SimplyReports User Interface
SimplyReports functions are organized under main tab views and subtab views. Each main tab for report creation represents the category of information you can query to create the report. For example, to create a report about item circulations, you would select the Items tab.
When you create a report in SimplyReports, you define the report parameters by selecting the columns for the report output and the filters to limit the data. The report parameters can be saved, or the report can be output in the selected format.
SimplyReports includes main tabs for creating the following types of reports:
- Patrons - Create patron list, count, statistical, or history reports using data from patron registration records and patron account (status) records.
- Patron Account - Create patron account list, count, or statistical reports using data from patron account (status) records; and their linked patron registration, item and bibliographic records.
- Holds - Create holds list, count or statistical reports using data from hold request records; and their linked bibliographic, item, patron account (status), and patron registration records.
- Items - Create item list, count, statistical, or history reports using data from item records; and their linked patron account (status), patron registration, and bibliographic records.
- Bibs - Create bibliographic list, count, or statistical reports using data from bibliographic records and their linked item records.
- Authorities - Create authority list, count, or statistical reports using data from authority records; and their linked bibliographic and item records.
- Serials - Create serials list, count, or statistical reports using data from serial holdings records (including data from publication patterns and compressed holdings statements), serial issues/part records, and subscription records; and their linked supplier and item records.
- Funds - Create fund list or summary reports using data from fund records and fiscal year records; and their linked bibliographic and item records.
- Invoices - Create invoice list or summary reports using data from invoice records; and their linked fiscal year, fund, item, bibliographic, and supplier records.
- Orders - Create purchase order list or summary reports using data from purchase orders (including line item and segment data); and their linked fiscal year, fund, item, bibliographic, and supplier records.
Each main report-creation tab has subtabs for selecting the type of report; the available subtabs depend on the type of report:
- List - These reports list information in columns. For example, you could create a patron list report that shows all patrons who do not have an email address in their record. List and count (or summary) reports offer the same types of data columns and filters for defining the report criteria, but the report output is different. See Create a list, count, or summary report.
- Count - These reports display counts. For example, you could create a patron count report that shows the total number of patron records added within the last year. See Create a list, count, or summary report.
- Statistical - These reports gather data based on transactions. Since gathering transaction data may slow system performance, the Run report now check box is unchecked by default for all statistical reports. Statistical reports can be scheduled to run when the library is closed.For example, you could create an item statistical report that shows the number of checkouts and renewals for the current year. See Create a statistical report.
- Summary - These reports are available for summarizing acquisitions data from fund, invoice, and purchase order records. For example, you could generate an order summary report that shows the total dollar amount for all purchase orders for an organization.
- History - If your library uses history reports, and you have permission to access the subtabs, the Patron history reports subtab appear under the Patron tab and the Item history reports tab appears under the Items tab. Customers who choose not to use these reports can ask their Polaris Site Managers to disable them. If the reports are disabled for a library system, these subtabs do not appear for any SimplyReports users.
Patron history reports show transactions during the specified time period involving a specific patron, such as the financial transactions, hold requests, and check outs. Item history reports show transactions during the specified time period involving a specific item, such as the check out, in-transit, and financial history. See Create a history report.
To protect patron privacy, SimplyReports has the following safeguards: the transaction results are limited to a period of no more than 95 days; the report parameters cannot be saved; and the ad-hoc report files are not written to the disc on the servers. In addition, access to these subtabs can be limited through permissions.
Important: To gather transaction data used in SimplyReports statistical reports, Polaris must be set up to log the appropriate transactions. For every type of transaction you want to include in a statistical report, transaction logging must be set to Yes in the Transaction Logging database table in Polaris Administration. The transactions are logged from the point you turn the logging function on. See the topic “Collecting Transaction Statistics” in Polaris staff client Help.
In addition to the tabs for creating reports, SimplyReports includes the following tabs:
- My Reports - This tab has subtabs for working with saved reports (scheduling, running, and publishing reports), maintaining report files, and scheduling reports. See Using Saved Reports.
- Admin - This tab has subtabs for managing permissions, setting application defaults, maintaining the master schedule, specifying the scheduling hours, and specifying the content for reports. See Setting Application Defaults.
- Help - This tab opens the SimplyReports Help.
Note: If you do not have permission to use a tab or subtab, that tab or subtab does not appear when you open SimplyReports. See Setting Up SimplyReports Security.