Retrieving Records

Sierra stores information about your library, such as patron names, orders placed, or serials received, in database records. When you need to work with this information, you search the database and retrieve the appropriate record.

How Searching Works

Database records are composed of fixed-length and variable-length fields.

Indexes that contain record fields can be created. Each library decides which indexes to create and which record fields are contained within them. Common indexes include patron name, patron barcode, item barcode, title, and author, among others.

You can search within an index. If, for example, your organization created a patron name index, you can search that index for a match to the search criterion "Smith." The patron record for John D. Smith can be displayed from the records that were retrieved by the search.

In addition to indexes, you may create review files. A review file is a list of records. Review files involve two different types of searches:

• You create a review file by specifying search criteria and searching the database for records that match the search criteria. These records are not retrieved for display, however. They are simply added to the list of records in the review file. For more information on searching to create lists of records, see Creating a New Review File.
• You can search within the review file to retrieve and display records listed in it. This is analogous to searching within an index. This section of the manual describes such searches.

Remote databases also can be searched using Sierra. Searches on remote databases are performed in a manner similar to searching through an index of the local database.

The details of retrieving records depend upon the search method, record type, and the application and function you are working in.

The Effect of Default Record Types in Searches

Each application has a default record type that displays preferentially in the bibliographic information tabs when records are retrieved in a search. In Acquisitions, for example, order records are the default record type. If you retrieve and display a bibliographic record that has attached order, item, and checkin records using Acquisitions, the order record displays preferentially in the bibliographic information tabs. In another application, a different record type will preferentially display there.

Attached records of other types can be displayed by selecting the Summary tab, choosing the record type from the drop-down menu on the Summary tab, and selecting the record.

If there are no records of the default record type attached to a retrieved bibliographic record, the Summary tab is displayed.

Additional Search Criteria May be Imposed by the Application and Function

Each function is intended to facilitate the performance of a specific task. Record types associated with the function's specific task are retrieved preferentially.

In some cases, depending on function and search method, only records that require an action (claiming, check-in, etc.) by the function are retrieved.

For example, choosing Tools | Search | Range in the Claiming function in Serials will retrieve only bibliographic records that match the keyword search criteria, and that have attached checkin records, and that have a late (claimable) issue. Bibliographic records without a late issue will not be retrieved even if they match the keyword search criteria you have entered. This is because additional search criteria are imposed by the application and function.

However, choosing Tools | Search | Browse in the Claiming function in Serials will retrieve all bibliographic records matching the search criteria, even if the bibliographic records do not have attached checkin records or late issues, because this particular method of searching does not impose additional search criteria (beyond record type) in this application and function.

Search Methods

To retrieve a record, you specify your search criteria, search, and then display the record from the results of your search. You may search:

• An index in the local database. See Searching Selected Database Indexes.

  To search using this method, you select an index and enter search criteria. Some search criteria, such as the record type to be retrieved, are determined by the application and function. The entire selected index is searched for matches to the search criteria.

• A subset of an index in the local database. See Searching a Subset of an Index of Records.

  To search using this method, you select an index and then a subset of that index. Some or all of the search criteria are determined by the application and function. In some functions, only records that require action by the function (for example, claiming) are retrieved.

• A review file. See Searching for Records within an Existing Review File.

  To search using this method, you select a review file. The search criteria are entirely determined by the application and function.

• A remote database. See Searching a Remote Database.

  To search using this method, you select an index and enter search criteria.

Discontinuing a Search

A search that retrieves a large number of records can take several minutes. You can discontinue such a search.

If your search retrieves more than 5000 records, the system prompts:

5000 entries found so far. Continue searching?

To stop the search and view the 5000 retrieved records, choose No.

To continue the search, choose Yes.