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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

What is Virtual Librarian?

You can learn how to better customize your Researcher for increased patron engagement by meeting with our Virtual Librarian (who is actually a REAL librarian!) to enhance your skills, knowledge, and abilities in Alexandria.

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, Calendars, Authority Control, [Exports]

Here are the interfaces available to try in beta: Inventory

Here are the interfaces still in ‘legacy’, where updates will be coming soon: Import, Explore Builder, Policies, 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 webinar from February 25th, 2025 , linked below.

Makeover FAQ Download

Makeover Q&A Webinars

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; they also don’t meet modern web or accessibility standards. 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 🙂

Additional Resources

Join our Facebook Users group to connect with other Alexandria users!

Submit a big idea for how we can improve Alexandria.

Sign up for our weekly tip emails to keep learning Alexandria.

Recent questions:

How do we delete copies using the mass delete utility? =It depends a lot on what you want to remove — this is a very good one to get Support’s help the first time you are doing it. You can learn more in the support center.
How do you access the X command?= To run the ‘X’ command just enter ‘x’ in the command line in Circulation. You can learn more here.
What’s a “relative date”? = Relative dates let you set up a report with ‘relative’ dates like ‘next week’ rather than the specific days of the year. You can learn more here.
How would I change a location for a group of books? = You can use the Change Copy Location utility! Learn more, and do contact our Support team if you need help!
How can we make permanent lists in Search? = You just have to be logged in to save them! Then you can edit them to make them public or sharable if you want other people to be able to view them.
Where do I delete homerooms for those teachers are no longer at the school? = Authority Control is the best place to change the Homeroom information if those students have a new homeroom. And you can remove ‘unused terms’ from there as well.
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 get Operations to open in a new window? = Use your system shortcut (e.g. command-click) for opening pages in a new window, and click on Operations in the sidenav. Or open a new window and go to /operations.
How do I navigate up and down in the record list, for example when I’m looking at my Items? = You can use the arrow keys, but if you click into a field to edit it, the arrow keys will then be focused on the other field. You can always use the other shortcut ⌘ or Ctrl [ and ] to go up/down in a record list. See more at https://support.goalexandria.com/getting-started/hotkeys/.

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