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General Phone:
1-800-347-6439
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Frequently Asked Questions v.3x
FAQ for Alexandria v3.x
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How often should I run my utilities?
The Reorganize and Optimize utility should be run once a month if you are keeping patron history (Show – Preferences – Circulation) or once every three months if you are not keeping patron history. The Reorganize and Optimize will search for various kinds of corruption that can occur and will attempt to repair it, in addition to rekeywording your collection if your keywording preferences have changed (Show – Preferences – MARC).
Certain types of corruption can result in data loss. A backup or archive should be done before running any utility - especially a reorganize and optimize. Your backup may be necessary in extreme situations for COMPanion to use to analyze and recover data. (Such a recovery is not included in your support subscription as Alexandria v3 data does not get corrupted except in the case of power failure, hardware failure, operating system failure, or network failure.)
Since a Reorganize and Optimize can take hours to days to run depending on your hardware and the size and condition of your data file and the data is inaccessible while the Reorganize and Optimize is running, it is recommended that you begin this utility at a time that will not conflict with your regular library functions. For most libraries Friday afternoon or Saturday evening are the best times.
In addition, you should run the three verifies monthly. These utilities are verify policies, verify patrons, and verify items. If your statistical counters or the status of your items is incorrect, the verifies will attempt to correct them and it will also advance students to the next grade level after the last date of school.
ADD LINK to Tech Resources – Reorganize and Optimize, Verify Policies, Verify Patrons, Verify Items Tech Notes.
What barcode symbology does Alexandria use?
Alexandria uses Code 39, or Code 3 of 9, which is the industry standard, and most common. Alexandria will read other symbologies such as Follett Interleaved 2 of 5 and Codabar. Some symbologies are available with check digits; however, with modern equipment the number of misscans have been so reduced that check digits are not necessary and may prevent you from taking full advantage of Alexandria's advanced functions.
Alexandria v3 will only store 9 digits or less in the barcode and will not store letters, spaces, or punctuation in a barcode. COMPanion recommends numeric only barcodes for ease of use and for transfer of data among library systems.
Where in the program do I go print the barcodes?
If the items are in the system, go to Reports->Item Cards and Labels. Select Barcode Labels to 9 Digits; then sort and select by whatever range you want. If they are NOT in the system, go to Reports->Other Reports Custom Barcode 9 Digits, then sort and select by whatever you want.
If you would like to preview the barcodes, click on Print to Screen and then click on Print. However, DO NOT print barcodes from the on screen report as it will not make the necessary adjustments to the margins to fit correctly on a label sheet. Close the on screen preview and then select Print to Printer and click on Print.
If the barcodes print as big numbers rather than scannable lines, check your printer settings. You need to disable background printing so that foreground only is printed. Make sure to save the settings to your printer so that it doesn’t happen again on this machine.
How do I back up my Data?
Copy your "Data" folder to your backup media (ZIP, Shared Drive, etc....).
How do I download the latest update?
File->Utilities->Updates->Get Updates, or you can download directly from the website.
Why don't I have color anymore?
This problem only occurs in Alexandria v3. It normally happens when you switch from 256 colors to high color 16.
Why is Alexandria asking me to register again?
The Data File has been moved or renamed.
Will I get an Update CD in the mail?
Not unless you request one. You may update by going to File->Utilities->Updates->Get Updates in Alexandria, or you can download directly from the website.
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Copyright ©2006 COMPanion Corporation. All rights reserved.
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