may be from an import running too many times and adding a new copy each time. |
Expand |
---|
title | How can I see how many Items and Patrons are in each site within a Centralized Catalog? |
---|
| Go to Tools>Sites, and click on the gear icon and select Site Record Counts. |
Expand |
---|
title | How are lost or discarded items handled in Alexandria? |
---|
| Lost and discarded items are checked out to System Patrons 1(lost) and 2(discarded). Read about Lost Items here for more information. |
Expand |
---|
title | How can I import items into Alexandria? |
---|
| Go to Tools>Import (or in the Makeover Operations > Import) and select the category of what you are importing. Upload the file from your computer, and make sure to configure the field map. Note: Marc records don’t need to be field mapped. See Import for more information. |
Expand |
---|
title | How can I easily change the copy location or copy shelving? |
---|
| The easiest way is by using the Set All Copy Locations or CH command in Circulation. This is much quicker than going into each item to change copy locations. Make sure to clear the command line when you’re done! You can also run the Copies Information Report to help view and sort your items. |
|
Content Block |
---|
name | Researcher |
---|
id | 621436635 |
---|
| Expand |
---|
title | How do I create a map to use in Alexandria? |
---|
| You can create a map using any type of image creation software, like Photoshop, Illustrator, Paint, etc. You can also take pictures of where the shelf is situated in the library, or hold an art contest with your students to create distinctive markers for each shelf. You can also use text to describe the location for the visually impaired. This article from Classroom Architect might help. |
Expand |
---|
title | Can I have different maps for different rooms? |
---|
| Absolutely! You can have as many maps as you need to accurately show your item locations. Though you may need to get creative with your call numbers if you're running the same call-numbered materials in different locations (i.e. 100S - 300S for a storage location and 100 - 300 for shelved items). |
Expand |
---|
title | Can I have more than on Slideshow? |
---|
| While you can only have one Slideshow active from the primary /slideshow location, you can always show additional Slideshows by creating Explore buttons that link to a Slideshow URL. |
Expand |
---|
title | How do I create a Bulletin Board? |
---|
| Bulletin Boards and their bulletins are created from Tools > Bulletins in Alexandria. Select a board on the left, or go to the Actions Image Added menu to add a new one. Then click the plus Image Added icon to create a bulletin for the board you've selected. |
Expand |
---|
title | How do I organize my bulletins? |
---|
| For the bulletin you want to display first, check Show Bulletin at the Top of the Board on the bulletin – but you can only choose one; all other bulletins are stacked according to content and bulletin size. However, Alexandria does try to keep everything in a roughly boxed-out shape to utilize the displayable area. |
Expand |
---|
title | What all can I show on my Bulletin Boards? |
---|
| Bulletin content is entirely up to you. Use them to showcase things happening at your school or facility, let your patrons know about upcoming releases or seasonal items; you can even give specific individuals the ability to manage and create bulletins for specialty groups and organizations. Read about Bulletins for more ideas. |
Expand |
---|
title | Do all users have access to Patron Status and the ability to make holds and reservations? |
---|
| Yes, any person added to your system will be given access to Patron Status and other patron-facing portions of Alexandria. |
Expand |
---|
title | Can I control what information a patron can change when they're logged in to a Patron Status? |
---|
| Yes, with your Security Group preferences you have the ability to control how much information (if any) that your patrons can edit. |
Expand |
---|
title | Can I share search results and information from Alexandria? |
---|
| Yes! After you've performed a search, you can share the entire list of results or information for individual item information. You can also create a custom search list and share that with anyone you like. |
Expand |
---|
title | What is the difference between a Public and Private list? |
---|
| - A public list can be shared and viewed by anyone that you've sent the link to.
- A private list is viewable only to the patron who created it, when they're logged in.
|
Expand |
---|
title | How can I make changes and updates to my Explore search buttons? |
---|
| That's all done through Explore Builder, which we'll be going over in a future workshop. |
Expand |
---|
title | How can I change a Researcher pane? |
---|
| To select a new pane, go to Preferences>Researcher, and click on Select New Pane, select the desired pane, and click OK. If you want to change the pane itself, go to Tools>Explore Builder, and make the changes to the appropriate Explore Pane. |
Expand |
---|
title | How can I see and write reviews on Items? |
---|
| First, go to the top right corner of the window and log in to your account. Next, search for and select an item, then click on the rating stars in the center of the window to view the reviews. |
Expand |
---|
title | What is the difference between Search and Scout? |
---|
| - Scout is more for a younger or less experienced audience, that is limited to only allowing you to view information and place holds.
- Search has more advanced features for refining and showing additional results beyond your initial query.
|
Expand |
---|
title | Can I hide in processing copies in Researcher? |
---|
| Yep! You can set copies to in processing (i.e. checked out to the In Processing system patron #7) if they're in your library but aren't ready to be placed on shelves yet. They will automatically be marked as unavailable in Researcher, but you can hide them if you'd like. In Researcher Preferences, check the In Processing box on the Auto-Hide tab. |
Expand |
---|
title | Is there a limit to how many reservations can be placed on an item at once? |
---|
| As long as there are no conflicting dates between the reservations, there is no limit to how many reservations an item can have! |
Expand |
---|
title | How far in advance can reservations be placed on items? |
---|
| Patrons can place a reservation up to 90 days in advance. |
Expand |
---|
title | Can patrons reserve an item that is currently checked out? |
---|
| Yes! As long as the reservation is placed for a date that the item will be available, such as after the due date of the current check out period, then there is no issue with placing reservations for items currently checked out. |
Expand |
---|
title | When a book has a reservation, can other patrons still check it out? |
---|
| Yes and no, depending on the situation. If a patron tries to check out an item but their transaction period interferes with the reservation, then they will not be able to check the item out. However, if the transaction does not collide with the reservation, then they can still check out the item. Check out our articles on the Reservations tab in Librarian and placing a reservation through Search for more information. |
Expand |
---|
title | What is the difference between a hold and a reservation? |
---|
| Holds are placed on either a title or copy record when a patron would like to check it out as soon as it is available. However, a reservation is placed on an item for a specific date range. |
Expand |
---|
title | What is the difference between on-shelf holds and in-stock holds? |
---|
| Generally, you will see On-Shelf Holds on items that were “Available” when the hold was placed, meaning it should be on the shelf. Once you've pulled the On-Shelf Holds from the shelves, bookdrop them to change their status to In-Stock. Then place them in the holds area of your library for patrons to check out. For more information on the two, see our "In-Stock vs On-Shelf—New holds procedures" Tip of the Week. |
Expand |
---|
title | When using Scout, is there a way to automatically show all items that are checked out? |
---|
| There sure is! You can choose to automatically show or hide checked out items in the results list by using Scout Preferences. From your Circulation screen, go to Tools > Preferences > Researcher > Scout. Then go to the Results List tab. In the Default Visibility section, check whether you want to hide or show unavailable items. |
Expand |
---|
title | Is it required that patrons log in to write reviews? |
---|
| Patrons do need to sign in to the Researcher to write a review. The default Alexandria login information is Username = Barcode and Password = Last name. See our step-by-step instructions on writing reviews and accepting or rejecting reviews. |
|
Content Block |
---|
| Expand |
---|
title | Can I use an iPad to do inventory? |
---|
| Absolutely. You can use an iPad or Chromebook to perform Inventory. If you are using an iPad, you will also need a compatible wireless scanner. Ask our Sales team what they recommend. |
Expand |
---|
title | If I start inventory now, can I still check out items? |
---|
| YES! You can inventory while you are circulating, and circulate while you are in the inventory process. Just be sure to keep track of your Inventory Start Date. |
Expand |
---|
title | Which inventory mode should I use? |
---|
| Well, we recommend using Inventory Management, which keeps track of inventory sessions and can save you time when performing inventory. But if you are doing inventory in Circulation, use Inventory Bookdrop (IB) with a wired scanner, or Inventory Bookdrop Suppressed (IBS) with a wireless scanner. If, for example, you're inventorying classroom sets checked out to teachers, you would choose Inventory (I) or Inventory Suppressed (IS) mode so those items are not bookdropped. In the Inventory Module, this means checking or unchecking the options for Audible alerts, and “Bookdrop items scanned during inventory”. For more information, read about our Circulation Inventory Commands. |
Expand |
---|
title | Why did I get an alert saying "out of session range" when scanning in my inventory session? |
---|
| Check your session overview and take a look at your Call Number Range. Make sure the "From" and "Through" fields have the same number of characters. - For example From: 000.000 AAA
Through: 299.999 ZZZ |
Expand |
---|
title | How do I see which items have been inventoried? |
---|
| Run a report. In the Review step of the inventory process, run the Inventory Items Report. And in the Reports module, run the Copies Inventoried or Copies Not Inventoried reports. |
Expand |
---|
title | Is there anything I should know before running the Declare Missing Items as Lost utility? |
---|
| Don’t forget about items that aren’t on your shelves! Items in classrooms, book rooms, or on display can be easy to overlook. Inventory these items before you declare a missing item as lost. If you're using Sessions in the Inventory module, this may mean waiting until you have finished all of your inventory, and using utilities to declare items lost. Also, if you are running your session by a call number range, we recommend using call numbers that are the same length with only whole numbers (no decimals). Using irregular call number lengths can lead to inaccurate estimates. |
Expand |
---|
title | When should I complete my inventory sessions? |
---|
| We recommend completing all of your inventory sessions when you are finished with your whole inventory. This will ensure any items that may have been misplaced on a different shelf will be found and scanned. |
Expand |
---|
title | How do I access the Inventory Management or helper Screen? |
---|
| Choose Tools on the far left, then choose the Inventory icon in the top middle. |
Expand |
---|
title | Should I create all of my inventory sessions on the same date? |
---|
| This isn't necessary. It may help you to keep things organized, but Alexandria is flexible enough to allow you to create any number of sessions that are staggered over whatever time period needed. Some people use this feature to slowly inventory throughout the school year. |
Expand |
---|
title | Do I need to create all of my sessions before I start inventorying? |
---|
| Not at all. Feel free to create sessions as you need them, if that’s easier. |
Expand |
---|
title | How do I create an Inventory session? |
---|
| Go to Tools > Inventory, then select Session at the top. Click on either the + in the bottom left, or Create Session. Give the session a name and set the Inventory By to be how you want to split the sessions. If you use call numbers as the Inventory By, you will need to make sure that in both the From and Through fields, there are the exact same number of characters–for example, From 222.222 Through 333.333, and not from 222 through 222.999. |
Expand |
---|
title | Is it beneficial to break down inventory into small or specific sessions? |
---|
| This is only as necessary as it would be helpful for you to keep track of what parts of your collection you have inventoried and the process to do it. Some librarians find it easier to use one session to inventory the Entire Collection at once. While others use smaller sessions as they are unable to do it all at once or worry they will have trouble remembering what they have already inventoried. |
Expand |
---|
title | If I don't finish my inventory on the same day I start, when I go back to complete it, do I need to alter the Start Date for the session I created? |
---|
| No, you do not, and most likely wouldn't want to. When you scan an item to be inventoried, an Inventory Date is attached to that item. The date attached to those items is the actual day you scanned them. If you alter the Start Date for your inventory session, than your inventory session would not include the items you had scanned on previous days. Your inventory sessions can last as long as you need them to. Don’t worry if it goes past a day, a week, or even a month. |
Expand |
---|
title | Is there a difference between the inventory modes (I, IS, IB, IBS) in the Circulation screen or the Inventory Management interface? |
---|
| No, they act the same on both interfaces. |
Expand |
---|
title | When an inventory session under the Inventory Management interface is completed and the option to Declare Missing Items as Lost is checked, what items are moved to Lost? |
---|
| Only the items specified by your session’s Call Number Range that were not scanned. Be very wary of this feature if you chose the session option to inventory the Entire Collection instead of a Call Number range. |
Expand |
---|
title | I’m not using the Inventory Management interface. How do I manually remove or permanently delete the not inventoried items which have been moved to Lost Status? |
---|
| - Choose Tools from the icons on the left.
- Select Utilities at the top left of the Tools section.
- Under Utilities, choose the Copies option.
- Under Copies, select the last option on the right, Remove Lost Copies.
- You have a few options to remove your Lost Copies.
- If you want to remove all of them, click Run at the bottom right.
- If you want to remove Lost Copies from a specific time period, make sure to alter the Copies Lost option under the Selections tab.
- If you would only like to remove copies that were moved into lost during inventory, and not from patrons, you will need to specify this under the Options tab.
Tip: Weeded or discarded items can be removed using a similar Utility called Remove Discarded Copies |
Expand |
---|
title | I just finished with inventory and all of my items are showing as lost! What do I do? |
---|
| Oops! To prevent this in the future, remember to always use the correct start date and double check which items will be set to lost before completing inventory. If you caught this quickly, you can restore from a previous archive (usually one from the night before). Please contact Customer Support so they can guide you through this process. If your library had a lot of circulation or you made significant changes to Alexandria before catching this, you may need to plan a full inventory. You could use the Inventory Bookdrop Suppressed mode in Circulation to quickly scan items back in. This allows you to run your library as usual until you have time to do inventory again. |
Expand |
---|
title | What reports can I use to collect additional statistics about my library? |
---|
| See Collection Statistics for the reports we recommend for gathering statistics. |
Expand |
---|
title | Will my inventory info disappear if I navigate out of the inventory management screen? |
---|
| Nope! When running inventory either through the circulation screen or inventory management, the info is stored in the copy information. Basically, your inventory info is saved each time you scan an item! |
Expand |
---|
title | What if I am inventorying with transaction scripts for some of my items? Can I still use Inventory Management? |
---|
| Yes you can! Inventory Management sessions will allow you to run reports on anything that has been inventoried in that session range. Exceptions will only show for items scanned in the inventory window, however, you can see exceptions for your transaction script when you import it > Operations > download the summary file. |
Expand |
---|
title | Do I need to modify my session start date? |
---|
| Usually this is not necessary. The session start date is set when you scan your first item. You'll only want to adjust the start date if you scanned an item elsewhere or in the wrong session, to ensure all your items are counted correctly in this session. For that reason we recommend waiting to complete sessions until you are finished with your whole inventory. |
|
Content Block |
---|
| Info |
---|
These have been moved to |
Reports FAQs Expand |
---|
title | What types of reports can I run in Alexandria? |
---|
| Alexandria has a wide range of reports to both assist in getting the proper information to those that need it such as Overdue Lists and Notices, Patron and Item Details, Charges and Fines, Item Barcode Labels, Patron Library Cards, and other such things for the day to day running of a library. See the Complete Reports List for more information. |
Expand |
---|
title | How do I see my report after I run it? |
---|
| After you select Run, click the wrench icon in the upper right corner of your screen. Once your report is complete, you will see your report ready to Email (letter icon), View (info icon), or Download (PDF document icon). |
Expand |
---|
title | How can I find the right report quickly? |
---|
| When it comes to finding reports in Alexandria most are clearly labeled, but you will want to get into the proper category (list on the left) to give you a smaller list to view. Though, to really find something quickly, I recommend using the search feature in the upper right hand corner. |
Expand |
---|
title | Do I have to create the report from scratch every time? |
---|
| Not at all. Any time you customize a report to perform a specific search, you can always click Create Saved Report to save your changes and make it easier to find in the future. |
Expand |
---|
title | Why isn't my report keeping the selections I used before? |
---|
| You probably used a quick report last time! Quick reports are used for running one-time reports and do not save selections. However, saved reports are frequently-used reports with saved selections and options that can be favorited, shared, and scheduled. If you want to save a report, select a report and click Create Saved Report at the bottom right-hand corner of the window. |
Expand |
---|
title | How can I change the size on Patron barcode labels? |
---|
| - In Reports > Patrons >Patron Barcode Labels (3x10), Options, you can adjust the size of the barcode labels. Make sure the row underneath is empty, and then select Large in the size dropdown.
|
Expand |
---|
title | I am requesting a budget for next year. How much is my current catalog worth? |
---|
| Reports found under Collection Analysis can be used for this purpose. The entire collection value is included in the Brief Analysis report. You can also run the Super Summary report, which shows the entire collection values broken down by call number ranges. The Copy Information report (detailed option) shows the copy values and funding sources. |
Expand |
---|
title | Any reports only able to be printed, or are there other delivery options? |
---|
| When you run reports in Alexandria the most common process will be to print off the paper copy or save a digital copy on your desktop. However, there are additional options for delivery in the case of features like the Email Notices option and the ability to have the PDF report sent directly to the person that requires the information. |
Expand |
---|
title | Why do I have to download a PDF before I can open and view the report information? |
---|
| Because Alexandria v7 is a web-based app with no local installation on your computer, all of the reports are created and generated on a separate server and need to be downloaded to your local computer to see them in full. We strongly recommend modifying your browser settings to automatically open any downloaded files, which will save you a mouse click after you've download it. |
Expand |
---|
title | Can I get a Report in a format that I can open in excel? |
---|
| Currently, all reports in Alexandria are PDF only because the various template and layout requirements require more controlled formatting. You can, however, export information into a tab-delimited file that can then be opened in Excel and sent to whomever needs it. |
Expand |
---|
title | Why are my reports running slower than they used to? |
---|
| In recent updates, we have adopted a new Operations engine. This allows Alexandria to give preferences to processes like Circulation, but means that reports and utilities may run a little slower. |
Expand |
---|
title | How do I print and align barcodes? |
---|
| See our Alignment Troubleshooting tips. Specifically, make sure your scaling is set to 100% or Actual Size in your PDF reader. Also, you'll want to make sure you're using the correct type of labels for the barcode report you're using. |
Expand |
---|
title | What barcode symbology does Alexandria use? |
---|
| Code 3 of 9 or code 39, with no check digit. See Barcode Your Collection for more information on barcodes. |
Expand |
---|
title | When I run a report that sorts by grade, not all of my patrons are showing up. Why is that? |
---|
| This happens when the grade table and patron grade are not matching exactly. To get your patrons to show up on the report, you will need to change the grade table or the Patron grade to match. |
Expand |
---|
title | Where can I find the report for Unused Labels/Barcodes? |
---|
| Go to Tools>Reports>Special>Unused Barcodes. Under the Options tab, specify if you are running the report with the Range Information, Barcode List, or Barcode Labels (3x10) format. Read our Tip of the Week on Unused Barcodes, or refer to the documentation for additional details. |
Expand |
---|
title | How do I use the Weeding List report to see books my library got a long time ago? |
---|
| Use the Copies added selection to see copies your library attained at a certain point in time (enter the date range or relative date). Note that you are selecting the date you want to see, not the date you don't want to see. For example, to get a Weeding List of books your library has had more than 5 years, you would use the date range of March 1990 (or some earlier date) to March 2016. |
Expand |
---|
title | Which reports can help me with end-of-year tasks? |
---|
| Which reports can help me with end of year tasks?- Send patrons notices about their coming due items, overdue items, and charges:
|
Expand |
---|
title | Do you have any tips for using the Loaned Items Information report? |
---|
| Get a list of loaned items (including temporary items) along with their due dates with the Loaned Items Information report! Turn on Page Break on Major Sort if you're sorting by level (grade) or location (homeroom) and using the Detailed or Complete formats. Then you won't need to run a separate report for each. |
Expand |
---|
title | How do I stop email reports from going out during the summer? |
---|
| Go to Reports > Saved. Scheduled reports will have a calendar icon Image Added to the right. Select a report you want to pause, go to the Scheduled tab, and turn off Schedule Report. You may want to keep a list of these reports so you can remember to re-schedule them when school resumes. Also see our instructions in the End-of-year prep—Disable emails tip if you have automatic email notifications turned on in Circulation Preferences. |
Expand |
---|
title | How are reports in Version 7 different from Version 6? |
---|
| Many reports were combined and streamlined in Version 7. See Reports Conversion for instructions on converting your saved reports. |
Expand |
---|
title | How do I use Gmail as an SMTP? |
---|
| Make sure that your Google account has two factor authentication turned off, and the “allow less secure apps'' setting turned on. Note: Sometimes it takes a day for Google to allow access after changes are made. Check Email Preferences to ensure you're using the correct settings. |
|
Content Block |
---|
|
Expand |
---|
title | I need to import a MARC file from a vendor. How should I set the default settings? |
---|
| When importing files from a vendor, the correct default settings will already be set, and you can simply select “Run.” If you have a custom import or specific needs when updating your titles or copies, we recommend calling Customer Support for assistance.
|
Expand |
---|
title | Where do I find the results of a utility or import after it’s finished? |
---|
| Go to Operations Management by clicking on the tool icon at the top, and click on the blue “i” icon. |
Expand |
---|
title | How do I import patrons or items through FTP? |
---|
| You'll need to create a saved import. Go to the import you want and click Create Saved Import at the bottom of the window. Then you'll need to enter a name and fill out the Settings tab with your preferences. Lastly, go to the File Source tab and select FTP or FTPS from the Protocol dropdown. Enter your FTP/FTPS server's information. (If you don't have your own server, COMPanion offers secure and private folders on our FTP server!) Want to check if it works? Click Test FTP Connection. From there, you can run the import whenever necessary. Tip |
---|
We recommend using FTP imports for larger files like patron pictures and BestMARC imports. |
|
Expand |
---|
title | How do I get a file to import my patrons? |
---|
| Start by exporting the necessary data from your student information system (SIS) in a tab-delimited text format. This file can be imported into Alexandria Librarian to add new patron records and update any existing patron records simultaneously. |
|
|
|