Global Grid for Learning (GG4L) is a K-12 industry collaborative that provides schools with various EdTech tools, including the secure exchange of school roster data between applications. With all of your student information syncing from one place, there's no need to manually update rosters in multiple applications.

Take a look at the field mapping table to see what kind of student information is imported from GG4L. Once GG4L is enabled, patron records in Alexandria will automatically update every day during Daily Operations. 

How do I get started?

1. Consider your data and matching options.

If you have existing patron records in Alexandria, you will need to decide on a common identifier so the Alexandria and GG4L records can match. For this reason, information in the Barcode, Student # (Community ID), or Email + Name fields in Alexandria must match a field in GG4L.

Here are some other things to keep in mind:

• GG4L fields will overwrite what's in Alexandria fields. Check out the field mapping table to see which patron information this applies to.

• If you want a GG4L field to be patrons' Barcode or Student # in Alexandria, you can use optional mappings to update those fields in Alexandria.

• If you are using optional mappings with a GG4L user id type, you’ll need to get that value from GG4L.

2. Register with Alexandria.

Contact our sales team at 1-800-347-6439 to add GG4L to your Alexandria license.

3. Register with GG4L.

If you don't already have an account with GG4L, you will need to contact them and set that up. Alexandria will then send your school or district an introductory email. You will also receive a welcome email from GG4L with a request to review and accept GG4L's online Terms of Use. Once you accept the Terms of Use, GG4L will give you instructions on how to provide them with your data. They will then let you know when your data has been successfully integrated.

Throughout this process, GG4L will train you on how to use their program and answer any questions you have.

4. Connect with Alexandria through GG4L.

Request to connect with Alexandria through GG4L. You can do this by logging into your GG4L portal, clicking on the Application Gallery tab, searching for Alexandria, and clicking Activate. 

5. Enable GG4L in Alexandria.

Customer Support will confirm that you are registered and have the data to successfully sync before approving your activation request through GG4L. They will then guide you through the process of enabling GG4L and syncing your data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should I contact with questions about GG4L?

You can contact GG4L Customer Support with questions at +1 510-629-6145 or info@gg4l.com. If you have questions about enabling GG4L in Alexandria, contact Alexandria Customer Support at 1-800-347-4942 or support@goalexandria.com. 

1. Add your client information.

Alexandria Customer Support will enter your Client ID and Client Secret Key for you. Click Save in the upper right corner.

2. Map your sites.

Click on Site Mapping. To match a site in Alexandria to one in GG4L, click on the site names and then the Match button. Once all sites are matched, click OK and then Save. This is required even if you are a single site.

3. Enable GG4L.

Click on the Enable GG4L checkbox. A warning dialog will pop up letting you know that Alexandria will disable SIF and Clever. If you have been using SIF or Clever with Alexandria, click Cancel and let Customer Support know. If not, click Begin.

4. Choose the types of users you want to automatically update.

Check the Students and/or Teachers checkboxes if you want those records to automatically update during Daily Operations.  

5. Modify field mapping.

Field mapping is automatically configured to match and overwrite fields in Alexandria with fields in GG4L. By default, Alexandria's Community ID, Barcode, and Location fields are not mapped with GG4L. If you use these fields to identify patrons between systems, click Modify field mapping to customize how they're mapped. If you are field mapping with a GG4L user id type, you’ll need to get that value from GG4L.

We will not attempt to match these unless you map them here. Take a look at these three fields in our field mapping table to see your options.

Click OK and then Save when you're done.

6. Sync your data.

Click Sync Now to initiate a full sync. A dialog box will pop up letting you know that the GG4L Sync Utility has been queued.

7. Fill out the Contact tab (optional).

If you would like to, click on the Contact tab and fill out all of GG4L's contact information. Be sure to click Save in the upper right-hand corner when you're done. This will make it easier for you and your staff to contact GG4L Customer Support if you experience problems or have questions in the future.

Field Mapping

Field mapping outlines how Alexandria matches and transfers information between softwares.

• During the first sync, GG4L data is paired with Alexandria patrons by matching one or more key identifiers, including GUID, Barcode, Government ID (SSN), Community ID (Student #), or Email + Name. Blank fields are never used for matching. When matched, the GG4L GUID will be added to existing patrons. In future syncs, the GG4L GUID is how patrons will be identified and updated.

• We suggest sharing all requested data with Alexandria. However, if you choose to limit what is shared, know that the GUID, First Name, Last Name, Status, Role, and Primary School fields in GG4L are required.

• Information in GG4L fields will overwrite what's in Alexandria fields.

Here is a list of the corresponding fields in Alexandria and GG4L that are matched while syncing: