Delete Records Function (Sierra)

The Delete Records process can be done by using the Scan/Delete icon, or by using a Review File from Create Lists.  

Table of Contents

Using the Scan/Delete Icon

You can go to the Delete Records Function from the Sierra drop-down list.

Open

Click Scan/De ..  (Scan/Delete).  

Open

The Scan/Delete Items box will appear.  Scan the barcode of the item.

Click the Search button and the item information will appear under Barcode, Title, and Call Num.  The Delete box will be checked.  

Continue scanning the barcodes for all the items that need to be deleted.  Click Search after each individual barcode.  

Once all the barcodes have been entered, click the Delete Items button.  

Once the Delete Items button is clicked, the following pop-up box will appear. Click Yes.

The Process Summer box will appear showing how many records were COMPLETELY deleted from your database.  The Record Number is listed.  In addition, an Errors tab will list any items that did not delete.

Clicking on the Errors tab will show a list of items that did not delete.  

Optional – The list of Record Numbers that have just been deleted can be sent to an email address by clicking the Print button.  If no list is needed, click Close.

Top of page

Using a Create Lists Review File to Batch Delete Items Records

Go to the Delete Records Function from the Sierra drop-down list.

The default screen will be Review file:

Find your Review file from the drop-down menu and click Start.

You will see two messages about deleting items records only, or item records and attached Bibliographic records.  You will also see all the records and descriptions for all the items.

Choose the “Delete the listed ITEM AND attached BIBLIOGRAPHIC record (if no other records attached).” Click Delete Records.

You will get a warning message that “Deleted Records Cannot Be Recovered,” and asks if you are “Absolutely Certain you want to delete these records?”  Click Yes.

You will get a Deleting records processing bar.

You will get a Process Summary.  This will show how many files were completely deleted.  You should check for any Errors.  You will also get a list of Record Numbers.

Here is an example of some of the Errors you may see when deleting items.  You would transfer the hold, and check in the items. 

You can Print this information to a local printer or email printer. 

Undeleted items will also show in your review file. You could manually delete those items after the errors have been cleared, or use Delete Records Function with the review file again.

Top of page

Using a Create Lists Review File to Batch Delete Patron Records

Deleting patron accounts “in batch” is possible in Sierra. Academic libraries and school districts may wish to remove patrons whose accounts have expired, due to the student no longer being active in the system after graduation. Public libraries may wish to remove patrons whose accounts have expired or have had no circulation activity in a specified number of years.

Using Create Lists to gather the targeted set of patron records into a Review File.

• Review File Name: Name your Search or Query

• The Store Record Type: Patron

• Record Type: Patron

• Field: Pat Agency (use the patron agency for your library)

• Condition: equal to

• Value A: Type or search for your library patron agency

  • Append Line

• Record Type: Patron

• Field: EXP Date (expiration date), you could also use a specific data field for the group of patrons like ptype

• Condition: the condition chosen depends on the field chosen. Here are condition definitions for more information. For the EXP Date, you would choose a time frame for the patron records with an expired expiration date.              

• Value A is – the code for the data field entered in the Field selection or the date if working with an expiration date.
  
  

Example search:   

Verify the contents of the review file. Make sure the patron accounts retrieved really are the ones to be deleted. Make note of the review file number you used to search for a list of patrons to be deleted.

Select the Delete Records from the drop-down Functions list in Sierra.

Find the Create Lists review file with the patron records to be deleted and click on the Start button.

The first patron record number and name will appear in the box. You will also see a list of the other patrons that will be deleted. Click on the Delete Records button.

A warning box will appear that will list the review file number, and the number of patrons that will be deleted. If you’re positive the records in this file should be deleted, click on the Yes button. Otherwise, click on the No button.

You will get the Deleting records processing bar.

When the delete process is completed, the Process Summary window will open. The window will report on successful deletions and errors. You can either Restore the patron records or Print the patron record numbers for each patron.

If you chose to Print the patron record numbers, you can do so by sending them to a physical printer or to an email address. Here is an example of what you would see in an email.

Select Close to exit the report and return to the “Delete Records” window. Note: If some patron records were not deleted, you will need to access the non-deleted records in the review file to manually clear them and delete them. 

Top of page

Restoring Deleted Records

Review the records in the Process Summary report window, and do one of the following:

• If the deletions are as expected, click Close to return to the Delete Records window. Once you click Close, you can no longer restore deleted records.

• If you deleted the wrong records, click Restore. Sierra restores all of the deleted records and displays them on the Restored Deletions tab.

Sierra restores the records to the database, but does not put them back in the review file you used to delete them.

Top of page

Related Documentation