You can import information, such as textbook data and cover art, to Textbook Tracker from outside sources to 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.

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.

Saved Imports

The Saved tab contains custom reports that you (or others) have created, saved, and shared. Saved reports can also be set to run on a schedule, emailed to the recipient(s) of your choice, and uploaded to an FTP server. Keep in mind that saved reports only keep the selection criteria used to create the report, not the results of the report itself. Saved reports can be run, modified, duplicated, or removed.

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 import categories created specifically for Textbook Tracker are:

• Textbooks. Add or update textbook titles and copies.

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

Import Selection

The options here depend on whether you have the Quick or Saved tab selected.

Quick Imports

Once you've selected a category, the associated import will be listed in the Imports Selection pane on the right. Scroll through the list to locate and select the one you'd like to view, modify, or run. In the Saved tab, you can further filter the list of imports 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.

Saved Imports

Selected Import

You can customize the import you've selected in the Selected Import pane. Quick imports have only the Selections and Options tabs, while Saved imports allow more customization options.

Quick Imports to import a single file

Saved imports to schedule a

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

• Create Saved Import. Save this 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 File Source

Troubleshooting

All data is subject to the same import rules as Alexandria:

• Import fields can NOT begin or end with spaces or contain control characters.
  
• All runs of more than one space will be converted to a single space.
• Tab-delimited import files must contain a title field.
• Added titles must have a valid title with one or more characters.

General Textbook Data Import Rules

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

If the import options and/or the import data can not be reasonably processed, an error message is placed in the Operations Manager Summary PDF and the import is terminated or the record is Ignored.

If the import is not terminated, the Summary PDF will contain a line item for each imported record, with how it was processed, ADDED or UPDATED or Ignored  (Title if available) (Barcode if available) — at the end of the Summary should be a “summary” or count of the total number of records ADDED, UPDATED or Ignored.

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.