November 27, 2023
Miss Honey knows that curating Researcher is an important part of empowering students to utilize the library. The different Searches available with Alexandria can be customized for your school based on the needs of your students–in Builder.
To customize your search, navigate to Builder > Searching.
Here, you can:
- manage what your patrons can do in different search interfaces
- determine which details you wish to show in search results
- decide which reading programs you want to highlight in each area of Researcher
- and select whether to record search terms.
We know that different areas of Researcher have different needs, so the settings in Searching allow you to customize each area separately.
Have questions about Builder, Researcher, or any other area of the program? Feel free to reach out to our support team at (800) 347-4942 · support@companioncorp.com.
Stay up to date on any support center outages by following @companionstatus on Twitter. |
November 20, 2023
Miss Honey moved some shelves around in the library, and needs to add updated maps into Researcher. When she logs into Alexandria, Maps looks different! Here’s the low-down on the updated Maps interface.
Adding a Map:
Go to Builder > Maps
Unlock Maps Management by clicking the lock icon on the top right
Click on the + icon.
Set the Call Number Range
Provide a Map Description (Now shows up even if a picture is not provided)
Provide a Map Note (not visible to your patrons)
Drag and drop your image where it says Drop Image here
Click Save in the upper right-hand corner
Preview the map from the actions menu in the top right corner
What else is new in Maps? You can preview your map from the actions menu, and you get an alert if any maps contain overlapping call numbers. Nice!
Need help with Maps, or anything else in Alexandria? Call our amazing support team at 1-800-347-4942 or email us at support@goalexandria.com.
Want to create powerful slideshows and explore panes? Schedule a session with our Virtual Librarian! |
November 6 / 13th, 2023
Miss Honey read all about slideshows and explore panes in our last few tips, but both of them use search strings... and she doesn't remember how to make them!
So how do you generate search strings?
Creating search strings
In /search click on the ampersand (&) flag.
Choose a search selection from the drop-down menu in the top box (i.e. Author, Series, Title, Popularity etc.) and enter your criteria.
Choose the Boolean modifier you wish to use (And, Or, And Not) from the drop-down menu on the left and enter the additional criteria you are wanting to search. The Researcher supports up to four levels of Boolean searching.
Click Search and results will display below the Advance Search pane.
Click the
Share Titles icon to copy the search string.
Need help? Feel free to reach out to our support team at (800) 347-4942 · support@companioncorp.com.
Want to create powerful slideshows and explore panes? Schedule a session with our Virtual Librarian! |
October 30, 2023
Miss Sanderson has been using the Popularity search to find which items in the library are getting the most use. But how can she highlight the popular items for students? Easy–with a Researcher Explore button.
Last week we went over Creating a slideshow, this week, we'll review how to create an explore button in researcher–specifically for the most popular items.
Creating an explore button
Go to Builder > Explore Builder.
From the Panes List on the left, select the pane that you would like to add your new popular items button to
With the appropriate pane selected, select the space that you would like to add the button
Select Perform Search from the Action menu and enter ((popularity::90)) (see more about search strings)
Enter the Label and add an icon by clicking Add Icon from the Actions drop-down menu – Icons + Images
When are you finished, click Save in the upper-right corner of the window.
If you want to put the popularity explore button on the main researcher page, check out Modify the Researcher Pane.
Watch our Explore Builder Preferences Workshop for additional tips on using Explore Builder, or feel free to reach out to our support team at (800) 347-4942 · support@companioncorp.com.
Want to create powerful slideshows and explore panes? Schedule a session with our Virtual Librarian! |
October 23, 2023
It's almost Halloween, and Miss Honey wants to highlight some of the best books for the season by making a slideshow. This is a great way to showcase books for any holidays or occasions. Here's how to do it!
To create a slideshow:
Give your Slideshow a name and under the source of your slideshow select Search String
Enter ((smart::Halloween) && (medium::book))
Select your preferred Layout, Speed, and Transition
*You can preview the slideshow by clicking View
Click Save
Read how to have multiple Slideshows at the same time, or learn more about slideshows in ourblog for Librarians!
Want a hand with making slideshows, or any other tasks in Alexandria or Textbook Tracker? Our support team can help! (800) 347-4942 · support@companioncorp.com.
What are your favorite haunted reads for Halloween? Tell us in the comments!
Want to create powerful slideshows and explore panes? Schedule a session with our Virtual Librarian! |
October 16, 2023
Miss Spellman was always reminding her library student aides (and sometimes the other librarians) how to use the System Patrons in Alexandria–until she set up system patron alert notes.
Patron alert notes are a great way to add simple reminders about the different uses for system patrons.
For example, to add a note to the For Library Use system patron:
- In Circulation, bring up the For Library Use system patron by typing 3 <enter> into the command line
- Into the command line type “! Use to keep items available for use only within the library.” <enter>
The next time the For Library Use system patron is made current, the alert note will pop up informing the user on how it should be used.
If you have any questions about system patrons, alert notes, or anything else in Alexandria, reach out to our support team at (800) 347-4942 · support@companioncorp.com.
October 9, 2023
Emily is checking out a book on the Salem witch trials when Miss Sanderson notices the label is peeling off the spine. Rather than holding Emily up by addressing the problem right then, she adds a copy note that will come up once the book is checked back in.
But how can she keep track of all the copy notes and patron notes?
The Copy Notes Report and Patron Notes Report can help Miss Sanderson (and you!) keep your records up to date.
To run the Copy Notes Report –
Go to Operations > Reports > Copies > Information > Copy Notes
Use the Selections tab to select the copies you want to show on the report (leaving the default selections will show all copies with the selected notes)
On the Options tab, select the type of notes and how to sort the report
Click Run
To run the Patron Notes Report –
Go to Operations > Reports > Patrons > Information > Patron Notes
Use the Selections tab to select who you want to show on the report (leaving the default selections will show all patrons with the selected notes)
On the Options tab, select the type of notes and how to sort the report
Click Run
How do you utilize Copy notes and Patron notes? Let us know in the comments!
Want some help navigating notes, reports, or anything else in Alexandria? Contact our amazing support team at (800) 347-4942 · support@companioncorp.com.
October 2, 2023
Janet's mother asked Miss Zarves to make sure her daughter doesn't check out any movies from the school library that aren't G-rated. But what's the easiest way to keep track of that–especially if multiple parents are asking for different restrictions on what their kids can check out from the library?
Enter: patron alert notes
Patron alert notes pop up during checkout, which allows you to easily monitor any restrictions.
You can add patron alert notes in a few different ways.
In Patrons Management:
Go to Patrons Management and use the simple or advanced search to bring up the patron
Unlock the record
Go to the Notes tab
Add the restricted items list to the Alert Notes field
Save
From Circulation:
Make the patron current in circulation by using the patron barcode, Patron Lookup, or the Homeroom tab
Click the actions menu on the Patron pane and select Notes (can also use the + command)
Enter the restricted items to the Alert Notes
Save
You can also quickly add a patron alert note in Circulation by using the ! command.
You can also create Item Policies, and set the policy to No Loan Period under the checkout tab to restrict a specific group of items.
If specific students have opted-in to be able to check those out, you could add patron General Notes (the same steps as above except using the General Notes field). That way, when a restricted item is brought into circulation you will get a message that a checkout is not allowed because of the policy, but you can check the General notes to see if you should override the policy and check out the item anyway.
You can read more about patron notes, and as always, you can reach out to our support team with any questions at (800) 347-4942 · support@companioncorp.com.
Introducing Integrated Email Services for Alexandria and Textbook Tracker. Leave behind the headache of managing your own server, or trusting some external source—we can handle and send all of your Alexandria emails for you. Call us today at 1.800.347.6439 to discuss if this is the best option for your library. |
September 25, 2023
This week we're highlighting the Loaned Items Notice. Usually notices are sent to the individual patrons–but what about utilizing them for teachers as well?
For example, Mrs. Krabappel’s class comes in once a week, and you want to automate an email to her with a download link to the Loaned Items Notice for her class. Here's how!
- Go to Operations > Reports > Circulation > Notices > Loaned Items Notice.
On the Selections tab, select Krabappel in the Patrons from Homeroom fields
(remember that Homeroom is a terminology that can be changed in Preferences, so your organization might use a different term).On the Options tab, select 2 Per Page as the format and make any other customizations you’d like such as modifying the notice text and selecting if you want to show cover art
Click Create Saved Report
Type a name for the report and click OK. (e.g. Loaned Items Notice - Krabappel)
The report will move to the Saved tab, with additional settings.
On the Schedule tab, schedule the report and set the frequency and when you want the report to run.
On the Notification tab, select Enable Email Notification and enter the homeroom teacher's email address into the Email Notification and Download Link To field (e.g. ekrabappel@myschool.org).
This will send a link to download the PDF straight to Mrs. Krabappel.
- If you need to send the report to multiple emails, separate them with commas.
Click Save.
Introducing Integrated Email Services for Alexandria and Textbook Tracker. Leave behind the headache of managing your own server, or trusting some external source—we can handle and send all of your Alexandria emails for you. Call us today at 1.800.347.6439 to discuss if this is the best option for your library. |
September 18, 2023
Students often (always) need reminders to return overdue books, which is why we recommend making it easier on yourself! Schedule overdue items notices to send out automatically.
Let's say you have your Policy Preferences set to mark items as lost after they have been overdue for 28 days, and you want to have different overdue items notices sent automatically to patrons based on how close they are to the 28-day limit.
To set up the first scheduled notice (this example is for items that are one week and under overdue, focused on overdue items and not charges):
Go to the Operations > Reports > Circulation > Notices > Overdue Items Notice.
On the Selections tab, enter the 1 through 7 for Patrons with __ - __ days overdue.
Go to the Options tab, select your format, and enter the customized notice text for items under 1 week overdue.
Click Create Saved Report in the bottom right-hand corner.
Type a name for the report and click OK. (e.g. Overdue Items Notice - 1 week) *Naming the reports is important and will make troubleshooting easier when you can easily identify what each report is meant to do without having to select and look through each one.
The report will move to the Saved tab, with additional settings. Fill out the Overview, Schedule, Notification, and FTP tabs as necessary.
Be sure to fill out the Schedule tab to determine the report frequency.
If you want notices emailed directly to students, choose the Email format on the Options tab.
If you use paper notices and want to be emailed a link to the downloadable PDF each week, check the Enable Email Notification checkbox on the Notification tab and add your email to the Email Notification and Download Link To field.
If you want a confirmation each time the report runs, check the Enable Email Notification checkbox on the Notification tab and add your email to the Email Notification To field.
7. Click Save.
Repeat the steps for however many notices you want, focusing on how many days the items are overdue and the specific notice text. For example, set up another notice for items 7–14 days overdue, and a third for items 15–27 days overdue, with varying levels of urgency!
Email Preferences need to be configured for email notice reports to work.
As always, our support team is ready to help if you need it at (800) 347-4942 · support@companioncorp.com.
Introducing Integrated Email Services for Alexandria and Textbook Tracker. Leave behind the headache of managing your own server, or trusting some external source—we can handle and send all of your Alexandria emails for you. Call us today at 1.800.347.6439 to discuss if this is the best option for your library. |
September 11, 2023
We talked about Password management: best practices a few weeks ago, but this week we are diving deeper into passwords and how to keep your data secure.
Here are some generally accepted password rules:
- It is not safe to use the same password on more than one site. If your password is hacked for one site, then it could be used to get into multiple sites. Reusing passwords is not secure.
- Create a password that is hard to guess, and doesn't contain personal information like your birthdate or phone number. A strong password should be easy for you to remember, but hard for anyone to guess or associate with you. Avoid using simple phrases, words, or patterns that are easy to guess.
- Remember that the longer a password is, the harder it is to hack.
When adding a patron, in the Patron > Access tab, if another password isn't set, it will default to the patron's last name. Patrons with special characters or accents in their last name will be prompted to create a new password when logging in, as diacritical letters are not supported in the password field. For security reasons, passwords are never shown anywhere in Alexandria.
When set, patron passwords must meet the following requirements according to the Password Strength setting of their Security group:
- Weak: At least 6 characters.
- Regular: At least 8 characters, including at least one letter (a-z) and one number (0-9).
- Strong: At least 10 characters, including at least one letter (a-z), one number (0-9), and one symbol (!@#$%^&*-=+.,).
Passwords are not case sensitive.
To modify a username or password from Patrons Management:
- Unlock the record.
- On the Access tab, update the Username, Password, and Confirm Password fields.
- Click Save.
To modify multiple usernames and/or passwords at once using the Reset Patron Accounts utility:
- Go to Utilities > Patrons > General > Reset Patron Accounts.
- On the Selections tab, select which patrons need to have their usernames and/or passwords updated.
On the Options tab, choose to which format you want to change patron usernames and/or passwords.
See Reset Patron Accounts utility for more information on each option.
- Click Run.
- Check the Summary File to make sure no patrons were skipped.
If they are allowed, a patron may modify their username and password from Patron Status in Researcher. By changing both, patrons have more control over the security of their information.
To change your username and password as a patron:
- From Search, click Log In.
- Enter your username and password and click Log In.
- Go to Patron Status.
- Go to the Account tab.
- Unlock your account information by clicking the padlock icon and entering your password.
- Modify the Username and/or New Password fields.
- When you're done, click Save.
Review our Password Management Best Practices page for more information, and as always, feel free to reach out to our stellar support team at (800) 347-4942 · support@companioncorp.com.
Looking for a Single-Sign-On solution? Alexandria now offers Google SSO! Google SSO is perfect for schools and districts already using Google. Contact our Sales Team if you're interested in adding it to your library! |
September 5, 2023
It's a new school year, and that means new homerooms, new teachers, or other changes that might not be reflected in your Alexandria. Don't worry! We've got you.
"Homeroom" could also be a different terminology, such as Location or Teacher, depending on your organization.
Read on for common problems (and solutions) to make sure your homeroom info is accurate and up-to-date.
Problem: homerooms are showing up that I no longer need
The Homeroom tab in Circulation lists homerooms that are currently in use, which means listed in at least one patron record. So, the best way to ensure your homerooms are up to date is by cleaning up your patron records and using Patron Imports or the Change Patron Location utility to batch modify patrons into the correct homerooms. Then the updated list will show up in Circulation!
Want easier patron management? Ask us about GG4L at sales@goalexandria.com.
Problem: misspelled homeroom
When adding patron homeroom information, there is a list that pulls from Authority Control. Authority Control tracks every homeroom entry, even if it is no longer in use. To update the list, navigate to Tools > Authority Control > Patrons > Homeroom. Use the actions menu at the top of the screen and select Remove Unused Homeroom Terms.
For any remaining terms you want to modify, select the homeroom and click "edit," enter any corrections, and confirm.
When making changes in Authority Control, Alexandria will queue a utility to apply the removal of unused terms and/or any edits to the terms. Once you’re done making the necessary changes, be sure to refresh any Alexandria screens that are open to see the updated term.
Have you done your Beginning-of-Year Procedures? Start the school year off on the right foot. |
August 28, 2023
There is nothing worse than forgetting your password and being locked out–especially when it's the start of the school year and you have to get right back to work ASAP! We've created the Password Management Best Practices page to help with all your password needs.
We recommend going over the whole page carefully–but here are a few important highlights.
Login redundancies
- We recommend having two distinct highest level operators (District Administrator) for redundancies, in case one operator leaves.
- Consider giving a backup, full-admin rights login to a person who is always onsite, like your principal IT technician. Even if they don't use Alexandria regularly, if you ever get locked out, someone can help.
Emails
- ALWAYS add a valid and current email to an operator patron record so that the operator can recover their password if needed.
- Make sure to whitelist noreply@goalexandria.com, which is the email address any password reset emails will come from. This might need to be done by a district or facility IT team.
- Password recovery when there is no email associated with the user account is a long process, so make sure that all your operator accounts are attached to a valid email address.
Clean up operators
- COMPanion suggests regular audits of who has operator access to Alexandria, and if old operators should be removed. There are multiple security group levels; all may need to be cleaned up. See the associated section on Password Management Best Practices for more details.
We encourage you and your team to make a plan for password management, and feel free to reach out to customer support with any questions at (800) 347-4942 · support@companioncorp.com.
Looking for a Single-Sign-On solution? Alexandria now offers Google SSO! Google SSO is perfect for schools and districts already using Google. Contact our Sales Team if you're interested in adding it to your library! |
August 7, 2023
It's that time again–back to school! Start your school year off right and go through our recommended Beginning-of-Year Procedures.
Are you still getting used to the makeover interface? Be sure to check out our Youtube playlists to watch the makeover training videos.
You can also sign up for free webinars at goalexandria.com/training, and purchase a personalized training—email sales@goalexandria.com or give us a call to arrange it!
Looking for a Single-Sign-On solution? Alexandria now offers Google SSO! Google SSO is perfect for schools and districts already using Google. Contact our Sales Team if you're interested in adding it to your library! |
July 17, 2023
Summer is in full swing, and even though most of the school libraries are closed, public libraries are going strong with summer reading programs and more! So this week, we're going over how to print library cards in Alexandria.
Pick your paper
First, what type of paper should you use? We recommend Business Cards 250 count: Avery 5371, 2” x 3 ½”. These are standard card stock business cards, which is what the Library Card report is designed for. You can also use Mailing labels 250 count: Avery 8163, 2” x 4”. These are stickers, if you want to place the library cards on a blank card, folder, or student book.
Print the library cards
- To print, open the PDF in your browser or application (like Adobe Reader).
- Make sure the view is set to "Actual Size," and then hold your paper up to see how the format looks, and make any adjustments as needed.
- Place your paper in the printer (usually, you want the "front" of the labels facing down in the tray, but this varies depending on your printer).
- In the PDF, choose a print option and make sure the scaling is set to 100%. We recommend printing a single page first, to make sure everything looks good.
Did you know that our makeover is for Alexandria and Textbook Tracker? We've got some new training videos for the brand new interface. Check out our youtube playlist to watch the new videos, and don't forget to subscribe to your channel so you see all our exciting new videos and updates! |