Items

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.

Which MARC tag and subfield do I use?

In Alexandria, it’s easy to catalog items whether you understand MARC tags and subfields or not. However, if you can’t find a spot for the information you want to add in a title record, you may need to switch to MARC View and add it that way. So… where can you go to find information about what each tag and subfield represents?

The Library of Congress (LOC) website has a special section devoted to MARC tags and fields, which shows what each tag and subfield represent and examples of how each is used.

To get to the Library of Congress MARC webpage:

Go tohttp://www.loc.gov/marc.
Click on Bibliographic under the MARC Formats section or Bibliographic under the MARC LITE section.
Use the Table of Contents to select a portion of MARC information you would like to learn about.
Use links from the resulting page to view specific tag information.

You can also click Read About This Tag when looking at a specific tag in MARC View to go straight to the relevant LOC page.

How can I get a list of all items that are checked out and their due dates?

To get a list of all the items that are checked out along with their due dates, follow these simple steps:

Select Operations
Select Reports
Categories: Circulation
Select Loaned Items Information
Select Run

Once the report is generated, you can see all the checked-out items along with their due dates. Any due date that appears in red indicates that the item is overdue.

How do I manually add a new book to my catalog?

Adding a new book to your Alexandria catalog is easy with the SmartMARC Title Assistant. View a step-by-step video tutorial HERE.

School has started and I want to clean up my item records. Is there an easy way to clean up mediums and genres?

You can do this in Authority Control, which is the part of the program that helps a user manage terms and edit, modify, or even remove them when no longer in use. To access Authority Control go to Tools and select Authority Control. You will find terms listed under both patron and item field headings.

By using the gear at the top you can select “Remove unused terms” to clean up some of these fields. This will only remove a term if none are entered into an item or patron record under the corresponding field. If you have any questions about best practices for managing Authority Control terms we recommend you call Customer Support for guidance and advice.

Over the summer our IT department wants to add or re-add the Chromebooks and iPads to our catalog. What are the recommended methods of doing this correctly?

If you have used Alexandria or Textbook Tracker to catalog non-book items such as laptops, chargers and other technology it is a good idea to use a specific item policy or policies to manage them. In most cases you will want a title record for something like a Chromebook to include all of the copies instead of 1/1 with titles/copies.

If you are using an import file, you will need to create a title record with an ISBN first so the import setting “Title update matching” works for title and ISBN/LCCN.

Read Best Practices for Cataloging to learn how to catalog equipment in Alexandria.

If you have any questions please call Customer Support at 1-800-347-4942 to get help with importing files.

How can I easily change the copy location or copy shelving?

The easiest way is by using the Set All Copy Locations or CH command in Circulation. This is much quicker than going into each item to change copy locations. Make sure to clear the command line when you’re done! You can also run the Copies Information Report to help view and sort your items.

How can I import items into Alexandria?

Go to Operations > Import and select the category of what you are importing. Upload the file from your computer, and make sure to configure the field map. Note: Marc records don’t need to be field mapped. See Import for more information.