1. Rene Erlandson & Rachel Erb University of Nebraska Omaha
Create Lists 101
Rene Erlandson & Rachel Erb
University of Nebraska Omaha
May 18, :30-2:30 Room El Capitan
May 20, :00-10:00 Room Santa Monica

2. What is “Create Lists”? Query Retrieve Action/Export
Create lists is a tool within the Millennium software that allows one to query the database for specific information, retrieve the information and then take action on the retrieved records or export the information as needed.

3. To most effectively use Create Lists within Millennium, it helps to understand the structure of records within the system.
The black lines represent links between records.
Generally an order record is the first record created within the system, this then links to the Bib record, which in turn links to the item record (and if a serial to the Checkin record—which contains the holdings statement). When a patron checks out an item, the Patron record links to the Item record. When an instructor places something on reserve, the Course record links to the Item record.
Multiple item records and checkin records may be attached to one bib record. However, the basic structure of the records is represented by this chart (or bubble map).

4. Login to Millennium/Module
You may access Create lists from within any of the Millennium modules, however, as you work through Create Lists you will have the toolbar for whichever module you logged in to (so if you want to do global edits of a bib records, open Create Lists in the cataloging module etc)
Acquisitions
Administration
Cataloging
Circulation
Electronic Resource Management
Serials

5. Once you open the Create Lists tool, you will see a screen similar to this one.
There is a lot of information on this screen, some of the information is self-explanatory (like the “Name” field ; Created [date/time]), while other fields require some interpretation.
So let’s look at the first query/file represented here:
Current Records: how many records were retrieved into the file.
Max Records: how many records the file will hold.
Type: the type of records retrieved with the query b=bib records ; i=item records ; o=item records etc.
Initials represent the individual/login who created the initial query.

6. Step 1—Empty file
At this point, the first step in creating a list via Millennium is to select an “Empty” file.
Max Records: this is the maximum number of records the file may hold (this becomes important when you are selecting an “Empty” file that will contain your query results. Select your “Empty” file based on the number of records you expect to retrieve with the query you are going to create. If you think your query will retrieve a large percentage of the records in your database, select an Empty file with a high Max Records number. If you expect your query to return only a small percentage of your database records (overdue books for a given day) select an Empty file with a low Max Records number.

7. Step 2-Search Records
Once you locate an “Empty” query file with a “Max Records” number you think will work for your query, click on the corresponding line number
Then click on the “Search Records” button

8. Step 3-Name file
Default is “Empty”—you will need to rename the file

9. Step 4-Store Record Type
Select the “Store Record Type” from the drop down menu
If you intend to use the review file as input for another function, rather than to generate a printed list, it is important to select the type of record appropriate for that function (e.g., for rapid updating of order record information, the review file would need to contain order records. If you want circ stats, select “Item i”, the total number of checkouts and last checkin date are in found in the item record. ) If you are just generating a print list with title, call # and location, the Bib record will work fine.

10. Step 5-Select what to search
Because I selected “Bibliographic” as the “Store Record Type”, the system defaulted to searching a “Range” of bib records (automatically selecting the first bib record in my database and the last bib record in my database. If I select Item records or Order records the system will default to the first and last record number within my database for the type of record I select.
I do not have to search “Range”, by clicking on the down arrow I get a drop down list of other options.

11. Selecting “Review” from the drop down menu triggers the system to pull up a list of all the Review files currently saved within Create Lists.
You may query an existing review file (creating a subset of the original review file) by selecting the review file you wish to query from the drop down list of review file names.

12. Selecting “Index” from the drop down menu triggers the system to provide you with a list of all the indexed fields for the “Store Record Type” you selected previously.
What this means is your list of indexed fields you may query is directly linked to the “Type” of record you selected.
For example: order record # is not a field within the bib record, so you may not query on it unless you have selected “order” as the “Store Record Type”;
Barcode is not a field within the bib record, so to query on the barcode field you would need to select a “Store Record Type”of “Item”.
A couple of things to note here: querying on the Call Number indexed field is handy for shelflist-style reports and reports on specfic topics.
Another thing to note about this area, is if you select to search the indexed “author” field within the bib record, know that it is going to pull up entries within the 1xx and 7xx fields.

13. Selecting “Advanced” allows you to keyword search term or terms within a query (search for “orchestra” within basic parameters of MediaNeverCheckedOut.

14. Step 7-Form search queryOK
So I have named my review file. Selected the Store Record Type of “I” based on the fields I need to query. And chosen to query a range of item records.
Now I need to build my query.
The “Operator” for the first term will be blank.
Select the “Type” of record to be queried for first term
(You may either place the cursor within the blank “Type” field and hit the space bar to get the drop down menu for the field OR double click within the blank field to bring up a table of options from which you may choose. Either method obtains the same “list”)
I am going to select “item”

15. Select the fixed field you wish to query
Select the fixed field you wish to query. Once again you have the option of a drop down menu or the table format.
Because our media collection is cataloged in LC, I am going to chose to query location rather than call number to locate my media materials.
I will show you how to formulate a call number query a bit later.

16. Note your choices for “Condition” are simple boolean/logic terms.
I am going to select “equal to” Because I need want my query to retrieve items with a location of x

18. So, I have delineated by first search term, however, if I query the database at this point, the query will pull up ALL media items—not all media items that have never been checked out.
So, I need to define my second query term.
In order to define a second query term, I need to “Append Line” to the query
You may do this by double clicking on the “Append Line” button, or clicking on Ctrl-A
Note that “Insert Line” will add a line above Term 1 (making the existing term 1, term 2) We want the system to locate all Media items BEFORE it looks for items that have never been checked out, so we need to have a term added AFTER term 1 and thus need to “Append Line”.
Now we need to create Term 2

19. I will select the data field Total Chkout from the available fixed datafields.
The condition will be “equal to” and
The value will be 0
Notice that as I have filled in the Term 1 and Term 2 subfields, the system has created a search string in the open area at the bottom of the screen. You could also simply type the search string into this area once you are familiar with the system’s search syntax.
This will query the database to extract a list of all Media items that have never been checked out and we will be able to use this list as the initial pass for weeding the Media collection.
If this is a search you think you will be using a lot, you may save it before you search.
In my case, I probably will not run this search again (and even if I do, it is a simple search query), so I am not going to save the query.
I will click on the “Search” button at the bottom of the screen, the system will begin searching the database for records that meet your designated criteria.

20. As the system queries the database, you will see the message “in progress” for the review file “MediaNeverCheckedOut”.

21. Once the query has been completed you will see “complete” in the “Status” field of the Review File screen.

22. Step 8
Now the query is completed, you have several options, you may “Sort Records” “List Records” “Export Records” or “Show Records”.
List Records allows you to print the list or the list to yourself.
If you have never really worked much with Create Lists I would suggest looking at “Show Records”, just to see how information is organized and what information you see in the query retrieval list.
Highlight the Review File you wish to “Show”
Then click on the “Show Records” button at the top of the screen.

23. This brings up a list of all the records retrieved for you query.
Because my initial “Store Record Type” was “i”, my create list query retrieved item records in my list. As you can see, the list tells me the record number and description of each entry within the list.
Always “Dedupe” your lists—this is especially important if you are going to run another query against this list or do a global update on records within the list.
If I double click on an entry it will take me to the Bib Record for the entry with the attached item record and from there I may use the View, Edit, Export, Save etc features to manipulate data within the file.

24. Step 9
For my purposes, I need to have my list sorted and then exported so we can use it for weeding purposes.
Highlight the review file you wish to sort.
Click on the “Sort Records” button.
This brings up a screen where you will indicate to the system how you wish to sort the records. I want to sort the records by call number and title (which are found in the bibliographic record) and then by “Total number of checkouts” which is in the item record (simply to verify the items have never been checked out.
This screen works much the same as the Boolean Search/Query screen. <Press the space bar within a field to get a drop down list of choices or double click within a blank space to get a pop up menu you with all available choices for you to select from. Append to add a line below and Insert to add a line above.
Once you have configured your sort strategy, click on the “Sort/Save” button.

25. While the system is sorting the Review File you will see “Sorting” in the “Status” column of the Review Files screen.
Once the sort is complete the status will change to “Complete”.

26. Step 10
Now that the Review File has been deduped and sorted, I want to Export the information in the file.
I am going to export it to a Text file.
Click on “Export Records”
Create an export strategy: in this case I want to export the Call #, Title and Total Checkout information.
Verify the field delimiters and maximum field length
Type in a file name or click on the “Browse” button to select a drive and file.
Then click “OK”

27. Step 11 I now would like to import my list into Excel. To do this:
Open Excel
Drop down menu for “Data”
“Import External Data”
“Import Data”
Select the data source file
Open

28. The “Text Import Wizard” will pop up.
You need to tell Excel the file you are importing is “Delimited” click on Next
Now you need to tell indicate WHAT the delimiters and text qualifiers are
(this info will correspond to “Export Item Information” you filled out in Millennium) click on “Next”
Select “General” for the Column data Format and then click “Finish”

29. My data has now been imported into an Excel file and shows me each of the fields I specified.

30. Email list for all new students/patrons
Create lists has a myriad of uses.
Create a review file for all patron addresses or all new patron addresses which you can then use to send targeted s to.
“Welcome to the University of Nebraska Omaha—here are some services available at the Library you may not have known about.”

31. Overdue Fines to be Billed (not faculty)
Create a review file of all patrons who are not faculty who owe more than “x” amount.
In order to create effective search queries you need to be somewhat familiar with the fields within records and the codes your library uses within each type of record. You also need to know how your library defines certain fields—does “Total CheckOut” mean the total number of times the item has EVER been checked out or the total number of times this year. Is year to date, defined as calendar year or academic year.

32. To create effective queries:
Fields
Codes
Definitions
In order to create effective search queries you need to be somewhat familiar with the fields within records and the codes your library uses within each type of record. You also need to know how your library defines certain fields—does “Total CheckOut” mean the total number of times the item has EVER been checked out or the total number of times this year. Is year to date, defined as calendar year or academic year.

33. Some things to remember
Boolean operator “HAS” searches an exact string (including subfield delimiters, which are represented by | in Millennium)
If you want to include subfields (with delimiters) in a search string, format them as follows: |xHistory|yRevolution, (no spaces b/t |xH….|yR….)
Create Lists uses standard boolean operators
Boolean operator “HAS” searches an exact string (including subfield delimiters, which are represented by | in Millennium)

34. Call Number Normalization within Create Lists
If there is any additional data consisting of letters and numbers it is appended after the decimal and number with a space inserted between each alpha/numeric “set”
HG P Eb
LC call numbers
Prefixes ignored (#f)
Begins normalization with #a
The class represented by the first 7 positions.
Class letters positions 1-3
Class numbers are positions 4-7
If a decimal follows the class number, the decimal and number are appended following.
Millennium normalizes call numbers when searching the database. What this means is you will need to insert spaces into a call number when creating the query in order to get an accurate result.
Multiple call number indexing/classification schemes used within a given Library collection result in the III system extracting information for call number searches outside of the main in a character-by-character manner.
IF you have multiple call numbers, when forming a create list query you will need to manually format the search strategy to perform a character by character call number search (you will need to input spaces within the call number to get the right results).
Any remaining characters are normalized as follows: replace punctuation with a single space; collapse multiple spaces to a single space; numbers preceded by “v.” or “no.” take up 5 spaces and are right justified ending in the fifth position.
Applying the rules above, if you wish to create a list of call numbers between hg1-hg100, how will the values be formatted?
Value A will be: hg<space><space><space><space>1
Value B will be: hg<space><space>100

35. Create a list for Art—Painting books never checked out
Create a list for Art—Painting books never checked out (ND25-ND3416, local ND27-ND8935)
ND1-ND9000
LC class for Art—Paintings is ND25-ND3416
Locally, UNO has extended this class to ND8935
In order to pull all records within the ND class, I am going to search ND1-ND9000
First 3 positions are for class letters,
Positions 4-7 for class numbers.

36. Dewey Character by character Retains punctuation
Subfield delimiter replaced by a single space
Multiple spaces collapse into one space

37. 086 SuDoc Numbers Initial alpha character(s) begin the normalization
All numbers in SuDoc are normalized to 5 digits right justified
All punctuation is retained in the normalization
After initial alpha character(s) letters adjoin numbers & punctuation
Multiple spaces are condensed to a single space

38. Examples of normalized SuDoc numbers
GP1.26:T98/963
C3.2:
C3.303:

39. If your library has indexed the 086 as a call number field you may construct a query using the call # field or the MARC tag field 086.

40. 099 Local Call Numbers Will be searched character-by-character.
Punctuation treated as a space
Multiple call number indexing/classification schemes used within a given Library collection result in the III system extracting information for call number searches outside of the main definition (LC or Dewey) in a character-by-character manner.

41. For more information:
IUG
III
Attend IUG Conference sessions Using Regular Expressions in Create Lists
May 17, 3-4: E7 Room: Laguna
May 19, 3-4: K7 Room: Pacific A

42. Answers to Questions from Monday’s Session:
If you are querying an existing review file, may the store record type differ from the initial review file store record type?
NO, store record types must be the same.
Under the discussion re: the Dedupe button, somebody asked how dups get in there to begin with.
Sometimes this comes up when a user sorts by a repeatable field (eg. Subjects), which will then display the bib title multiple times.
When saving an exported file in Create Lists, can it be sent directly to another server instead of saving it someplace locally on a PC (eg. desktop)?
No, unfortunately not as you mentioned, it will have to be saved locally then possibly FTP'd over to another server.
Can Paid fields from Order records export out of Create Lists?
They can but everything gets exported out.  There is an enhancement request in place to limit by a certain date but that has not yet been implemented.

43. Thank you for your participation!!
Rene Erlandson
University of Nebraska Omaha
Director, Virtual Services
Rachel Erb
University of Nebraska Omaha
Virtual Services & Systems Librarian