Items

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Your Items and the Tools to Manage Them (1:13:33)

In this workshop, we'll show you how to maintain a clean catalog using some often overlooked and underutilized tools in Items Management, so your patrons can find what they're looking for. Learn how to use the Genre fields to optimize Search results, create consistent datasets for cataloging series, configure your catalog classification system, and more!

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the genre information located within Alexandria?

Genre information is pulled from the 655_a MARC tag. You can view and modify the data in the Items module using the Items Editor or MARC View Editor.

Can I enter more than one 655_a genre field to my Item records?

Yes! Add as many genre fields as you need for your patrons to find the item in Search. Keep in mind that only one genre will be displayed in the Items module, but you can click on the pencil icon to open the Genre Editor and view the rest.

How do I get genre information into my item records?

The easiest way is to ask your vendors to include genre information in the 655_a field of the MARC record, so it's added upon import. You can also add it by editing your records manually or by using the MARC editing tools, such as certain Utilities or Authority Control.

What are RDA mediums (text-unmediated-volume) and how do I make them understandable in Researcher?

Resources Description & Access (RDA) is a newer standard in which mediums are stored in the 336, 337, and 338 fields and have three components separated by dashes, such as text-unmediated-volume (this one is equivalent to book). Since this medium format is a little harder for patrons to understand, you can add aliases (i.e. alternative names) that will show in Researcher instead.

Note that Alexandria prioritizes RDA mediums over General Material Designation (GMD) mediums, so you'll need to remove RDA mediums if you want the GMD mediums to show instead. (GMD mediums are stored in the 254_h field and enclosed in brackets, such as [book]).

Where should my series information be located?

Whether adding series information manually or automatically via an Import or Utility, make sure the series is being cataloged in the 830 MARC field so the item displays and sorts correctly in Search.

Why can't I find the item I'm looking for with Title Assistant?

Title Assistant uses Z39.50 servers to search for items, so you may need to add more. Check out the z39.50 Preferences page for a list of resources you can use to bolster your Z39.50 list in Alexandria. You'll also find instructions on adding servers, creating sets, and more.

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