7. How-to,Tips & Tricks

Free Records In Use

Records cannot be open and edited by two users at the same time. If a record is open and another user also tries to edit a record, Sierra will display a message saying the record is in use. For example:

Record p1000114 in use by system, unable to check in item at this time

Many times, the record isn’t truly in use by another staff member, but is locked by the system due to the record not being closed properly or in the event of a system crash. In the example case above when a patron record is locked, all the items on that patron record are also locked, so freeing the patron record will release all the items.

To free a record in use, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Admin | Free Records In Use. The system prompts:

  1. Enter the record number of the in-use record and choose Check (if the record is not a bibliographic record, backspace over the 'b' and enter the correct record type, e.g., 'i' for item. “p” for patron).

    1. Note: When the "Free Records In Use" function is used, Sierra expects an 8-digit record ID # (bib or item). To unlock 7-digit numbers, you’ll need to add a preceding zero to the bib id string. (E.g., .b5703116 should be input as .b05703116.)

  2. You may enter a barcode instead of a record number by selecting Barcode from the Free Records In Use dialog box and entering the barcode:

  1. If the record is in use, you will be prompted:

Choose Yes to free the record or No to leave the record in use.

If the record is not in use, you will be prompted:

Batch Updates Using Barcodes

This is an example of how to update item locations from a list of barcodes. There is no straightforward way to currently update item locations from a file of barcodes in Sierra. In order to make this update, we must set a value in the item record that allows for batch updating, create a review file of records using that criteria, and then update the location of the item records contained in that review file using Rapid Update.

We will do this work using the Copy Use feature in Sierra's Circulation Function. The NYARC libraries do not use the Copy Use field for tracking, so we can use it for this work.

The Copy Use field is indicated in the item record screenshot below.

Procedures

1. Create the barcode file

· Make a text file of the item barcodes representing the items to update.

· Format the text file with a “b:” preceding each barcode. For example: b: 31072001474917

You can do this with a Find/Replace command. Find: 3107 and Replace: b:3107

· Save the file.

2. Update the Copy Use counter

· In Sierra's Circulation Function, go the Count Use mode

· Choose Copy Use

· Click on the Portable Reader button, then on Process File

· Navigate to your text file of barcodes when prompted to “Select file(s) to process”. The system will process the items in your file and will increment the Copy Use count by 1.

Note: If a barcode in the file was not found in the database. A message will appear.

When the process is finished you will see:

3. Create a Review File

Once the Copy Use counters have been incremented to 1, you can use a query on the Item Copy Use field to include those items into a Create Lists Review File.

· Go to Create Lists

· Choose and empty review file and name and click Search Records.

· Name your file - for example: FARL: offsite and click Retrieve Saved Query.

· Go to file #154 FARL: copy use count and Select

· The query below will appear and click Search

4, . Rapid Update

· When your review file has completed processing, go to Rapid Update.

· Choose ITEM in the Select Record Type to Modify dropdown

· Browse to your review file. Tip: you can jump through the list by hit the first letter in your file name.

· Double click the Field box and select the Location field. Type the “fo” location code into the Value box.

· Double click the Field box again and select the Copy Use field. Type 0 [zero] into the Value box. This is very important! It is key to reset the Copy Use to 0.

The input screen should look like:

· Click Start to update these fields.

· After the file has been processed, go back to Create Lists and empty your review file.

Change initials in Order Records

If we need to add or change initials in the order records:

Log into Sierra

Choose Admin from the top bar menu

Choose Parameters > General > Fixed Length Codes from drop down menu

Click on INITIAL

Choose Add Row

Enter name and a one-character code that is not yet used

Choose OK

Update Monthly Acquisitions

Open ERM Function of Sierra and navigate to Create Lists.

Lists 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 all need to be updated shortly after the start of the month.

1. Highlight list 1 "NYARC cataloged titles all (month)" and select Search Records button (click "yes" when prompted)

2. Under Review File Name, change the month to the month that just concluded

3. Select Use Existing Search button along bottom of screen

4. Highlight the list/search to use and click Use

5. Search will become editable and update the dates to read the start and end of the month that just concluded

6. Click Search button once new date is seen in search boxes (click "yes" when prompted)

7. Note that list will have a Status of In Progress; this takes several minutes usually and will read Complete when it's done.

8. When Complete, highlight file and click on Sort Records button. We're sorting by title, so choose B (bibliographic) for Type and T (title) for Field. Click Sort. Done!

9. Repeat for all lists noted above; only exception is that Brooklyn's #6 list must be run by brooklyn initials (I use my bsh credentials; for all else I can be logged into ERM with my fsh Frick credentials)

These monhtly acquisitions used to automatically display on the catalog landing pages, but there has been a redesign (Nov 2019) so still trying to find a new home. Here is the URL: https://arcade.nyarc.org/search~S1?/ftlist^bib22%2C1%2C0%2C1809/mode=2. To make changes to this list, go to WebOptions in SDA and Featured Lists (make sure you open the Live file) then open the Featured Lists file. Now you can see/edit the lists included and such. See CSDirect for more info. https://csdirect.iii.com/sierrahelp/Default.php#sril/sril_featured_lists_options.html

Adjusting Patron Requests at MoMA

Open Sierra

Select admin from top row

Select parameters > circulation

--loan rules table

--open rule 21, edit “holdable” to “yes”

--save changes