FAQ

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 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.

How do I remove teachers from the system?

Teachers are listed in the Homeroom (Primary Location) field. To permanently remove a teacher from Alexandria, first make sure that there is NOT a patron record for that specific person. If there is, be sure to remove it. Next, go to Tools > Authority Control. In the Category pane on the left, expand Patrons and select Homeroom. Locate and select the teacher on the right, then go to the Actions menu to remove them.

How do I update specific patron information?

Patron information can be changed by editing individual patron records in Patron Management.

You can also update specific information in multiple records using Utilities. In the Selections tab, choose which patron records will be updated by selecting common piece of information, such as Grade or Security Group, or choose Show Additional Selections to set a barcode range or enter a list of specific patron barcodes. Then specify what will be changed in the Options tab.

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.

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.