summary of attached records.
For bibliographic records, eEach function has a default attached record type that displays preferentially. If there is only one attached record of this type, it displays directly in the Record tab; otherwise the Summary tab displays. The default record type is related to the type of work which might expect to be carried out in that function. For example: items for Catalog and Check Out (Circulation Desk) , orders for Create Orders and holdings records for Serials Checkin. Search/Holds also displays item records, but in a special mode called Holds (or Holds/Bookings), focused on placing holds rather than creating or editing records.
- Attached records of other types can be displayed from the Summary tab, choosing the record type from the “View” drop-down menu and selecting the record.
- If there are no records of the default record type attached to a retrieved bibliographic record, the “View” drop-down normally shows “All” with all other types of attached records displayed.
The default behavior can be changed. This is controlled by settings in View | Record View Properties and Admin | Settings | Record Display | Summary View
To start searching, select your search function from the FUNCTION menu or from Go in the menu bar.
- Choose an index to search by from the index drop-down in the search tool at the top of the screen. Then type in the search string in the white search box.
Click the Search button or press <Enter> to start the search.
- If the search retrieves only one record, it is displayed in full on the screen, in the format described above.
- If the search retrieves multiple hits, select the desired entry from the browse screen. Click the line once and press the Select button, or simply double-click the line.
To view a pop-up display of more information about a title in a browse, hover over the “i” icon in the lower right corner of the brief title display.
- Facets on the left hand side can help narrow down the search result, for example by language or format.
A search limit can be applied before or after the search is carried out by using the limit tool on the right hand side of the search box: DT: no limits for patron lists but could be used in search/holds searching
Common limits include Material Type, Publication Year, Language, Publisher, and words in Title, Author or Subject. Other options may be present, depending on what is set for your library.
Icons alongside each option in the limit tool allow you to add another limit of the same type or remove an extra one if no longer needed:
After setting one or more limits, click Close to close the limit window. Type in a search term and click the Search button. If limiting an existing search, simply click Search to re-run the search with the limit(s) applied.
Results from a limited search display a message in the lower left hand corner of the screen: LIMITED.
Limits will be applied to subsequent searches until they are cleared. To clear limits, click the limit tool (the plus sign), and then click Clear. Finally Close the limit dialog and notice that the LIMITED message is gone. Existing results on the screen will not change until another search is performed.
- The system also offers a browse display if your search does not match any index entries. In this situation, the browse display is referred to as a "no-hit" browse display; it consists of nearby entries in the index.
- TIP: If you have recently closed a record, File |Recent Record from the menu bar may allow you to retrieve it again quickly. File |Recent Search can help retrieve previous searches.
The number of recent searches/records stored by the system is controlled in Options – SETUP (Recent search history and Recent record history)
Browse query
Another way to search is offered by the Browse Query method, accessed from Tools | Browse Query. This is using Boolean logic in the same manner as the Create Lists function. The main advantages are that searching is not limited to indexed fields and criteria from different record types can be combined in the same search.
Search results are returned in a record browse screen, similar to the result presented by an index search, but without any facets.
For information on constructing searches please see the Create Lists & Statistics Training Manual.
Creating and editing records in Sierra
Sierra offers various options to help make creation and editing of records easier and more efficient. Several of these can be used with all or most record types, and are described in the General feature section. Some only work in specific places, and are included in the appropriate sections that follow, or in the respective workflow manual.
General features
EL: include brief intro here?
DT: How about this for the circ manual to replace the following sections
There are 4 features that may assist your work, they are:
Using Multiple windows to compare records sisde by side
Using Substitution phrases to input standard strings of text which you often have to insert
Using Macros, both to input text strings and to use as short cuts from one function to another.
Inserting diacritics and special characters.
For more information on how to use these features, please see the Technical Services Basic Training Manual.
Using multiple windows
Multiple windows enable you to compare records side by side and to move quickly from one open record to another. Multiple windows can be used with all the major record types, for example patron and bibliographic records. EL: not sure about the wording, and if additional testing is required here. What about Course for example?
- When used with bibliographic records, individual attached records or the Summary of attached records can be displayed, but records attached to the same bibliographic record cannot display side by side.
In addition to the main application window, a maximum of five records can be open at one time. Each record opens in a new window.
- To enable the opening of multiple windows, from the menu bar choose Admin | Settings | Windows and choose the radio button to the left of Multi Window Mode.
- The option to Maximize all windows should only be checked if you want an open record to cover the whole screen. If it is not checked, records will open in smaller windows.
- Click Save Settings, then OK, to save permanently for the login (requires permisson), or just OK to save for the current session only.
When Multi Window Mode is enabled, the Window menu is available on the menu bar. Using this menu you can view the list of open records, listed by record number. The main window is called Browse. To view an open record, choose the record number from the list. The window containing that record is brought to the front of the display.