Create Lists in Millennium

Jenny SchmidtSWITCH Library Consortium

Create Lists

What is Create Lists?

Where is Create Lists?

TIPS - Before you Start

STEPS to Take

Working with Existing Files

Pro’s and Con’s of Millennium Create Lists

What is Create Lists?

Also known as a review file (each list you create is stored in a review file)

A TOOL used to create customized lists of records based on your own criteria

Create lists for any type of record (bib, order, item, patron, authority or checkin)

What You Can Do with Creates Lists:

Edit (update) individual records or a group Global Update & Rapid Update

Get a TOTAL count

Run a Statistical Report from a list

Print or email information from lists

Create public display lists (e.g., Acquisitions lists)

Output to another program to show information

Find errors & do clean up work

Lists reflect current state of actual records (not static copies of records from one point in time)

You can pull out information from different record types (e.g., Bib and Item records)

Where is Create Lists?

In character-based menus:

M > MANAGEMENT informationL > Create LISTS of records

In Millennium:

Navigation/Function buttons (left) Under Main Menu:

Go | Create List

TIPS – Before you Start

What do you need the list for?

Which record format do you need?

bibliographic, item, order, patron, checkin, authority,course

How many records (approximately)?

file sizes 5K,10K,25K,60K, etc.

TIPS – Before you Start

You may want to create a large file of your library’s items and then create smaller files off of it

Good to understand the SEARCHABLE FIELDS (fixed or variable) for each record type (and codes for each field)

Can double-check codes in text-based M>I>C>X for fixed length codes

M>I>C>B for branch (loc) codes

STEPS - to Create Lists Process

a. Find Create Lists in Millennium

b. Locate & Select a File an EMPTY or one of YOUR OWN Existing files

c. Select your Search Criteria Boolean Conditions

d. Sort your list of records

e. Edit with OR Print (LIST) Records

Click on Create Lists to SEE ALL LISTS

STEPS - Locate & Select a File

If you are not planning to use an existing review file, you’ll need to locate an EMPTY file

About how many records can you expect? file sizes 5K,10K,25K,40K, etc

You may want to delete any old or unused files YOU CREATED (sort by Name header to see your files more easily)

SEE ALL EMPTY LISTS

Sort Using Headers

Nice feature of Millennium Lists

Clicking on header allows you to sort: By Type of List By Name By MAX records By Status Etc.

Click on MAX

RECORDS heading bar to sort files

by size

Select a file

Once you’ve picked a file, then click on SEARCH

RECORDS

Boolean Search Screen

Start by Naming Your Review File

Naming Conventions for Lists

Library Abbreviation (wlc)

Your initials (sp) – may want to keep even though there is a separate column for initials

Brief File Name (p.muse)

Date (10.29.02)

Now select the TYPE OF RECORDS

you want for your list.

Search for records using a RANGE of record numbers, an existing

REVIEW FILE, a specific INDEX (e.g., Dewey Call #), or by creating an ADVANCED search statement.

Then create a BOOLEAN search

statement using the table provided

Select the TYPE of RECORDS you

want to search in.

STEPS * Select your Search Criteria

Double-click to bring up all record fields to search

STEPS - Select your Search Criteria

select a Boolean condition (use cheat sheet)

=, ~, >, <, G, L, W, N, H, X

To add to your search statement (line 2), press

APPEND LINE. The default operator is AND.

SEARCH to run the list. SAVE a file if you will use it again in

the future.

List IN PROGRESS

The ‘Lists’ toolbar lets you CLOSE,

STOP or SUSPEND lists in progress

Once the list is complete, you may choose to SORT,

LIST or SHOW the records.

STEPS- Sort Your List of Records

In Sorting Fields box, choose APPEND to create your first sort criterion

Be careful with the order of your SORT criteria (and with SORT in general)

Millennium “may” only truly sort by the primary sort field chosen (may drop items or add duplicate records)

INNOPAC “may” be more reliable for sorting

STEPS - Editi Records

SHOW records to edit ONE-by-ONERAPID UPDATE Updating FIXED FIELDS You can delete but cannot add or change

VARIABLE FIELDS

GLOBAL UPDATE Can ADD, CHANGE or DELETE any type of

VARIABLE or FIXED field Very powerful, can be dangerous Best to use review file

To VIEW or EDIT a list of records choose

SHOW RECORDS or double-click on the name of your list.

REMOVE will remove a

record from your list but will NOT delete the

record.

SHOW RECORDS

STEPS - List (Print) Records

First select specific fields to include in your LIST

Then set up the list for printing

Clicking ‘OK’ automatically starts the printing process

LIST (Print) RECORDS

To EMAIL a list, select email as your Standard

Printer BEFORE you print a list.

Working with Existing Review Files

REUSE or RERUN an existing list

Find the right file in the list

Click the SEARCH RECORDS button

Click YES to over-write the contents of the review file

Working with Existing Review Files

ADD RECORDS TO A FILEChoose the list you want to add records to by selecting its rowChoose APPEND from the ToolbarMillennium displays the Boolean search windowYou can change the title for the list by entering a new title.

Working with Existing Review Files

CREATE A NEW LIST using an existing file

Select an empty file from the list

Choose the SEARCH records button

Instead of searching a RANGE, pull down and choose an existing review file

Locate the existing review file you want

You still need to name the file and choose the type of records for the file. Then create your

Boolean search.

Working with Existing Review Files

COPY AN EXISTING FILE to a fileChoose the file you want to copy an existing review file to, by selecting its row

For EXISTING files, click YES to over-write the contents of the file

Choose COPY from ToolbarSystem displays a list of existing review filesChoose the correct file, then click OKNEW file will have the same initials and name as copied file..but you can RENAME

PRO’s of Millennium Lists

Edit records directly from listsShow Info (about a list) Button under Review Files TAB Can see/learn other’s search strategies

Lists run FASTERSaving a list is easier Text-based must be done BEFORE you start searching (%)

Can RETRIEVE a SAVED QUERY or USE AN EXISTING SEARCH.

PRO’s of Millennium Lists

Can create list searching by INDEX field Under Boolean Search box

See all field and boolean operator choices

Can continue working in Millennium

Can STOP or SUSPEND a list See what’s going on Just retrieve a sample of records

CON’s of Millennium Lists

Text-based users may find this SLOWERSorting not as reliable as text-basedSystem just STOPS when a list gets full No warning message But same as text-based

No separate PRINT button to initiate printingCan’t see record numbers to gauge when list will be done

Resources

#100667 of User Manualhttp://topcat.switchinc.org/manual/

Noble SWAP SHOP – Create Listshttp://www.noblenet.org/swapshop/lists.htm(excellent resource; my heroes!!)