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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

Here are the interfaces available to try in beta: n/a

Here are the interfaces still in ‘legacy’, where updates will be coming soon: Export, Import, Authority Control, Inventory, Explore Builder, Policies, Calendars, 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 old webinar.

Makeover FAQDownload
Makeover Q&A Webinar
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. 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 🙂

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Recent questions:

  • 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.