Sometimes unexpected events occur throughout the school year. If your school or library is closing early, here are some suggestions and resources for making this transition with your library easier.

Version 7

Online Communication

There are several ways you can use Alexandria to distribute information and stay connected:

• Use virtual bulletin boards. to post information and keep students and staff updated. These boards can include images, lesson plans, links, homework assignments, Google forms, links to collaborative Google docs, links to chat spaces, and more.
  • Support Center section: Manage Bulletins
  • Video and introduction: Bulletin Boards 
  • Tip: Share Lesson Plans with Bulletin Boards
  • Tip: Book Trailers and Bulletin Boards
  • Tip: New Books Lists and the Bulletin Board
  • Article: Customize Bulletins with HTML5
  • Video: Bulletins, Maps, and Slideshow Workshop

• Add explore buttons. Add buttons to your Researcher pane that link to PowerSchool or other technologies being used for online school. To do this, go to Tools > Explore Builder. Click on the appropriate pane 

• Send messages. If you need to send an email to everyone or a select group, use the Send Email report. Simply select who you want to receive the message, type the message on the Options tab, and hit Run.

Adding Online Resources

If your school is now taking advantage of more online resources, considering cataloging them so they're "bookmarked" for patrons. Once catalogued, they'll show up in Researcher and can be added to lists.

• Cataloging Links and Online Resources

• Cataloging eBooks

Maintenance

There are some things you may want to do to 

Adjusting your calendar to reflect closure days will automatically turn off scheduled notices (for the closure period) and forgive accidental fines. To do this, go to Tools > Preferences > Calendars. On the appropriate calendar, click once on the days you want to close, including past days the library has been closed. Click Save in the top right corner when you're done. After adjusting your calendar, you will need to run the Recompute Due Dates utility, which will change due dates so nothing is 

• Turn off automatic emails and notices. 

• Override due dates. Set an override due date through the command line in Circulation

• Update due dates. Run the Change Due Date utility to update due dates so nothing is due while the library is closed. Or, 

• Re-issue expired in-stock holds. 

Maintenance stuff:
How to Turn off automatic emails and scheduled notices if necessary.
how to set an override due date through the command line.
how to Calendar settings in prefs.
How to add an explore button to link to your PowerSchool.

Use the Send Email report Reports > Patron > Email > Send Email to send notices and emails to your library patrons. (http://support.companioncorp.com/display/ALEX/Patrons+Email+Reports#PatronsEmailReports-SendEmail)

Use the Utilities > Circulation > Change Due Dates utility to update due dates so nothing is due while the library is closed
(http://support.companioncorp.com/display/ALEX/Circulation+Utilities#CirculationUtilities-ChangeDueDate)
OR close the dates on your calendar then run the Fix Due Dates utility.

Run the Reports > Circulation > Holds > Expired In-Stock Holds report to see what holds expired while the library was closed, so you can re-issue them. (http://support.companioncorp.com/display/ALEX/Circulation+Holds+Reports#CirculationHoldsReports-ExpiredIn-StockHolds)

Remote communication and resources:
How to catalog online resources
http://support.companioncorp.com/display/ALEX/2015/12/07/Cataloging+Links+and+Online+Resources
and ebooks http://support.companioncorp.com/display/ALEX/Cataloging+eBooks
Here’s all our info on the support center for bulletin boards
http://support.companioncorp.com/display/ALEX/Manage+Bulletins
http://support.companioncorp.com/display/ALEX/2014/09/02/Bulletin+Boards
http://support.companioncorp.com/display/ALEX/2015/10/12/Share+Lesson+Plans+with+Bulletin+Boards
http://support.companioncorp.com/display/ALEX/2015/10/26/Book+Trailers+and+Bulletin+Boards
http://support.companioncorp.com/display/ALEX/2017/01/09/New+Books+Lists+and+the+Bulletin+Board
http://support.companioncorp.com/display/ALEX/Customize+Bulletins+with+HTML5

Then there was a Bulletins, Maps, Slideshow webinar last year http://support.companioncorp.com/display/ALEX/Bulletins%2C+Maps%2C+and+Slideshow+Workshop