Patrons

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.

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 update Patron records with a file on my computer?

First, make sure the file is tab-delimited (not a csv file).
Make sure you have a way to match the patron information with the info in the file, such as barcode, RSN (Record Sequence Number), GUID (Gobally Unique Identifier), Government ID (SSN), Community ID (Student #), or Primary Email, First Name, and Last Name (all 3).
See Patron Imports Best Practices for more information.

The school year is underway and I want to clean up my patron records. Is there an easy way to clean up homerooms and grades?

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.

Can I choose the next patron barcode Alexandria will assign?

You can! First, navigate to Preferences > Patrons > Patron Defaults tab. In the Barcode Settings section, specify the beginning number for auto-assigned barcodes – choose a number that doesn’t conflict with your item barcodes and has enough room to continue sequentially for all future patrons. Learn more in Patron Preferences.

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.

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 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.

We have a new librarian. How can I add them as an Alexandria operator?

To add an Operator, you need to create their record in the Patrons Management just like you would for any other patron. Then, you should grant the new operator the appropriate access permissions by navigating to the Access tab and adjusting the security settings. If you’re unsure about which access permissions to assign, please refer to Security.

Remember If you select the Librarian Security group or a higher level, the account will need to have an email address associated with it. In addition to reviewing the security groups page, please also see our Password Management Best Practices.

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.