Search Results for “patron records” – Page 2

Search Results for: patron records

Knowledge Base > Search results for 'patron records'

List Patrons

Find and highlight an empty review file and click Search Records.
Name the Review File
Range will remain as it is and nothing will be entered in the start and stop fields. This means that your search will be done over the entire patron record set in Sierra, from the first record p10000008 through whatever the last patron created, which is the number populated in the stop field.
Note: This is different than when you search for items, because with items you can be certain of the barcode prefix, and change from the entire range of records to search by index of barcode, where you would include the first 5 digits of your barcode in the “start” and “stop”.
Your search will be:

Type=Patron

Field=PTYPE

Condition = equal to

Value = YOUR Ptype – which will display as the code number in the completed search

Below is an example for the Kingston Library, whose PTYPE is 40.

Patrons added

From Create Lists create a query of patrons added to your library within the last three months.

Find an empty Review File and click on the search Records button. The Query box will open. Set the Record Type to Patron, since those are the types of records you are requesting.

Leave Range set as it is (to search the broadest set of records possible) and start to build your query.

Limit to your patrons by limiting to patrons whose P Type is your library. With your library set, click on Append Line to add another criteria to your query –

The way to restrict to recently added patron is to limit by patron records created within a certain date range.

Type: Patron

Field: Created

Condition: Between

Value A: Start date

Value B: Current date

You could also set the Condition to Greater than and set Value A to a previous date. This will provide a list of patrons added to your library between that date and when you are running the report.

This is as much query as you will need to gather the information you want. Give the query a Name and click on Search to submit your query.

The report will run and retrieve the records that meet your search criteria. This will give you a total number of new patrons added, to work with those records you will want to Export the records to a spreadsheet.

Generate a list of Patrons whose accounts Are Delinquent

From Create Lists create a query of patrons whose library cards are delinquent, based on a set dollar amount as a threshold.

Find an empty Review File and click on the search Records button. The Query box will open. Set the Record Type to Patron, since those are the types of records you are requesting.

Leave Range set as it is (to search the broadest set of records possible) and start to build your query.

Limit your search to patrons whose home library is your library. With your library set, click on Append Line to add another criteria to your query –

In the second line of your query, input the following criterea:

Type: Patron

Field: Money Owed

Condition: greater than or equal to

Value A: $25

You may want to limit by additional criterea, such as Billed Status or for patrons who were billed more than 30 days ago.

To limit by items that were billed more than 30 days ago:

Type: Item

Field: ODUE DATE

Condition: Less than or equal to

Value A: Today’s date minus 30 days

This query is all you will need to gather the information you want. Give the query a Name and click on Search to submit your query.

The report will run and retrieve the records that meet your search criteria. This will give you a total number of new patrons who owe $25 or more and whose items have been billed. To work with those records you will want to Export the records to a spreadsheet.

Generate a count of Patrons with a circ active date within the last month

From Create Lists, you can create a report of patrons who have used the library within the last month. You will want to run this report as close to the beginning of the month as possible to retrieve an accurate count.

Find an empty Review File and click on the search Records button. The Query box will open. Set the Record Type to Patron, since those are the types of records you are requesting.

Leave Range set as it is (to search the broadest set of records possible) and start to build your query.

For the first line in your query, establish the patrons to those whose P Type represents your library, meaning your patrons.

You will only need one other line in your query, to determine that the patrons have used their library card within the last month. To do this use the CIRCACTIVE field

For Condition, use greater than, enter the date of the first day for the previous month. Leave Value B blank.

Search Records.

When the search finishes running, the number in the Current Records field will represent the number of patrons with a circ active date within the last month.

Active Patron

From Create Lists create a query of patrons who have used the library within the last month. You will want to run this report as close to the beginning of the month as possible to retrieve an accurate count.

Find an empty Review File and click on the search Records button. The Query box will open. Set the Record Type to Patron, since those are the types of records you are requesting.

Leave Range set as it is (to search the broadest set of records possible) and start to build your query.

For the first line in your query, establish the patrons to those whose P Type represents your library, meaning your patrons.

You will only need one other line in your query, to determine that the patrons have used their library card within the last month. To do this use the CIRCACTIVE field –

For Condition, use greater than, enter the date of the first day for the previous month. Leave Value B blank.

Search Records.

When the search is completed, the number in the Current Records field will represent the number of patrons with a circ active date within the last month.

Patron about to Expire

From Create Lists create a query of patrons whose library cards will expire within the next four months.

Find an empty Review File and click on the search Records button. The Query box will open. Set the Record Type to Patron, since those are the types of records you are requesting.

Leave Range set as it is (to search the broadest set of records possible) and start to build your query.

Limit your search to patrons whose P Type is equal to your library. With your library set, click on Append Line to add another criteria to your query –

The way to restrict to expiring library cards is to limit by patron records with a Card Expires field whose date range is between the current date and a date sometime in the near future.

Type: Patron

Field: Card Expires

Condition: Between

Value A: Current date

Value B: End date

This is as much query as you will need to gather the information you want. Give the query a Name and click on Search to submit your query.

Expired Patrons

From Create Lists create a query of patrons whose library cards have expire within the last few months.

Find an empty Review File and click on the search Records button. The Query box will open. Set the Record Type to Patron, since those are the types of records you are requesting.

Leave Range set as it is (to search the broadest set of records possible) and start to build your query.

Limit your search to patrons whose P Type is equal to your library. With your library set, click on Append Line to add another criteria to your query –

The way to restrict to expired library cards is to limit by patron records with a Card Expires field whose date range that has already passed.

Type: Patron

Field: Card Expires

Condition: Between

Value A: Start Date

Value B: Current Date

Give the query a Name and click on Search to submit your query.

The report will run and retrieve the records that meet your search criteria. This will give you a total number of patrons’ accounts that have expired, to work with those records you will want to Export the records to a spreadsheet.

New Patrons

From Create Lists, create a query of patrons added to your library within the last three months.

Find an empty Review File and click on the search Records button. The Query box will open. Set the Record Type to Patron, since those are the types of records you are requesting.

Leave Range set as it is (to search the broadest set of records possible) and start to build your query. Limit to your patrons by limiting to patrons whose P Type is equal to your library.

A double-click in the Value A box will open a window listing all P Types, select yours from this list.

With your library’ P Type set, click on Append Line to add another criteria to your query –

To restrict your query to recently added patrons limit by patron records created within a certain date range.

Type: Patron

Field: Created

Condition: Between

Value A: Start date (the date three months ago)

Value B: Current date

This is as much query as you will need to gather the information you want. Give the query a Name and click on Search to submit your query.

Merge Patron

Select “Merge Duplicate Patron Records” from the Functions drop down menu.

Sierra will open the Merge window, where you will identify the patrons you wish to merge.

In the first field, enter the patron record number that you want to serve as the source record (the lesser record, the one that will be merged into the other record and not kept).

In the second field, enter the patron record number that you want to serve as the destination record (the record that will be kept).

After you enter a patron record in each field, Sierra enables the Merge Patrons button. To merge the patron records that you entered, select the “Merge Patrons” button. Sierra merges the patron records unless any of the following conditions is true:

- Conditions that Prevent the Merging of Patron Records — Problems & Descriptions
  - Busy records – Item records that are linked to the source record cannot be busy.
  - Holdshelf – Source record cannot have a hold with an “on the holdshelf” status.
  - Identical records – You cannot merge a single record.
  - Length – Modified destination record cannot exceed 100K in size.
  - Too many links – The number of item links in the modified destination record cannot exceed 1900.

If any of the above conditions is true, Sierra displays a brief description of the problem. After you view the message, Sierra returns you to the previous screen.

If the patron records that you entered can be merged, Sierra displays both records. For example:

If you do not want to merge these records, select the Close icon. Sierra returns you to the previous screen.

If you want to merge these records, select “Merge Patrons”. Sierra combines information from both records into the destination record and then deletes the source record. Sierra Circulation adds a NOTE field that contains the source record number and the date to the destination record.

You may need to clean up the patron record a little to remove fields that are redundant or no longer accurate.

Linked Patrons

The Linked Patrons feature is simply a way to bring patron records together. The accounts are separate in every way, but you are able to group the records for easy access. Families, for example, can be linked so that one card can be scanned to retrieve each member’s account. You must still go into each account to perform transactions or view fines and checked out items.

To create a group of linked patrons, first retrieve one of the patron records you want to add to the group.

After you have retrieved a patron record by searching for them in “Check Out (Circulation Desk) Function, click on the Linked Patrons tab by clicking on the tab on the left. If the patron is linked to patrons, they will come up after clicking the Linked Patrons Tab. If the patron does not currently belong to a family group, the Linked Patrons tab is empty. If a list of patrons does appear, then the current patron already belongs to a group.

To create a new group or add a patron record to the current group, choose the Link button.

Sierra opens a patron record browse window.

After you have retrieved the desired patron record using this browse window, Sierra Circulation links the two patrons (the current patron and the patron you searched for) and updates the Linked Patrons tab.

Patrons can only belong to one group of linked patrons, if the searched patron is already linked to another group, the following message will appear.

If there are multiple patrons returned, you can select the patron you intend to add to the group. If the patron record can be added to the group, Sierra will proceed.

To delete a linked patron, highlight or select the patron from the list and click “unlink”.