Outreach Records
The Outreach module uses different types of records to perform outreach services functions.
Circulation Histories
Circulation histories include identifying information, such as author, title, and call number. Each history record also contains the date charged to the user (or Never, if the item has never been charged to the user), a count of the times this item has been charged to this user, and whether this item can be reselected and when.
The history record has a Status field to indicate one of the following about each item in the record.
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The item currently is charged to the user. |
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The item is selected but not yet charged to the user. |
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The item has been rejected for this user. |
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The item was discharged after having been charged to the user. |
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The item was unselected by a staff member. |
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The item was shipped to the user. |
History Records
History records contain information about items that have been selected or rejected for an outreach user. These records are used by the Search Interest wizard and the Search Route Interest Records and Search User Interest Records reports to prevent selection of materials that the outreach user or library deems unsuitable.
History records also prevent re-selection of materials, unless the outreach user is willing to receive the same item after some specified regular interval.
For more information about history records, see FAQs: Creating and Displaying History Records
History records are available only if your system is configured to use the Outreach Services module.
Interest Profiles
Interest profiles contain information about an outreach user’s reading, viewing, and listening interests, and are used for selecting materials for distribution to outreach users. Interest profiles consist of ranking and material selection parameters, search criteria, and maintenance information. Interests can be very broad, such as new fiction, or very narrow, such as compact discs of Flemish guitar. A user record can have an unlimited number of interest profiles attached to it.
Interest profiles allow the use of either general or specific criteria when selecting materials for an outreach user. These profiles may or may not contain the following information to be used when searching the library’s collection.
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A search string that can be applied to all keyword indexes or only to a given keyword index |
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Publication year, item type, language, location, item categories, format, and language limits |
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A rank, so that priority may be given to selected profiles |
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Limits on the number of items requested |
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Indication of whether materials already selected can be reselected in a later search. If materials may be reselected, an interval of days that must have elapsed between subsequent selections can be specified. |
Interest profiles can be simple or complex.
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Simple Interest Profile – This type of profile might contain only a title, series, author, or subject heading. It can also contain a single nonbibliographic search criterion, such as only newly-added materials or a specific item type. Example A user could have an interest profile that includes only materials about horses. |
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Complex Interest Profile – A complex interest profile can include multiple search strings and the use of multiple nonbibliographic search criteria. Example A user could have an interest profile that calls for videocassettes that have been produced in the past five years about all sports except basketball and tennis. |
For more information about interest profiles, see FAQs: Creating and Displaying Interest Profiles
Outreach User Records
Before a user can receive outreach services, an outreach user record must be created for the user, and one or more interest profiles must be created. Outreach user records contain basic information about an outreach user, such as the outreach route to which the user is assigned, next and last delivery dates, and statistics and information about the outreach user.
The Outreach Services module makes use of outreach, interest profiles, and history records for the following reasons.
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To indicate a user’s reading, viewing, and listening interests |
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To track which items have been charged to the user, and whether the patron wants to receive this material again at a later date |
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To keep circulation statistics for outreach users |
The outreach user records are stored separately in SirsiDynix Symphony and are attached to user records. The outreach user records are created, displayed, edited, and removed through the Outreach Services wizards.
After outreach route records have been created, and circulation and user policies have been modified, outreach user records can be created and attached to user records.
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To create outreach route records, use the Create Route wizard. |
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To edit user records to include the outreach user record, use the Modify User wizard. |
Outreach Route Records
The outreach route records contain information about each outreach delivery route, such as the route ID, route name, active status, and next delivery date.
When an outreach route is created, the last delivery date and next delivery date are set to NEVER. The library staff can then edit the route record to specify the correct next delivery date and last delivery date.
An outreach user can be assigned to only one outreach delivery route. When the user is assigned to a route, the outreach record is updated to include the user's position on the delivery route and the delivery address for the user. The next delivery date for the user is inherited from the Next Delivery Date in the route record. Reports are used to update the next delivery date for the user, though the delivery date can be changed manually if needed.
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