View and Convert User-Defined Fields for Patron Records

To view the user-defined fields (UDFs) that have been set up for your Polaris system, set up the options for drop-menu UDFs, and convert UDFs from one type to the other:

Note:
Initial values in drop-menu UDFs are derived from your existing data. You can edit them and add more values if necessary. See the following procedure. When existing text UDFs are converted to drop lists, the options will be available only at branches that have used the corresponding text value.

  1. In the Administration Explorer tree view, expand the System folder.
  2. Select Profiles, and select the Patron Services tab.
  3. Double-click Patron registration user defined fields. The User Defined Field Options dialog box opens.

UDFsFreeTxtSystem.gif

The User Defined Fielddrop-down list contains the UDFs that were set up at implementation. You can select a UDF to determine if it is defined as free-text or drop-menu on the Patron Registration workform and other appropriate system workforms. Drop-menu UDFs display the possible options defined for them. (Individual branches can select options for use and set the display order. See Set drop-menu user-defined fields for organizations.)

UDfsDropmenuSystem.gif

  1. To convert a free-text UDF to a drop-menu UDF, follow these steps:
  1. Select the free-text UDF in the User Defined Field list.
  2. Select Drop-menu. All the free-text values currently entered in patron records for this UDF are listed as drop-menu options; by default, all are selected as eligible for use by individual organizations.

Note:
If you are converting a free-text UDF with more than 500 unique entries, a message offers you the opportunity to continue or cancel the conversion. Large numbers of values may take some time to convert.

  1. Click OK. (You must click OKbefore you modify any of the drop-menu options.)

Note:
You can also convert a drop-menu UDF to free text. In this case, all patron records using the options for the drop-menu UDF retain the option text as free-text in the appropriate UDF field.

  1. To add an option for a drop-menu UDF, follow these steps:
  1. Select the drop-menu UDF in the User Defined Field list.
  2. Scroll the list of options to the bottom (blank) entry in the list.

UDFsDropOpNew.gif

  1. Double-click the blank field and type the new option in the space. You can type up to 64 alpha-numeric characters (letters and numbers).

Note:
A drop-menu option cannot be blank except in new records where an option has not yet been chosen or when it is cleared in bulk change. To indicate that no value is selected, set up an option with the text None.

  1. Click Apply.
  1. To edit a drop-menu UDF option, follow these steps:
  1. Select the drop-menu UDF in the User Defined Field list.
  2. Double-click the option and type the new text over the old.
  3. Click Apply. All patron records and defaults using the old option will be updated with the option’s new text.

Note:
You can also delete a drop-menu option as long as it is not currently being used in a patron record or as an organizational default setting for the UDF. Simply uncheck the option’s Selected checkbox.

  1. Click OK to save your changes and close the dialog box.

Important:
If you make any UDF changes, you must log out and log back in to the Polaris staff client to see the effects of your changes in Polaris workforms.

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