 Serving public libraries in Cayuga, Cortland, Seneca, Tioga and Tompkins Counties 
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Polaris Tips: Find Tool/Searching
07/20/2007 - Finding linked Item Records
Want to see quickly a list of item records attached to a Bib record?
Left click on the linked item records icon
located on the Bib record toolbar
All the item records attached to this BIB record are displayed.
This icon is also available on an Item Record and allows you to view any other item records attached to the same Bib.
07/06/2007 - Using browse to search for a series
Are you having trouble finding the next book in a series for a patron? Try searching using a Browse type of search.
- In Cataloging, In the Object box, select Bibliographic Records
- In the By box, select Series
- In the Type box, select Browse
- In the For box, type in the series name
- Your results will display the series number next to the title.
Double clicking on a Heading displays that heading
Double clicking on the Heading displays the Bib Record
01/19/2007 - Searching the Union List of Serials.
You can now search for the FLLS Union List of Serials using the Find
Tool.
If you want to know if a specific periodical BIB record already exists in
Polaris, search using the Find Tool.
- Select Cataloging
- Select Bibliographic Records This brings up the Find Tool
- In the By box, select General Notes
- In the For box type in flls union list
- Use Control Shift A to retrieve all records
- Sort by Title by left clicking on the Title column
If the Title of the periodical is listed there, go ahead and open it and
add your item record.
If you would like to print out a list of all periodicals your library owns,
limit your search to just your library by
selecting the Branches tab, Unselect All and place a checkmark in the box
next to your library
Use Control Shift A to retrieve all records
Sort by Title by left clicking on the Title column
Select all the records by Left clicking on the Edit Menu and choosing Select
All or Left click on the first title, hold down the shift key, and scroll to
the end of the list and left click on the last title
Right click in the list, select Add to Record Set, New
Name your record set and save it by clicking on the save icon
Use Control Shift A to retrieve all records
Sort by Title by left clicking on the Title column
To print the list, left click on the down arrow next to the Printer icon and select Record Set
This is how the report will print. Be sure and select the correct printer to send the report to
10/20/2006 - How do I sort my results by Call Number?
I recently was asked how to sort the results by call number when using
the Item Record Find Tool.
Under the Cataloging Menu, select Item Records
This displays the Find Tool Set up your search, limiting by branch and
collection code if desired
To search for ALL records regardless of the Title use the wildcard, which
is an asterisk *
Retrieve all the records using the Control/Shift A command.
Left click on the Call Number column header and the results will now sort by
call number.
Left clicking on it again sorts the records in descending order.
9/1/2006 - What is the Sort Results box?
Have you ever wondered what the Sort Results box in the Find Tool does?
When you conduct a search and the Sort Results box is NOT checked, results are not sorted at all. See below
In order to sort alphabetically, you would have to click on the Title header and then only the 34 records displayed are sorted. To sort all 201 records, they would need to be retrieved first using Control Shift A. However, when the Sort Results box is checked, all 201 items are sorted alphabetically immediately. See below
4/28/2006 - What is Scoping and how do I use it in the Find tool?
Scoping is a powerful searching tool used to enhance basic searching through the Find Tool. Scoping only works with Bibliographic or Item Records.
Let’s say a patron is planning a trip to Scotland and only wants travel books that were published after 2004.
- Open up the Find Tool and select Bibliographic Records.
- Select the Collections tab.
- Limit your search to Adult Non Fiction and Adult Non Fiction New by clicking on the Unselect All button and placing a checkmark next to Adult Non Fiction and Adult Non Fiction New.
- Select the Scoping tab.
- Under the drop down box next to Qualifier.
- Select Publication Date.
- Use the Boolean operator > (greater than).
- In the value box, type in 2004
- Click on the Add button.
- Select the General tab.
- In the By box, select Subject.
- In the For box, type in Scotland.
- Left click on Search.
- The results will display below.
- Use Scoping to find all the Spanish language items in your library.
- Select the Scoping tab.
- Under the drop down box next to Qualifier. Select Language.
- Use the Boolean operator = (equal to).
- In the value box, select Spanish
- Click on the Add button.
- Select the General tab.
- In the By box, select Title.
- In the For box, type in the wild card symbol *. This will retrieve everything regardless of the actual title.
- Left click on Search. The results will display below.
2/10/2006 - How do I sort my results in the Find tool?
Did you know that left clicking on a column heading SORTS by that heading in the Find Tool? For Example, left clicking on the Call Number Heading SORTS by Call Number. It’s a good idea to retrieve ALL the records first (using Control/Shift/A) BEFORE you sort.
2/10/2006 - How do I use the Preview function?
If you need to quickly see which libraries own a particular title because your patron wants it as soon as possible, using the “Preview” option is the quickest and easiest way. Using the Find Tool, search for a Bibliographic record, in the results list, highlight a title, right click and select “Preview”. What displays is a short Bibliographic record and a list of libraries who own the item below. Included also is the status of the item, the material type, and call number. Use the down arrow on your keyboard, with this preview window open, to display the next title in your list. Right clicking on a specific item record in the Preview window allows you to place a copy specific hold for that item.
2/3/2006 - What are the options in the Find tool?
Frustrated when conducting a search for a patron using the Find Tool and when you double click to open an item, the Find Tool closes and you have to do your search all over again? To prevent the Find Tool from closing during a search, open up the “Options” menu in the Find Tool. Remove the check mark next to the option “Close on Open”. This leaves the Find Tool open with your search results displayed so you can go back to the results and view another record. This option stays until you log out.
1/27/2006 - How do I find items with a status of "In Transit"?
Would you like to know which items have a status of “In Transit”? These items need to be checked in to pick up any holds that may be attached to them. You will need to search the shelves and make sure these items are in your library. Open a Check in window, left click on the “Find” button. The Find Tool will now display. Under the “Options” menu, remove the check mark next to the option “Close on Open”. This will leave the Find Tool open so you can go back and forth between Checkin and the Find Tool results. In the “Object” box, select “Item Records”, in the “By” box, select “Circulation Status”, in the “For” box, type in the status of “in-transit” (don’t forget the hyphen). Left click on the Branches tab and left click on the button titled “Unselect All”. Place a checkmark next to your library name. Left click on “Search”. This will bring up a list of all your items that have a status of In-transit. If the item is indeed in your library, you may now simply double click on the item and the barcode will be inserted in the Checkin window. Press enter to check the item in. Now go back to the Find Tool, which still should be open with your list of in-transit items, and double click on the next item, this inserts the barcode in the check in window, press enter to check the item in.