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Just got email? Here's what you can do!!

basically, go over all the options they have for communicating with their patrons using email

specify to set up email must have Admin > Email configured, the from/reply email will be the site address in Sites, and of course patrons must have emails in their record (use one of our SIS syncing services!).

Once your email is set up, you can decide if you want to turn on the preference "Enable Automatic Email Notifications” (http

://support.

companioncorp

goalexandria.com/

display/ALEX/Circulation+Settings). It currently sends quite a bit of automatic notices, which are all-or nothing (we’re hoping to offer more customization in the future). Then there are a bunch of email notice type reports (list a few examples, mention scheduling them), you can set up normal reports to email to you (especially nice when they are scheduled), and then our favorite of course is emailing Patron Details  

Letter text customizable...

…And I’m sure our Support Team can go into a lot more details if you need any help at all configuring the email in Alexandria.

(also see Using Automatic Email Notifications)

options in communicating w/ patrons

knowledge-base/email-notices-best-practices/



Communicating with everyone is essential when running a busy library, and email is usually the easiest route! Whether it's notifying patrons about holds that are ready to be picked up or letting a librarian know about upcoming reservations, Alexandria and Textbook Tracker offer a variety of notices.

There are two different kinds of email notices: those that are automatic and those that can be set up in Reports. Depending on your library's needs, you can use one or both. 

Requirements

In order for any email notice to work, you need to make sure several things are set up:

what to set up in Alex

  • Configure your 

    Open Links in New Window

    Email Preferences.

    Configure your Email Preferences. 

    These can be accessed through Preferences > Setup > Email or /admin > Email.

  • Add an email to your

    Open Links in New Window

    your site record. 

  • Make sure

    at least one operator has a Primary Email on their record.?Patrons must have a Primary Email on their record to

    your patrons and operators have a Primary Email on their record so they can receive notifications and messages. Run a Patrons with No Email report to see who still needs to have an email added.

Tip
Open Links in New Window

Use GG4L or Clever to automatically

manage

update patron information, such as email addresses.

Automatic Email
Notifications
Notices

Some notices go out automatically when certain events happen in Alexandria or Textbook Tracker. Here are a few things to note about these:

  • In order for patrons and librarians to get these notices, you must

have
  • Several notifications also require additional preferences to be set.
Some of these notifications also 
  •  
Expand
titleHolds
Tip

These notices are Alexandria only.

NotificationRecipientTriggerAdditional PreferencesCustomizable Customized Notice Text

Queue Hold

Patron

  • Librarian places a hold on an unavailable item through Circulation 
  • Patron places a hold on an unavailable item through Researcher 
PatronN/AN/ANo

On-Shelf Hold

Librarian

  • Patron places a hold on an available item through Researcher
('Email Librarian when an On-Shelf Hold is placed through Researcher' preference must also be turned on)
Librarian
Open Links in New Window

Turn on Circulation Preferences > Circulation Rules > Email

This is being sent to the librarian immediately when the preference to 'Enable Automatic Email Notifications' is enabled along with the preference to 'Email

Librarian when an On-Shelf Hold is placed through Researcher

' and a patron places a hold on an available item through researcher

.

 

NoN/A

In-Stock Hold

Patron

  • Librarian bookdrops an on-shelf hold or hold queue item through Circulation, making it in-stock
PatronN/AYes (
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In-Stock Hold

)

Expired Queue Hold

Patron

  • Expired pending hold is automatically removed during daily

maintenance		When holds expire is controlled by the Days to Keep a Hold Request preference in Patron Policies

  • maintenance 

    Note

    Expired in-stock holds are not automatically removed. They stay until the item is bookdropped.

Patron
Open Links in New Window

Set hold expiration dates with the Days to keep a hold request in the queue preference in Patron Policies.

N/ANo
Expand
titleReservations
Tip

These notices are Alexandria only.

NotificationRecipient
Trigger
Additional Preferences
Customizable
Customized Notice Text

Reservation Placed

Patron

Librarian

  • Librarian places a reservation through Circulation
  • Patron places a reservation through Researcher
Notice is being sent to the librarian at the

Patron

Librarian (at site that owns the reserved copy

when the Notify

)

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Turn on Circulation Preferences > Circulation Rules > Notify Librarian on New Reservation

Circulation preference is enabledYes (Reservation Notice and Reservation Placed (Advanced Bookings prefs - patron notice)Reservation UpcomingPatronWhen Preference -> Circulation Rules -> Notify of Upcoming Reservations is enabled, this is being sent to the patron during daily maintenance 5 days prior to the reservation start date, which is what my Circulation -> Circulation Rules -

for the librarian to get a notice.

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Patron Notice: Reservation Notice and Reservation Placed

Librarian Notice: N/A

Reservation Upcoming

  • Sent when there are a certain number of days before the reservation start date
Patron
Open Links in New Window

Turn on Circulation Preferences > Circulation Rules > Notify Patron of Upcoming Reservations.

Use Circulation Preferences > Circulation Rules > Days to Look Ahead for Reservations

preference is currently set at. Here is what I observed: On the 15th I placed a reservation for the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th and when advancing my system clock ahead one day at a time, allowing daily maintenance to run each day, this was sent one time during daily operations @ 12:06 AM on the 17th but not on the 16th and not again on the 18th or 19th. These specifics are not currently mentioned in our documentation for this preference.

to modify the number of days Alexandria looks ahead before emailing upcoming reservation notifications.

N/A

Reservation Removed

NoReservation RemovedPatron

  • Librarian removes reservation through Circulation
  • Patron removes reservation through Patron Status (Researcher)
Yes (Reservation Removed - AB)Advanced Bookings Reservations 
PatronN/A
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Reservation Removed

Reservation Return Request

This is being sent to the patron during daily maintenance when they have an item checked out which was a reservation and was checked out through advanced bookings. Confusing, but I did this: I created 3 patrons and 3 items. One item I checked out normally, due on the 25th. The other two I placed reservations on, by separate patrons, ending the 25th. I then checked out one reservation through circulation and the other through advanced bookings. I left '
  • Sent when there are a certain number of days before an Advanced Bookings reservation is due
Patron
Open Links in New Window

Use Advanced Bookings Preferences > Settings > Days Before Item Is Due

To

to Send Out Notice

' at it's default of '0', which I believe means ON the due date, and began advancing my system clock ahead one day at a time, allowing daily maintenance to run plus a little time for notices to go out. On the 25th I received ONE notice for the patron that had a reservation which was checked out through advanced bookings. The other patrons whose items were also due this day but checked out differently did not receive any notice. Evidently there is something in the database indicating it was an advanced booking reservation and this notice only applies to those currently. I believe this to be T8TRpendingAbItem Myra's original question: wait, how do we know it was a reservation? It should just be a regular checkout. - is this working? Or is it reminding people of regular coming dues? or needed for reservation?

to set the number of days before items are due to send the notice.

Open Links in New Window

Reservation Return Request

Expand
titleOverdues
Tip

These notices work for both Alexandria and Textbook Tracker.

Trigger
NotificationRecipientAdditional PreferencesCustomizable Customized Notice Text

Overdue Item/Textbook

Patron
  • Checked out item or textbook becomes overdue
PatronItem Policy > Transaction Period or Hard Due Date, or Period Due Date
Open Links in New Window

Set transaction periods and hard due dates in Item Policies. 

Circulation LetterYes (Circulation Letter)

Lost Item/Textbook

PatronChecked out
  • Overdue item or textbook is declared lost
Patron
Open Links in New Window

Use Item Policy > Overdue > Declare Lost When Overdue

x days

to set the time period after which overdue items will be declared lost.

N/ANo
Expand
titleCharges
Tip

These notices work for both Alexandria and Textbook Tracker.

TT and Alex

NotificationRecipientTriggerAdditional PreferencesCustomizable Customized Notice Text

Charge Incurred

Patron

  • Charge is incurred on the patron's account (overdues, overdue continuing to accrue, item being declared lost or discarded, manual charges from Circulation)
. in the case where a charge was made via the 'Charge' button under the 'Charges' tab in circulation and
Note
If you make the charge manually in Circulation, you must check the option to email a receipt
was checked. Charges
; charges made with the
'
F
'
and
'
DL
' commands had no receipt associated with them.
commands won't send a receipt/notice.
PatronN/ANo

Charge Paid

Patron

  • Charge is paid from Circulation and librarian checks the option to
Email Receipt is checked by librarian
  • email a receipt
PatronN/ANo

Charge Forgiven

Patron

  • Charge is forgiven from Circulation and librarian checks the option to
Email Receipt is checked by librarian
  • email a receipt
PatronN/ANo

Charge Refunded

/ Refunded Credit		Patron

  • Charge
Credit
  • is refunded from Circulation and librarian checks the option to
Email Receipt is checked by librarian
  • email a receipt
PatronN/ANo

Credit Added

Patron

  • Credit is added from Circulation and librarian checks the option to
Email Receipt is checked by librarian
  • email a receipt
PatronN/A

Credit Refunded

  • Credit is refunded from Circulation and librarian checks the option to email a receipt
PatronN/ANo
Report Email
Notifications
Notices

Some notices are set up and sent through Reports. With these, you can:

  • Use selections to be more specific about which patrons get a notice.

  • Customize the notice text. Some notices have default text that's determined by Circulation Letters, but it can still be edited while setting everything up

These notices can be saved and scheduled or sent only once

  • .

ReportUse
Formats
Circulation Letter Default
Alexandria and Textbook Tracker

Account Introduction

Give patrons their login credentials and other important library information
Email, 2 Per Page, 4 Per Page, Letters
Account Access Information

Account Expiring Notice

Notify patrons whose accounts are expiring in the next 30 days
EmailSuspended PatronsNotify patrons or parents/guardians of library suspensionLetter, Letter to Parents, Self Mailer
N/A

Send Email

Send out a customizable email to a selection of patrons
Email
N/A

Send Patron Details Email

Email Patron Details to selected patrons

Tip
Open Links in New Window

You can also email or print Patron Details from Circulation

and Patrons Management.

.

N/A
Overdue Items Notice *Notify patrons who have items that are overdueCirculation Letter
Alexandria Only
Email
Coming Due Items NoticeLet patrons know their items are due soon
Email, 2 Per Page, 4 Per Page, Letters, Letters to Parents, Letters with Summary, Self Mailer, Mailing Labels 3 Across Damaged Items Notice Notify patrons who have damaged item feesLetter, Mailing Labels 3 Across
Circulation Letter
In-Stock Hold Notice Notify patrons when an in-stock hold is ready for them to pick up
Email, Standard, 4 Per Page, Mailing Labels 3 Across
In-Stock Hold
Lost Items Charge Notice Notify patrons who have unpaid lost items charges
Email, 2 Per Page, 4 Per Page, Letters, Letters to Parents, Letters with Summary, Self Mailer, Mailing Labels 3 Across Overdue Items Notice Notify patrons who have items that are overdueEmail, 2 Per Page, 4 Per Page, Letters, Letters to Parents, Letters with Summary, Self Mailer, Mailing Labels 3 Across
Circulation Letter
Overdue Items and Unpaid Charges Notice *Notify patrons who have overdue items and/or unpaid charges
Email, 2 Per Page, 4 Per Page, Letters, Letters to Parents, Letters with Summary, Self Mailer, Mailing Labels 3 Across
Circulation Letter
Severely Overdue Items Notice Notify patrons who have items that are severely overdue
Email, 2 Per Page, 4 Per Page, Letters, Letters to Parents, Letters with Summary, Self Mailer, Mailing Labels 3 Across
Circulation Letter
Unpaid Charges Notice *Notify patrons who have charges that haven't been paid yetCirculation Letter
Note

* When using the Email

, 2 Per Page, 4 Per Page, Letters, Letters to Parents, Letters with Summary, Self Mailer, Mailing Labels 3 Across

customize letter text

format for these notices, you can choose whether to send the notice to only the Primary Email or all emails on selected patron records. This allows you to notify both patrons and parents/guardians if necessary.

If there are emails you want for reference but don’t want to use for notices, we recommend putting them in the General Notes section of patron records.

For automatic notices and other email notices, emails send to only the first email in the patron record (the Primary Email). 

list of notifications patrons get

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