Add information to Alexandria from outside sources, such as MARC records, book vendors, or patron information from a central database. The Imports interface places everything you need to quickly find, modify, and run an import of patron, item, or image data.
To access it directly, add /import to the end of your Alexandria URL.
Import Video Playlist
Related Tips
Contact Support
Import FAQs
This page contains the general information for setting up, saving, and running imports. For more detailed instructions, see the pages for the specific import types. You can also review the Complete Imports List at the bottom of this page.
Import Patrons
Import Items
Import Textbooks
Import Images
Welcome to Imports—let’s learn all you need to know!
First, let’s review best practices for running imports.
We recommend that you schedule imports when Alexandria is not busy, because large imports can slow down your system. This also makes it easier to track down any problems later on, as it isolates activity during that time.
Files should be smaller than 50 MB.
The format of the file may be MARC, MicroLIF, or tab-delimited. In the case of tab-delimited, we recommend using Item Field Mapping. Otherwise, you’ll need to manually adjust it by clicking Field Mapping for each import.
Create Saved Imports to save the settings you use most often, including Field Mapping.
Table of Contents
Navigation
Drag and drop Drag an import file from your computer and drop it in the Imports pane for a quick and easy import!
All saved imports
The column on the left shows imports that you (or others) have created and saved. Saved imports store the selection criteria that was used to create it, not the import file itself. However, you can set it up to import a specific file from your FTP server, allowing operators to schedule recurrent imports with minimal initial setup time.
Changing the frequency of imports is quick and easy. For example, you can set it up to import new patron records and update existing patron records monthly, weekly, or even daily—no need to prepare reports or request downloadable import files from the office or technical support staff. Manual entry of fines and overdue statistics have become a thing of the past.
A significant amount of time can be spent manually adding new patrons throughout the school year. Computer technicians and librarians often require time-saving procedures when it comes to importing patron (or item) information. Using the Saved pane, operators can automatically update your patron/item information using files from the SIS (School Information System).
The Saved pane facilitates automatic data import functionality and allows operators to simply schedule recurrent imports; only requiring a small amount of initial setup time—changing the frequency of imports is quick and easy. Imagine new patrons added and existing patron records updated monthly, weekly, or even daily if required. No further need to request downloadable import files from the office or technical support staff. No more reports to prepare for the office staff; manual entry of fines and overdue statistics become a thing of the past.
Saved imports stores the selection criteria that was used to create the custom import. The results in the Saved Imports list reflect the import type selected and can be further refined by the settings tab.
Once a Saved import has been selected, it can then be performed, modified, duplicated, or removed.
Actions
Duplicate an existing saved import using the actions menu.
Remove a saved import from the actions menu.
Run when you have completed all the set-up steps—and double-checked your work—you can initiate an import by pressing the button at the bottom.
Setting Up Imports
Imports are not an operation to be run lightly. Be sure that you understand the different settings and options for the import you are running. If you have any concerns, try running an import on a limited set of data (e.g. 5 patrons instead of 100), and remember you can always contact our support team!
Overview
Set up the generic information and behavior of this import when it runs.
ImportName. Provide or edit the name of your Saved import here. This shows in Operations Management so it’s helpful for this to be descriptive; you may even want to include your site name, or import purpose. For example, Item Import – WHS – Fix Call Numbers.
Created by. Displays the name and site ID code of the operator who created the Saved import. It cannot be edited.
Notes. Provide general usage notes about the import here.
Favorite. Save this import to your favorites list for easy access.
Schedule. lets you set imports to run in the future. For instance, let’s say that you wanted to run a certain import every Friday at 5:00am. Using the Frequency drop-down menu, select Weekly; from the On drop-down menu, select Friday; finally, using the At fields, enter 5 and AM. The scheduled time is the time the import is added to your Operations queue. Depending on how busy your queue is, the import may or may not be complete at that exact time.
Notify. If you want confirmation that your imports are being performed at the indicated times and sent to the appropriate people, check the Enable Email Notification box and provide email addresses in the fields below. For example: johndoe@examplelibrary.com. Separate multiple email addresses with commas (for example: johndoe@examplelibrary.com, janedoe@examplelibrary.com).
Defaults vary significantly per type of import. Note that defaults are only used if the information is not included in the selected file–it will not overwrite already specified policies.
File Source
When setting up a saved import, you must specify where the file is coming from. This is done in the File Source tab. Set the Protocol dropdown to either Choose File (typically for a one-time import), FTP, or FTPS.
Skip first record. When checked, Alexandria will not import the first record in the import file; this is generally done when the initial record of your import file contains an unrecognized header. This setting will ignore recognized COMPanion headers so that they are properly imported.
Choose File
This option is fairly straightforward. You’ll choose a file from your computer that follows the requirements of that import (varies between patron, item, and image imports), and for patron/item imports you’ll set your field mapping (unless the file contains Alexandria headers).
FTP/FTPS
Alexandria can import new (or update existing) patrons from a record database stored on an FTP server. These options allow you to specify the (secure) FTP server URL and username/password credentials. If you find yourself uncertain what an FTP server actually is, it’s essentially just a software application that uses the File Transfer Protocol (i.e. FTP), a protocol used for sharing files over the internet. There are several FTP server software packages available that you can download and use for free.
FTP, short for File Transfer Protocol, is a set of rules (language) used to transfer files between computers on a network, such as the internet. There are two computers involved in an FTP transfer: a server and a client. An FTP client is an application that allows you to upload, download, and otherwise manage files stored on the FTP server. There are several FTP clients available for free, such as FileZilla and Cyberduck.
Host. Enter the host name or IP address of the FTP-accessible server. For example, myserveraddress.com. Don’t worry about including the URL protocol/scheme (e.g. ftp://); it will be automatically appended before the host name, depending on your Protocol selection (above).
Port. By default, FTP runs over Port 21 and FTPS runs over Port 990. You can manually enter a different port, if necessary.
Path. Enter the full path, including filename and directories. For example, /directory/subdirectory/filename.txt. If you have multiple files, set up a saved import per file.
Username and Password. Provide a clear-text authentication and sign-in protocol in the form of a username and password. If your FTP server is configured to allow it, you can connect anonymously without having to enter anything.
Field Mapping. Click this button to open the Patrons/Items Field Mapping window. Learn more about Field Mapping.
Alexandria automatically recognizes file headers created by other COMPanion software to correctly import files without you knowing anything about the contents of the data. Field Mapping is required for all tab-delimited import files that do not have a header.
Patrons and items are imported in sequential order. Use the arrows to correctly order the fields of the import file. Click the green checkmark on an individual field to exclude it from the import.
Delete Files after Processing. When left unchecked, the file will not be removed (deleted) from the FTP directory after it has been successfully imported. It will be left on the server for processing by other applications or Data Stations.
This is a Shared Patron Import. (Option for patron imports) Only patrons with Site Code of THIS site will be imported. The file will be left on the server for processing by other sites.
If you use FTP, you can specify the folder in the path name (instead of the file name) and it will import all files in that folder.
Use FTP and Saved Patron Imports as a Patron Server
It can be difficult for administrators to keep up with changing patron populations over a vast network of Alexandria Data Stations. With our shared import FTP functionality, an entire patron record database can be stored in one central location and every Alexandria Data Station—once configured—can import new (or update existing) patrons as they become available.
To make it really easy to manage your patron databases, use one of our SIS Integrations to set up automatic and hands-free student imports!
How Does This Work?
Most school districts use administrative software with centralized student information management; this software has the ability to export an entire student population, which can then be transferred from one host and stored on an FTP server over a TCP-based network.
Once the patron file has been transferred to a shared FTP server (and with the proper administrative permissions), patron data can then be imported or exported to any Alexandria Data Station.
If several sites import from a shared directory, it is absolutely essential to have your FTP settings accurately configured! For instance, if none of your sites except one has Delete Files After Processing checked, that school will cause the shared import file to be erased after import! One bad apple can essentially spoil the whole bunch. For this reason, we recommend that you consider having an IT professional configure your scheduled FTP imports and/or prohibit specific Import and Export settings for certain Security Groups. Further, if you’re using the FTP selection to schedule imports for files other than patron records (e.g. MARC record imports) we recommend that you create independently named subdirectories for each file type being imported. For example, your URL might be: ftp://myserveraddress.com/directory/subdirectory/.
If you don’t specify a particular file to import, Alexandria will import every file it discovers in the shared FTP directory; even if multiple files exist in the directory—they will all be processed and imported separately. For example, if the URL you provide does not contain a specific file name (e.g. ftp://myserveraddress.com/directory/subdirectory/ ), then all files located within that directory are imported. However, if the URL you provide does include a file name (e.g. ftp://myserveraddress.com/directory/subdirectory/filename.txt ), then only the file that matches that name will be imported.
Once a file has been successfully imported, it will be left on the server for processing by other Data Stations unless you have the Delete Files After Processing option checked; then, the file will be removed (deleted) from the FTP directory.
So that you don’t import patrons/items from sites other than your own, only patron/item records that match your current Site Code will be imported. Additionally, if you have the This is a Shared Patron Import option checked, the program will only import new patron records; this is determined by matching internal Site Codes and checking filenames and file creation/modified dates.
Access to COMPanion’s FTP server is included in SIS Integration packages. Contact our Sales Team if you’re interested in adding this service to your library!
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used for the transfer of computer files between a client and server on a computer network. In other words, scheduling a patron import from an FTP server is another way to automatically update patron information in your library. Use it in conjunction with SchoolDay or Clever to update information that might not be included in those syncs. FTPS is similar, except your data is encrypted and secure.
With this service, you’ll be provided with a secure and private folder on COMPanion’s FTP server. You can then upload files to that folder and transfer them to Alexandria through a patron import.
We only allow explicit FTPS transfers. Explicit FTPS is a newer transfer method that allows for more flexibility in determining how secure the file is. Before a transfer starts, the client requests encryption information to see which data is secured. However, implicit FTPS encrypts all data and establishes a secure connection before the transfer.
FTP Onboarding
Want access to COMPanion’s FTP server? Here’s what you’ll need to do!
If you don’t already have a SIS Integration package, contact our Sales Team to add one to your library.
Call Customer Support and they will send you a link to set up a username and password.
Once this has been completed, our Hosting Team will create a folder on our FTP server for you. We will send an email with a link to your folder.
You’ll then need to work with your library or district tech to upload patron import files. Since we do not work directly with your SIS, this isn’t within our area of support. It will be up to you and your district to get the files in the correct format to your hosted folder. Check out Import Field Mapping and Import Tab-Delimited Records for information on Alexandria’s file formatting requirements.
Once the file is in your folder, you can set up and schedule an FTP or FTPS import in Alexandria.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you have any questions please call Customer Support at 1-800-347-4942 to get help with importing files.
Archive Before Import is no longer an option. Here’s why: In the past, we have suggested that users run an archive prior to importing a large set of data. This archive would act as a fallback solution in case anything went catastrophically wrong. However, Alexandria now runs daily archives as part of its normal operations, so as long as you follow our suggested Backup Procedures, you will have a backup from the day before.
Why wouldn’t you want to use an Archive as a way to ‘undo’ a large import or utility? Because you might not be the only person working in Alexandria. Other librarians might be cataloging, patrons might be placing holds—all things that are hard to control and almost impossible to track down if you restore from an Archive and effectively erase all those transactions.
We highly encourage you to run potentially dangerous operations, like imports, during low usage periods. Choose your import options scrupulously and review the log for errors immediately following the operation!
