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.
FAQ
What do I do about loaned items that were not returned, and also clean up lost and discarded copies?
Of course you want to run reports on loaned or overdue items, and before you close the library for the summer you should consider cleaning out any lost and discarded copies. Run reports for lost and discarded material first before using utilities to remove them. One great feature of the Remove Lost/Discarded Copies utilities is that you can control which copies specifically to remove. This means you can retain copies from a specific date range, and choose between material that is lost or discarded from inventory, weeding or patrons. Read about best practices for lost and discarded copies.
As always, contact Customer Support if you have any questions or need assistance.
How do I prepare the patron records for the next year? I need to remove the students who graduated.
You should consider advancing patron grades even if you update the students each year with an import file. Advancing your last grade to “Graduated” will allow you to remove students who have moved on to bright futures. Don’t worry, you will be able to keep records for any who have outstanding material or account balances. Read about End-of -Year procedures and call Customer Support at 1-800-347-4942 if you need help with your Patron Grade Table or running utilities.
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.
Where can I get more information on the Alexandria Best Practices for Patrons?
Oh man! We have a great workshop for you.
You can also take a look at our Best Practice articles.
Where can I get more information on the End-of-Year procedures?
See our End-of-Year Procedures
Are there more training workshops that I can view?
Check out our YouTube channel!
Where can I learn about inventory and weeding?
Take a look at Inventory and watch our Inventory Workshop.
How can I modify my Grade Table?
Change your Grade Table in Preferences. You’ll want to check Authority Control as well to make sure your grades are consistent. Please learn more about modifying your Grade Table in Patron Preferences.
How do I remove old Homerooms from my Homeroom list?
Once there are no patrons listed in a homeroom anymore, the homeroom is removed. So, updating the homerooms manually, via import, or through Authority Control will remove any homerooms with no patrons. Contact Support for additional assistance.