Items

Why can’t I find the item I’m looking for with Title Assistant?

Title Assistant uses Z39.50 servers to search for items, so you may need to add more. Check out the z39.50 Preferences page for a list of resources you can use to bolster your Z39.50 list in Alexandria. You’ll also find instructions on adding servers, creating sets, and more.

I have more than one title record of some books–can I combine records?

Yes! To clean up duplicate records, run a Title Information report, and set the sorting in Options to “Title.” Then navigate to Items Management, and look up the titles. Decide which record you want to keep, then unlock the record. Using the Actions menu, select “Move copies to title” and enter the copy barcodes. You can also select the checkbox to delete the duplicate title record after the copies are transferred. Make sure to save changes!

Where should my series information be located?

Whether adding series information manually or automatically via an Import or Utility, make sure the series is being cataloged in the 830 MARC field so the item displays and sorts correctly in Search.

How do I remove items that I have discarded, and do they count in my system?

a. To remove Items that you have discarded, you can run the Remove Discarded Copies utility. We recommend running the Discarded Copies report first, to get a list of which items will be removed.
b. Discarded Items in your database do count in your system counts, as they are still in your database. This is also true for lost items. They are in a pending status until they are removed.

What are RDA mediums (text-unmediated-volume) and how do I make them understandable in Researcher?

Resources Description & Access (RDA) is a newer standard in which mediums are stored in the 336, 337, and 338 fields and have three components separated by dashes, such as text-unmediated-volume (this one is equivalent to book). Since this medium format is a little harder for patrons to understand, you can add aliases (i.e. alternative names) that will show in Researcher instead. Read more in Best Practices for Mediums in Alexandria.

Why does it say my Import file is not the correct file type, even though they are .mrc?

Usually this means the wrong import type is selected on the left. Make sure you have Items selected, and the import should run correctly.

When running a utility, how can I make sure that only the items or patrons I want affected are removed?

We recommend running a report, first! The Copy Information Report and Patrons Information Report can show you exactly which items and patrons will be affected–just make sure the selections in the report match the selections in the desired utility. When in doubt, reach out to our support team at support@goalexandria.com.

How do I get genre information into my item records?

The easiest way is to ask your vendors to include genre information in the 655_a field of the MARC record, so it’s added upon import. You can also add it by editing your records manually or by using the MARC editing tools, such as certain Utilities or Authority Control.

Can I enter more than one 655_a genre field to my Item records?

Yes! Add as many genre fields as you need for your patrons to find the item in Search. Keep in mind that only one genre will be displayed in the Items module, but you can click on the pencil icon to open the Genre Editor and view the rest.

Where is the genre information located within Alexandria?

Genre information is pulled from the 655_a MARC tag. You can view and modify the data in Items using the Items Editor or MARC View Editor.