Contents
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 information. 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.
- Import Selection pane. The upper-right section of the window contains the Import Selection pane, which dynamically changes depending on whether you have the Quick or Saved tab selected.
- Selected Import pane. The Selected Import pane—the bottom-right area of the window—contains settings for the currently selected import in various tabs.
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.
Categories
Choose an import type from the Categories pane on the left. The Textbooks category was created specifically for Textbook Tracker; other imports are included as part of Alexandria.
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 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 pane. Quick reports have only the Selections and Options tabs, while Saved reports 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.
- Show Additional Selections. View a few additional options to further customize your report.
- Create Saved Report. Save this report with your custom settings so you can run it again later.
- Run. Send your import to the Operations Management queue. When complete, the import log will be documented Operations Management.
All data is subject to the same import rules as Alexandria in that Import fields can NOT contain Control Characters, begin or end with Spaces, and all runs of more than one Space are converted to a single space. These rules are further specified in the Textbook and Textbook Copies Schema where additional restrictions may be identified.
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.
Ignore Rules
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.
Ignore Rules
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.
