This document describes how a library system was configured to record browse transactions in Voyager, including date and time of browses. New tables were added to the Voyager database to store event details like item and patron information. Initially, all discharges without a prior charge were incorrectly counted as browses, greatly inflating browse numbers. To filter out these incorrect browses, tables were updated daily from Voyager and a left excluding join was used to return discharge records that did not match a prior charge for an item on that date. This allowed accurate reporting of circulation versus browse counts on a monthly basis.

1. How to account for browses
Recording of Browses
• Voyager records the 'historical browses' of
each item in the item level record.
• No dates or times are associated with the
counts.

2. With version 9 of Voyager
Configuration to Record Browse Date and Time
Purpose of the Enhancement
This enhancement saves the date and time in the
Voyager database for browse transactions.
Description
An Events table has been added to the Voyager system
to record details for specific transactions. The option
must be enabled to save the date and time for
browse transactions.

4. New Tables
Event event_id number(32)
item_id number(32)
item_type_code varchar2(10)
item_location_id number(32)
patron_id number(32)
patron_group_code
varchar2(10)
oper_id varchar2(10)
circ_location_id number(32)
event_type_id number(32)
event_date date
event_xml blob
Added for historical browse
support
Event_item_status Event_id number(32)
Item_status number(32)
Added for historical browse
support
Event_type event_type_id number(32)
event_type_code varchar2(10)
event_type_desc varchar2(250)
retain_event char(1)
retain_patron_id char(1)
Added for historical browse
support

5. Started Counting and What Happened!
•All discharges without a prior charge are
counted as a browses.
•Browse counts as compared to circulation
counts were insanely high—3 to 5 times more
than circulation.

6. Goal
Filter out all browses from an item those
status was charged prior to the discharge on
that day.

7. MySQL

8. Both tables are updated daily
from the Voyager database.

9. ColdFusion – Circdischargebuild
Table

10. ColdFusion – Browses Table

11. Returns all the records in the left table (A)
that do not match any records in the right table (B).
Left excluding JOIN
From http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/33052/Visual-Representation-of-SQL-Joins

12. ColdFusion –
Monthly Browse Report

14. Circs vs. Browses