Email Preferences

_{Preferences > Setup > Email
SYSTEM Preference
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Do you use Gmail for your SMTP?

End of May 2022, Google will not let you choose to 'allow less secure apps' (reference this article), which means Alexandria can not send email through Gmail. We have also verified that the Google SMTP relay will not function. (Read more: What is SMTP relay? | SMTP relay: Route outgoing non-Gmail messages through Google.)

What should you do?

Soon, we'll be offering an Integrated Email Services. Details coming soon.

To keep using Gmail for your SMTP, we are working on a fix in Alexandria version 21.12 for cloud-hosted customers. Once you are updated to that version, you or an admin will need to follow these steps to give Alexandria the permission to keep sending emails.

Go to your Preferences > Setup > Email.
Choose the option to Use Google to send emails.
Click the button to sign in to Google and authenticate.

IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS, YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO SEND EMAILS FROM ALEXANDRIA.

Version 21.12 is set for release over the weekends of May 20 and May 27. If you are not signed up for release announcements, do so here: Upcoming.

Note that the service will be authenticated through our hosted servers, so if you self-host your data, your Alexandria server must be able to communicate with our hosted services. Alternatively, call us today to learn about our Integrated Email Services option coming this summer.

For emails to work, you will also need to...

Add a valid email address to your site record.
Add valid email addresses to your patron and operator records.

Learn more about email notices.

To send email reminders, such as the Overdue Items Notice, you will need to configure how Alexandria communicates with your library's email server. Alexandria's email system is designed to potentially cope with hundreds of emails being sent (or resent) over many machines at the same time.

If a send fails, the next resend time is generated by adding a random value between 3 and 9 minutes, spreading out the resend times so all the undelivered email still in the “short range” period isn't sent at the same time. If a send hasn't succeeded by the end of the “short range” period, the program will generate new send times using random values between 60 and 90 minutes. If a send still hasn't succeeded after 100 hours the email is discarded and a “return-to-sender” email will be sent.

Alexandria Library > Alex S Preferences > Alex S Preferences Setup Email.png

Settings

SMTP Server 1 and 2.

This is the TCP/IP or DNS address of your library's outbound mail server, which is usually mail.yourdomain.com. The Server 1 and Server 2 sections are used for outbound email. Server 1 is the primary server and Server 2 can function as a back up server should server 1 fail. You only need one SMTP server to use the email functionality.

Port

Enter the port number used by the outgoing mail server. Common ports for outgoing mail include 25, 465, and 587.

Allow Non-Secure Connections

Alexandria uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) for secure web communications. When this setting is enabled, the system will use non-TLS connections if it cannot make an TLS connection.

Some mail servers, including Office365, do not allow you to use non-secure connections.

Login

Enter the login for your email server.

Password

Enter the password for your email server.

Test Server

Test the SMTP Server settings by sending a test email. This email is sent to the email address listed in Sites Management.

Last Tested On

This field displays the last date/time that the server test was performed.

Last Test Results

This field displays whether the test was successful or not. If the test is unsuccessful, check your SMTP server address and try using a different port.