Rutgers University Libraries has put together their own guide to the serials module in Unicorn 99.2. Since this is when the serials wizards were introduced, it is an excellent way to see what the module looks like and learn how certain features work. It’s on the web at http://nbl.rutgers.edu/nbl_collection_services/sirsi/index_slide.html.

It is now impossible to use serial controls without using wizards: the commands (edit, display, remove checkin, etc.) don’t exist anymore. Instead there is a Serials group on the tool bar that includes all the wizards for tracking serials.

• CHECKINRECV: use for receiving new issues From the same wizard you can modify issues to check in, combine issues that are published as one item, and check in special issues. From the "Control" folder, you can also modify the control—so it is easy to change the pattern, make a claim, or generate new prediction records.
• CONTROLDISP: use to display the control record.
• CONTROLEDIT: use to display the control record. It is only when you are modifying the control record that you can generate new prediction records.
• CONTROLNEW: use to create a new control.
• CONTROLREMV: use to remove a control.

Sirsi no longer uses the term "checkin" as a noun to describe serials records. Instead we have the following:

• prediction records (in the "Expected" folder)
• receipt records (in the "Received" folder)
• claim records (in the "Claimed" folder)
• routing records (in the "Routing" folder)

• Helpers are at the top of the wizard screen. Gadgets are little boxes with a blue diamond inside on the right side of certain fields.
• Generate Predictions for Expected Issues Helper: looks like a small file with cards in it. Available in CONTROLEDIT and CONTROLNEW wizards. Essential gadget for creating prediction records. You can choose to create a certain number of records, preview them, then decide whether to save the prediction, change it, or cancel it.
• Replace Patterns Helper: looks like an ugly pink wallpaper pattern. Available in CONTROLEDIT wizard and CONTROLNEW wizard (here it is called the Fill In Patterns Helper since there is no pattern to replace yet). It is only visible in the "Patterns" folder. Use it to select certain preset patterns for serial frequencies. The basic patterns can then be altered to accommodate strange publisher patterns. For example, for a monthly that doesn’t get published in July, select the "monthly" pattern, then delete the month of July. Very helpful for those really strange publishing patterns.
• Modify Bibliographic Description Helper: looks like a blue book with an eraser on it. If you are modifying a control record and need to make changes to the bibliographic record as well, you can do that with this helper. This makes it very easy to correct errors in the 599 field, as well as changing the frequency fields (fixed fields or 310/321) directly from the serials wizards, rather than opening up a cataloging wizard to edit a bib. record. If you just want to view the bib. record from the control, you can use the Display Description Helper (looks like a red book).
• Publication Cycle Gadget: in the "Patterns" folder, at the bottom, is the publication cycle field, with a gadget next to it. The cycle is displayed in code; click on the gadget to decipher it. From there you may also change the pattern if it is inaccurate.

99.4 brings increased flexibility for searching. Each wizard begins with a search mechanism. If you want to edit a control record, but are not sure of the control ID, you can search by the title, then select "modify control" once you are sure you have the correct title.

The methods for tracking the journal publishing patterns have changed enough that each control record needs to be converted before the control can be edited, or new prediction records can be created. (Existing predictions from 98.5 should carry over in the switch to 99.4. Those will be in the "Expected" folder and can be checked in.) The libraries are still investigating whether or not we will run a report to convert all the controls in a batch. (Anita Westlake or Selden Deemer should probably be consulted if Woodruff serials folks have questions about this.)

If you need to delete a prediction record from the "Expected" folder, use the "remove predictions" button. However, if you have already checked the issue in and want to remove the record, you must first "unreceive" the issue from the Received folder, and then remove the issue from the expected folder.