To import student records into Library World follow these four steps. Detailed instructions follow.
1. Create a spreadsheet. The first column must contain PR in each row. Include all the information you wish to import. The field labeled CODE is for Home Room, Grade is Year of Graduation, DEPT/TEACHER is for Teacher.
2. Save the spreadsheet as a "Tab delimited ASCII Text" or Text (tab delimited)" file. This means a Tab is entered between each field in a record and a Return character is entered after every record.
3. Create a Patron Translation Template. This is a file that will tell Library World where, in Library World, to put each field of your import file. (This part has been done.)
4. Perform the import.
The following is Library World's instructions p 193 -197
Importing Patron Records
Patron records are most commonly imported as ASCII Text files created by an administrative program. The most simple and common way to save a computer file is by ASCII 'text'. All major databases, word processors and spreadsheet programs on all personal computers can support the Text format. Library World is also designed to read Text files. Information that is not saved in the MARC standard must be saved in the Text format for it to be imported into Library World.
Setting Up The Patron Text File
Library World needs to distinguish between different types of information. The text file can tell Library World which fields are different by placing a "tab" character between each field. Library World also needs to know where the end of one record is and where the start of another record is. The text file can also provide this information by placing a return character at the end of each record.
The easiest way to set up a text file is in a spreadsheet because it separates each cell with a tab character and each row with a return character. This is exactly what Library World uses to communicate with text files.
Library World can import text files into any module within the program (except for the Circulation module). So that Library World knows what type of information it is importing, it needs to read a record identifier. This record identifier must be the first field in each record. For patron records, the first field must be "PR". Most spreadsheet applications have a way to fill the entire first column with information. Consult your spreadsheet application's manual on how to do this.
Now that you have a record identifier in front of each record you can save the spreadsheet file as an ASCII Text file.
To use the FRESHMAN.TEM template, the text file should have the following fields
last name
first name
address
town
state
zip
phone
home room/teacher
student ID#
Then you must add some fields:
PR [text]
last name
first name
address
town
state
zip
phone
home room/teacher patCode
student ID# patNum
Graduation Year year patGrade
MVRHS Student [text] patType
(Save this as a Tab Delimited text file)
The Translation Template
This has been done as FRESHMAN.TEM
Now, you need to provide a map for Library World to import this information. Library World uses a Text Translation Template as a means for you to provide a map for your information. Use the following instructions to create a patron text translation template:
To Create a Patron Translation Template:
1 . From the Admin module, select the Options Icon in the Module window.
2. Select the General Options icon.
3. Select the Tables tab.
4. Select the Text Trans radio button at the top of the window.
5. Select the New button at the bottom of the window. (Edit if you wish to modify an existing file.)
6. Name the translation template in the space provided. The name must be eight characters or less.
The translation template window will appear. The right side of the window displays all the fields in your Field Table. The patron fields are the 1940's. Scroll down to the 1940 fields using the scroll bar.
7. Select the field that corresponds with the first field in your text file by clicking on it. Skip the "PR" identifier as your first field. Click on the Copy button.
8. Select the field that corresponds with the second field in your text file by clicking once on it. Click on the Copy button. Repeat this step for all the fields in your text file.
9. Select the Save button to save your translation template.
Your template and text file should now be in the same order. This order is important so that Library World knows exactly where to map all the information. The fields in your text file do not have to match the exact order of the Patron module, but your template and text file have to match exactly. Now you are ready to import!
To Import your Patron Records:
1 . In the Patron module, from under the File menu. select the Import command Select the Text submenu.
2. At the Index confirmation dialog, select the OK button.
3. At the Open dialog, open your text file.
4. At the Select Import/Export Templates window, select the Patron check box.
5. Select the appropriate Import Text Template from the Text Translation Template window. (FRESHMAN.TEM ) Click on the OK button.
6. The Text Translation Template will display in the Import/Export Templates window. If this is the correct template, select the OK button.
Check the number of records imported, 0 means the import failed. Remember to index your Patron records after importing.
This step is not necessary if you added MVRHS Student to the text file. After importing the freshmen use Find to find all PatGrade = (whatever the graduation year). Use File, Global Replace to insert MVRHS Student into the PatType field.
Search is an EXACT search. Use the ? to extend the search. e. g. search for bak? to find baker, bakke, etc.
To search on a specific patron type, go to the Patron module and click on the Find button.You don't have to search any specific field to search on. Type in a filter search expression.
Example
\pattype=student
\pattype=staff
Click on Find to find, then Show to show results.
You can run reports on this set of records.
According to Caspr Technical Support, Library World is unable to append information to existing records. This feature may be added at a later date.