Operations

What happened to Reports?

Reports, Labels, and Notices have joined the makeover and are now three separate categories. You can read more about the changes and watch our training videos for all the details on the new format.

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.

Now that I have done my inventory, how can I remove my lost and discarded copies?

Before making any changes, it is recommended that you run the Discarded Copies and Lost Copies reports to get a list of what will be removed. To do this, follow these steps:

Go to Operations
Select Reports
Categories: Copies
Select Lost Copies
Select Run
Repeat the steps for Discarded Copies

Once you have reviewed your reports and are ready to remove the lost and discarded copies, follow these steps:

Go to Operations
Select Utilities
Categories: Copies
Select Remove Lost Copies
In the Selections tab, you can enter the selections you want to filter your utility. You can just leave this section blank to remove all discarded or lost copies.
Select Run
Repeat the steps for Discarded Copies

Please keep in mind that using these utilities will permanently remove all lost and/or discarded items from your Alexandria database.

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.

I’m having an issue where my barcode labels are printing off the label sheet. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this problem?

If your barcode labels are misaligned, overlapping, or off-centered, troubleshoot the issue with Barcode Your Collection.

How do I make sure imported copies go to the right site?

Ensure that your import file has the correct site code for each copy. If a copy’s status unexpectedly changes to In Transit when bookdropped (checked in) instead of Available, it may be assigned to the wrong site.

Where do I set up the “next barcode” if I’m importing items without barcodes?

While importing items, look at the Barcode Handling section on the Settings tab. Add a Starting Item Barcode and select Always Assign New Barcodes.

Is Patron History changed or modified when updating with an import file?

If a patron’s information is updated with an import file, all of their historical information will remain on the record as-is. Historical data is only removed from a patron record if the individual patron is completely removed from the system.

This means that if you’re recycling barcode numbers, you’ll need to permanently remove the record of the patron who was previously assigned the barcode before you assign that barcode to another patron record.

What information can be updated with a patron import file?

Patron imports can be used to change any field in patron records except for the Barcode field.

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.