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Tip of the Week

Tip for: 02.24.03

Exporting Items

This week we would like to continue our look at exporting by going over Exporting Items.  Just as with exporting patrons, there are different formats that can be used to export items.  The first option is Microlif.  This format saves the MARC record information, but shows it in a way that is readable.  The next choice is MARC.  This is one line of continuous text that as the name suggests is only fully readable by machine.  The third selection is Tab Delimited.  Just as with Patron Exports, this option allows the user to indicate which fields of information are to be exported and can then be opened in a spreadsheet and modified if necessary.  The last item on the Operation drop-down menu is Texas Library Connection.  This is for our customers in Texas who are members of TLC and need an easy way to export their items to send in to TLC.

To export items:

On 5.43 and earlier, select Utilities from the File drop-down menu at the top left-hand side of the window, or screen if you are on a MAC.

On 5.44, select Export from the File drop-down menu at that top left-hand side of the window, or screen if you are on a MAC.

With the window open, choose Export Items from the Utility Type menu on 5.43 and the Export Type menu on 5.44.

Microlif will show up as the Operation.  Select the appropriate format from the Operation drop-down menu.  To do data manipulation as we discussed in Exporting Patrons, click on Tab Delimited.

Click on the Select Fields button, under the Operation drop-down menu.

This will open up a window allowing you to select what information should be exported.

When the window first comes up, all of the field descriptions have a blue check by them.  If there are only a few fields that should not be included, simply click on the blue check and it will change to a gray check with a red line through it.  This indicates that the information in that field should be ignored when running the export.  If only a few fields need to be exported, click on the button on the bottom left-hand side of the window with the gray check and the red line.  This will deselect everything and you can then change the few fields you do want to export to a blue check by clicking on them.

Once you have decided which fields you want exported you can also change the order of the fields.  This is done by clicking and holding down the mouse key while dragging the cursor to the order you want the field in.  A small red arrow will appear on the left side of the window indicating where the field will be placed if the mouse button is released.

Click OK.

Use the Sort By drop-down menu to determine the order the items will be in when the fields are exported.

Choose the appropriate Select By menu option depending on what items you want exported.

Click Run.

Name the file and make sure it is being saved to the right location.

Click Save.

Depending on the format that is chosen these exports can be used to share information from one school to another within a district.  This information can also be opened in a spreadsheet allowing for data manipulation or creating customized reports.  Although  a lot of the information can be modified through either the item or catalog utilities, it can be nice to have information opened in a spreadsheet where you can really see what needs to be changed and have the ability to make more specific changes than are available through Utilities.  For example, if you noticed that you had multiple ways that had been used to indicate the Fiction section in the call numbers of your items (i.e. F, Fic, FIC, etc.), exporting out the Barcode and the Call Number and opening the file in a spreadsheet and doing a mass find and replace might be a bit quicker than using Utilities to change each different instance in your data.  This can be used for any type of editing or manipulating where Utilities aren't available.  The saved text file can then be imported and the items will be updated.

Note: When using such a process to change call numbers, be sure to turn off the "Preserve existing call numbers" preference in the Item Management preferences (Edit- Preferences). If this preference is checked, no changes will occur in the call numbers even if the import indicates them. If you uncheck the preference and import, you should recheck the preference once you no longer need it to ensure that any new copies that you receive from vendors of titles already existing in your data do not change the call numbers on the items you have already cataloged.

As I mentioned this information can also be opened in a spreadsheet to create a customized report.  Alexandria has many different reports with different format options giving you the information you need to manage your library.  However, there are times when you might want just certain information, or information that you don't see on the reports already created.  By selecting just the fields of information you want and putting things in the order you want you can create your own customized report.

We hope this helps you better understand how to do an item export and how those exports can be used to help you in your library.

Thank You,
The Alexandria Staff Librarians

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