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Home > Minerva > System Info > Create Lists

Create Lists - Minerva List Creation Cookbook

First, some general observations and hints.

Conventions for use of Minerva Review Files

  • Use the smallest slot that will suffice for your list.  Don't consume a 60,000 record slot for a list of 1700 records.  If you don't know before hand how large a list will be, Create it using a large slot, then Copy it to a smaller slot, then Empty the original file.
  • Always include the following elements in the name of the review file: library abbreviation, the date of list creation and a brief descriptive phrase to identify your review file. It often helps to include an indication of record type.  Examples: "rpl new fict bibs  11/30/02",  "edl items to get location of edlrf 5/2/02".
  • Delete review files you have created as soon as they are no longer needed. Never delete review files created by another library.
  • The system administrators may delete without notice any files older than 35 days, files lacking a library abbreviation and files lacking a date.  If you will need a review file longer than 35 days, use the Rename function to insert a more recent date.  
  • Do not "take ownership" of file slots or files.  All slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis to any Minerva site. There is only one exception to this rule. Libraries should take ownership of their Featured Lists to prevent accidental moving or deleting of the list.
  • If you need a particularly large slot and it is in use by someone else, feel free to ask the library involved whether and when the slot can be freed up.
  • The system administrator may move review files to smaller slots from time to time, and without notice. The review file name will be preserved, though a move date may be appended. 

The Cookbook

Overdues within a date range: Find ITEM records that satisfy the following conditions; LOCATION = bbh AND DUE DATE between (W) 08-01-2002 & 11-30-2002

Item status: Find ITEM records that satisfy the following conditions
LOCATION = bbh AND STATUS = m OR STATUS =
Here are the choices you can use b=bindery, c=storage, e=tech. services, l=lost, m=missing, n=billed, o=library use only, p=in processing, r=repair, z=claimed returned.

Note: this is handy for following up on patrons who are ignoring bills and to replace or weed items you can't find.

Patrons who owe lots of $$: HOME LIBR = fml AND MONEY OWED >= 5.00

Note: this is a good one to use the list certain items tool on. Once you have the list, you can pull the varying elements together to create a profile showing the perpetrator, address, phone, book(s) overdue and $ owed. Handy for phone calls, etc.

Sort by location: Find ITEM records that satisfy the following conditions
LOCATION = bflnf(substitute whatever location you want.)

Tips: The item range is very important here. If you are looking for newer stuff, search the last 25,000 items AND make a note of what the last item# is on the day you create the list. Use that # as your starting point when you replicate the list next time.
You can create a list witn multiple locations by making the following changes: LOCATION = bflnf OR LOCATION = bflna OR LOCATION=bflnv.

Find records with a particular bibliographic element: LOCATION = bbh AND MARC field 655 has Boothbay

Note: To select a marc field, use ! and to select a specific subfield, use ! enter the marc tag and then |h (or whatever one you are looking for).

Create a list of patrons added within a specific time period:
HOME LIBR = cml AND CREATED between 11-01-2002 & 12-31-2002 **To get the created between option, select W**

Create a list of books with holds on them: Select an Item list and then the following. LOCATION has sp AND HOLD exists **to get hold, type /8 and select the choice exists.You can get ALL your holds by just choosing your main location MMH, BBH, BML, etc, or you can limit it to a specific shelf location by using LOCATION=bbhfi, etc.

Create a review file of periodical issues to delete.
1-in Milcat or Milcirc find an empty review slot.
2-choose item as type.
3-change range to item in the drop-down menu and then select barcode in the new drop down menu.
4-For barcode range put your 3**** followed by 9 zeroes, then 3**** followed by 9 nines (e.g. 34444000000000 34444999999999).
5-For condition 1 select item-location=(your periodical code) 6-for condition 2 select item created <(equal to or before) and the date. For example, if you wanted to kill off all magazines created in 2003 or earlier, you would put < 01-07-2004 to catch any laggard cataloging

Find bib records where you have an item, but missed adding your library to the location in the Bib record (courtesy of Mike at Lithgow)Start with an item list, select LOCATION has bbh and ?(change to bib) #3(location) X(lacks) bbh, choose #1-All fields do not have. YOu should have a line that looks like this:
LOCATION has bbh AND LOCATION does not have bbh In order to be comprehensive, this one should be run against the whole bib database.

Finding bib records by condition in fixed field: Here's how to find suppressed bib records LOCATION = bbh AND INITIALS = n
If you wanted to search items by material type, you could change to LOCATION=bbh and Mat Type= (a=printed material, g=projected medium, i=spoken recording, j=sound recording, u=audio recording, v=video cassette, w=DVD, x=Compact Disc Y=CD-ROM, Z=Internet)

Note: this type of list will be helpful when you want us to flip your material types from the older g,i,j to the new ones, so things are more accurate when we add the new material descriptor column in Minerva.

New books added to your holdings...sorted by subject **Granted this is a narrow request, but one I received during the list classes.
Start with an item list and select the following LOCATION has tck AND CREATED between 07-01-2002 & 02-04-2003 (range of dates according to what time period you want) use ? to change to a bib list and select ! to pick a MARC field type 6* (the asterisk acts as a wild card and will catch all 600 fields) has and choose whatever subject area you want to sort.

Note: you can add as many other subject words as you want by doing the following: hit O (or) then ! and 6* has and add the next subject...Repeat as desired.

Tech College Special-items due by the end of the semester(and by default, still out)Choose an item list and use the following criteria LOCATION has tce AND DUE DATE < 12-31-2002 <=equal to or less than...Set to last day of the semester and run a week before, so you can stay on top of your overdues.

Weeding/Collection Development tool This will give you a list of items that have not circulated since you went live.LOCATION has tce AND TOT CHKOUT = 0 (choose #16, then #14) Conversely, if you want a collection development tool, run a search to find what items have been most popular. LOCATION=tce AND TOT CHECKOUT =>20 (or whatever # you want)

Finding Phantoms Create a bib list as follows:LOCATION=bbh Run a range of bib records. You don't need the whole enchilada, you can do this in sequential searches.When you are finished, sort the list as follows ? change to item and sort by Call # and then by barcode. Tee sort will catch any bib records without items attached because the sort will list nothing first. These can then be easily deleted in Guicat.

Expired patron management Choose a patron list and select the following: HOME LIBR = tce AND EXP DATE < 12-31-2002 (choose elements 9 and 1, then select =< to get a range of dates before a set time).

Patrons in a given PCode 4: This is handy if you bill patrons in a town separated by pcode 4
Choose a patron list then #9(home library)=(your location) AND #24 (PCode4)=(whatever you want). If you want to search for multiple pcode 4's it might look like this:HOME LIBR = bbh AND PCODE4 = 700 OR PCODE4 = 701. Then choose a patron range and run the list.

Finding Bad Email addresses: First create the following list:

  1. In Millennium, find an empty slot of sufficient size.
  2. select patron as list type, then select index from the menu on the left.
  3. In the new drop-down menu, select barcode, then enter barcode range as follows: 2****000000000 2****999999999.
    in the line below where you have Term Operator Type Field Condition Value A Value B enter the following: Skip operator. In the white box under Term, type P--Under field, double click and select Z-email address, under condition double click and select greater than, and type 0 in condition a.
  4. Name the list and click on search. Note: If you want to send the results via email, go to file, select printer, standard printer and change to email printer-enter your email address.
  5. When the list is finished, highlight it and select list records. A new box opens up. Double click on type and select patron. Then double-click in the field window and select patron. Now click on append and select patron as list type and Z=email address as field. Click on OK and wait until the list has run.
  6. A new box opens that allows you to then print to your email address. When the email is received, save as a text document and browse for errors.Common wrrors in emails are , instead of . www in front of emails, # or $ instead of @ con instead of com, etc.