Polaris Find Tool Overview

With over 600 access points as well as relevancy ranking, sorting, limiting, proximity searching, CCL queries, scoping, SQL searches, and automatic suggestions, the Polaris Find Tool provides search options for all types of tasks. You can save user defaults for the types of searches you do most often.

The “count only” option gives you a simple count, such as the number of DVDs in a certain collection, without returning the search result list. You can add records to a record set from a “count only” search without returning the records in a the results list, or you can select the records from the results list and put them in a record set.

Your library can set up Z39.50 targets for external databases that you can search directly from the Find Tool - allowing you to save new records to the local database in one step.

If you have the required permissions, you can create and save a SQL search in the Polaris Find Tool. SQL searches are used for data retrieval only; data cannot be manipulated through the Find Tool. Once a SQL query is saved, other staff members can use the saved search even if they do not have permission to create and save one.

In addition to the many methods and access points available for searching in the Find Tool, you can perform tasks on single or multiple records listed in search results, provided you have the required permissions. If you select a single record, you can select Links to access the linked records. From the bibliographic search results, you can select Preview to see the titles’ circulation statistics. Other options include checking in multiple serial issues and bulk-changing multiple item records.

You can also use the Polaris Find Tool to create quick reports from the search results list. For example, if the library needs to see a list of items in a certain collection that have not circulated in the last three years, you can create a report in the Find Tool by printing the results list.

See also:

Find Tool Tab Display

When you search for bibliographic or item records, all the Find Tool tabs are displayed: General, Settings, Scoping, Branches, Collections, and Databases.

All tabs are also displayed when you search for an object that has bibliographic or item records in the Object list. For example, when you search for Community Records, Bibliographic Records or Item Records can be selected in the Object list.

However, if the tab cannot be used in the context of the search, a message appears on the tab. For example, if you are searching for a bibliographic record using a Browse search type, and you select the Scoping tab, the message Scoping is not applicable in this context appears.

For most other records (objects), such as Acquisitions, Serials, and Patron records, only the General and Settings tabs are displayed.