You can import information, such as textbook data and cover art, There are times when you'll want to add (or import) information to Textbook Tracker from outside sources , such as MARC records, textbook vendors, or patron informationto add to or update your existing data. The Imports interface places everything you need to quickly find, modify, and run an import of patron, item, and transaction command information. You can also create and schedule your own custom imports.

Import Categories are controlled by Security Group and will only show categories the operator has access to.

The Textbook category only shows if they have Textbook Registration.

The first release of Textbooks will only support tab-delimited files with UTF8 encoding. That is, we assume UTF8 character encoding for Textbook Data.

NOTE: UTF8 all the way. We mean it. This means that when we compare strings, they must be normalized before comparison.

The Imports interface uses the familiar three-panel layout found in most Alexandria management interfaces.

• Categories. The left-hand side of the window is home to the Categories pane, which contains your default import types. Select a category to view its import options and settings to the right.

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• Selected Import pane. The Selected Import pane—the bottom-right area of the window—contains settings for the currently selected import in various tabs.

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Toolbar

Quick/Saved. Choose the Quick tab to run a one-time import, or choose the Saved tab to run a customized import via FTP.

Lock/Unlock. In a saved report, click the padlock icon to unlock it for editing.

Actions. Options to duplicate or delete a saved report. 

Switch Site. In a Central Union, click this icon to change the site you're working in.

Operations Management. Go to Operations Management to view and download the log of your finished import.

Support. Having trouble? This will open support documentation for this topic in another tab.

Quick/Saved

The list of available imports and the options they contain depend on whether you're in the Quick or Saved tab.

Quick Imports

The Quick tab contains import templates that do not store custom settings. They're mainly used for running one-time imports or as a foundation for custom Saved imports. Any modifications made to a particular import are discarded immediately upon clicking on another category. However, if you would like to save the Quick report you’ve just modified, click Create Saved Import at the bottom of the Selected Import pane. After adjusting the default name (optional), your new import—including custom settings—will be added to the Saved tab.

In the Imports Selection pane, click Choose File to select the file to import, then click Field Mapping to specify where the data will be imported.

Saved Imports

The Saved tab contains custom imports that you (or others) have created, saved, and shared. 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.

Categories

Choose an import type from the Categories pane on the left. These categories are specialized, meaning the import is limited to the specific type. For example, if you select Patrons from the Categories pane, you will only be able to import patron records.

The import categories The Textbooks category was created specifically for Textbook Tracker ; other imports are:

• Textbooks. Add or update textbook titles and copies.

• Images. Import new or update existing patron pictures, item cover art, or textbook cover art.
  
  

Other import categories are included as part of Alexandria:

• Patrons. Import new or update existing patron records.

• Items. Import new or update existing item records.

• Circulation Groups. Import circulation group-based data not covered by the other import types.

• Images. Import new or update existing patron pictures and/or item cover art.

• Special. Import data conversion and enhancement files from Mitinet or other authorized partners.
  
  

The Textbook category only shows if they have Textbook Registration.

Import Selection

Directly below the toolbar is the Import Selection pane. The information in this pane relates directly to the category you've selected, whether you're in the Quick or Saved tab, and the information entered into the filter bar (saved only).

The results in the Saved Imports list reflect the import type selected from the Categories pane and can be further refined by the Filter bar. For example, if you select Patrons from the Categories pane, the Import Selection pane will only display Saved patron imports.

Image Added Favorite. See the imports marked as Favorite.

 Shared. See the imports marked as Shared.

Image Added Operator. See the imports that you (the current operator) have saved.

Image Added Filter. Enter a term to filter the imports by title.

Select an import from the Import Selection pane to see it in the Selected Import pane, where you can manage the settings that determine what and how information is imported.

Selected Import

You can customize the import

The first step in performing an import is picking the correct import type. The Categories pane on the left-hand side of the window is where you choose the import whose settings appear in the Import Selection pane on the right; the contents of the Import Selection pane change depending on whether you have the Quick or Saved tab selected.

Import Selection

Once you've selected a category or subcategory, the associated reports will be listed in the Reports Selection pane on the right. Scroll through the list to locate and select the specific report you would like to view, modify, or run. In the Saved tab, you can further filter the list of reports by Favorites, Shared, and Operator (reports saved by you), or you can search for a specific report title.

Remember, the reports that appear in the Report Selection pane directly relate to the category (or subcategory) selected from the Categories pane and/or the information that is entered into the Filter bar.

Selected Report

You can modify report you've selected in the Selected Reports Import pane. Quick reports imports have only the Selections and Options tabs, while Saved reports imports allow more customization options. Each tab contains the settings and options you need to configure how your report is ordered, organized, scheduled, and presented.

The controls at the bottom of the Selected Report pane depend on whether you're viewing a Quick or Saved report.

report.

• Create Saved ReportImport. Save this report import with your custom settings so you can run it again later. (Requires FTP setup.)

• Run. Send your import to the Operations Management queue. When complete, the import log will be documented Operations Management.

Import Settings

Add or Update Titles & Copies

Add Titles & Copies

Update Copies

Always add at least one Copy

a copy with the next available barcode is added (with the Copy Data Options) to the added or edited Title record—IF no copy data is included in the import record, or the copy record was used to update an existing copy. In other words, at least one new copy must be added per Title record added or updated.

Before Importing

Skip First Record if Field Mapping

Barcode Handling

The following selection determines whether barcodes in the import file will be retained or reassigned starting with the barcode shown in the field below.

Starting Textbook Barcode

Always Assign New Barcodes

Never Reassign Barcodes

Reassign Only Duplicate Barcodes

Before Importing

Skip First Record if Field Mapping

Checkbox, Default OFF.

• If there is no Field Mapping Header in the import file, the first CR terminated line is Ignored.
• If there is a Field Mapping Header in the import file, the first CR terminated line AFTER the Field Mapping Header is Ignored.

Note: Many database programs will put in a header with column names that makes it easier to do field mapping. This setting allows the program to skip that “Record”.

Note: If there is a Field Mapping Header, it’s used to process the incoming records, if there isn’t one, the field mapping settings are used to process the incoming records. Whatever internal data element we use for mapping, either the header in the import file or the Field Mapping settings are used to create this internal element, import processing of records is processed exactly the same no matter how the mapping is determined. That is, the header or settings are used to create the processing rule that is used during import.

For all Import Settings the following rules are applied.

Troubleshooting

Reject Import File

• Import files must have a Title field.
• If the import file is Tab Delimited file and there is no Title field in the import header; this is an error and the import is terminated with “Title Field required in import records. Import canceled.” The import is canceled. This is included in the summary file.

Record Error Logging

Added Titles must have a valid Title of one or more characters, or “Missing Title data, import record ignored.” is logged in the Summary and the imported record is ignored.

Settings that are not relevant to the selected Import Settings are visible and enabled, but the data is ignored for the import.

Valid with every scenario where a title is added or updated (i.e. all radio button options except Update Copies). Note that this only applies if there is no barcode in the import record.

Title and Copy Import Options are honored when adding NEW Title or Copy records.

Troubleshooting

Reject Import File

• Import files must have a Title field.
• If the import file is Tab Delimited file and there is no Title field in the import header; this is an error and the import is terminated with “Title Field required in import records. Import canceled.” The import is canceled. This is included in the summary file.

Record Error Logging

Added Titles must have a valid Title of one or more characters, or “Missing Title data, import record ignored.” is logged in the Summary and the imported record is ignored.

Settings that are not relevant to the selected Import Settings are visible and enabled, but the data is ignored for the import.

Valid with every scenario where a title is added or updated (i.e. all radio button options except Update Copies). Note that this only applies if there is no barcode in the import record.