FAQ

How do I see how many total patrons we have in our system?

To know the total number of patrons in Alexandria, click on the ‘?‘ icon located in the top right corner of the program. Then, select ‘About Alexandria‘. This will provide you with the current number of patrons and also inform you about the number of patrons that you are allowed to have based on your current license.

What is the ‘makeover’ and why is it better?

The ‘Makeover’ is an update on all Alexandria interfaces, for design and functionality as well as to meet new web standards.

Here are the interfaces that are released: Circulation, Items, Patrons, Operations queue, Tools, Sites, Security, Maps, Reviews, Bulletin Board Builder, Preferences, Reports (and Labels, Notices), Utilities

Here are the interfaces available to try in beta: n/a

Here are the interfaces still in ‘legacy’, where updates will be coming soon: Export, Import, Authority Control, Inventory, Explore Builder, Policies, Calendars, Subscriptions

To learn more about the Makeover, why it’s happening, and what some of the new features are, you can download the zip attachment which has pdf archives of the Makeover information from the old Support Center. You can also watch the old webinar.

Makeover FAQ Download

Makeover Q&A Webinar

Alexandria Training videos

Know that new features and bug fixes are for Makeover interfaces only. Legacy interfaces are not updated, and will be depreciated in 2025.

Why do you have to change it?

We’ve heard a lot of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ in regards to the Makeover. It’s hard to tell, but you should know that the old interfaces ARE broken. They are using an old framework that is no longer supported and it could stop working on new browsers at any time. It’s hard to get used to new tools, much easier to keep doing the same thing, but to get improvements and new features, and to keep up with the fast-changing world of software, Alexandria has to keep changing 🙂

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Recent questions:

Where have security settings gone? = Security is now located under Tools.
Some of my saved reports are missing from Reports—where are they? = Label-type reports are now found in the Labels module, and Notice-type reports are now in the Notices module.
Where is System Info? It’s missing from Circulation. = You can find this information under the Help menu > About Alexandria.
How do I get to Researcher? = Researcher is always your basic Alexandria URL; e.g. demo.goalexandria.com so you can bookmark that. You can also get to Researcher from your Dashboard, by using the keyboard shortcut, or by going through Builder.
Why can’t I press enter to save? = ‘Enter’ interferes with too many other actions—now you can use command/ctrl-S to save
How do I add a patron/item? The + is grayed out. = You have to unlock first. (For items, you might need to go to the copies tab or out of the copies tab to unlock titles vs copies.)
How do I search by ISBN in Items? = Use the Advanced Search and go under Publication.
How do I remove a copy? = Go to the copies tab and select the copy to remove, then use the toolbar underneath the copies, click the minus button or actions menu to remove. You can also use the keyboard shortcut command/ctrl-shift-delete. (If you can’t see the toolbar, try resizing your browser or moving it to the top of the screen.)
How do I add cover art? It tells me the image is too large. = You can resize your cover art using a picture tool built in to your computer or various websites. Coming soon, Alexandria will resize it for you.
How do I select multiple items out in Circulation? = use the shift key.
How do I view recently created/modified items/patrons? = click the search dropdown and pick the quick search; or press ESC on your keyboard to go back to the view with the big cards that say View recently added and View recently modified.
How do I see MARC records?? = In Items, press the MARC button at the top.

How do I import patron pictures?

To import patron pictures, follow the 5 easy steps below:

Go to Operations > Imports
Select the Images category.
On the Imports pane, select Choose File.
Locate the patron image file on your computer and select it for import. Make sure the images are saved in one ZIP (compressed) file. If the file is larger than 50 MB, schedule an FTP import in the Saved tab. Check that each picture file name matches the patron’s barcode number and is in .png or .jpg format.
- For best results, images should be approximately 186 x 240 pixels in size
Once you have selected the ZIP file, click on Run.

For more detailed instructions and help, see Importing Images.

Will the Advance Patron Grades utility also update homerooms?

No, the Advance Patron Grade utility will only update the Grade (Level) field. All other information, including homerooms, will need to be updated manually, with a utility, or with an import file.

I noticed that I have ten extra patrons that I was not aware of. Who are these additional patrons?

The ten additional patrons you see are default System Patrons in Alexandria. These specific patrons cannot be removed, but they can be very helpful to you and your library. To learn more about System Patrons, please visit our System Patrons support center page.

How do I advance my patron grades?

Everyone updates their patron records differently. Advancing patron grades may already be taken care of if you use patron imports or a SIS integration.

If not, go to your Grade Table Preferences and click Advance All Grades once. Check a patron record to make sure it worked properly.

For further help, please visit Patrons Preferences.

Advancing grades does not also change policies. If your patron policies match grade levels, see our Patron Imports Best Practices for instructions on updating those.

How can I be prepared for the beginning of the school year?

The beginning of the school year can be stressful. Please visit our free online Support Center for all our Beginning-of-Year Procedures. Following our recommendations will ensure you are ready to start at the beginning of the year.

How do I check in a Temporary item barcode?

Temporary items are checked in the same way as other items. However, once the temporary item is checked back in, the transaction record and temporary item (barcode) information are removed from Alexandria. As a result, you will no longer be able to see any information regarding the temporary item after it has been checked in.

I am adding several eBooks to our collection. How should I catalog them?

Cataloging eBooks is simple but slightly different from what you may be used to. Unlike a book with a physical copy, eBooks do not require a copy barcode. Please visit our free online support center for Best Practices for eBooks to find out all the steps you will need to catalog your eBooks.

I have multiple copies of the same book with different title records. Is there a way to combine them?

Yes, merging the title records is an easy process. Please follow the steps below to complete this:

Open Items
Search for the title records you wish to merge and choose the one you want to keep
Unlock the program
Select the Actions Menu
Choose Move Copies to Title
Enter the barcodes of the copies you want to move
Select Save

Once you have moved the copies, you can delete the title record you no longer need.