FDLP eXchange Tips

Want to see just what is being offered or is needed within your state or region? It’s easy to do in Advanced Search. First, go to Advanced Search and select whether to search Needs or Offers. Advanced Search allows you to search all eXchange entries, whether your own, other libraries’, or just those from the libraries in your own state or region. Enter your… Read More

Check the “Offer Nationally” box to offer materials outside your region after following regional procedures to offer within the region. The default when FDLP eXchange was launched was to leave the box unchecked, so libraries that want to offer nationally will need to change that setting to enable offering outside their region in FDLP eXchange. To verify that the box… Read More

Some users have expressed confusion about how to use the “Postage” field in FDLP eXchange. While we are looking at ways to clarify the wording used in the system, there are a few things to keep in mind. 1. The question “Postage Reimbursement Available?” is asked when entering needs or offers manually. A column named “Postage Reimbursement” is on both the needs and… Read More

Matches in FDLP eXchange are made solely on SuDoc number. For this reason, it is recommended that complete SuDoc numbers be used in order to accurately match needs and offers. However, this only applies to common SuDoc patterns. There are some items with unusual patterns that are not accepted by the system when the full SuDoc is entered. This includes Senate and House… Read More

You can set up your FDLP eXchange account to notify you about any number of activities. However, if you have too many notifications, it can cause the system to time out when logging on or otherwise diminish system performance. If your account times out because there are too many notifications, you will see a message like this: Here are some tips for setting and… Read More

If your library collects heavily in certain subjects, FDLP eXchange Advanced Search can be used to search for available items by topic or keyword. Moreover, the Saved Search feature can simplify collection development by allowing you to load and run these searches on a regular basis so that you make sure you review everything available in your subject areas. For… Read More

Entering offers (or needs) as a range can reduce the amount of data entry required to post to FDLP eXchange. However, there are some nuances in the matching to keep in mind. In general, you will be less able to rely on the automated matching when entering ranges. When entering a range, you should enter as much of the SuDoc classification as possible to apply to the range… Read More

For many users, uploading spreadsheets is the simplest and most efficient way to enter needs and offers into FDLP eXchange. However, there are things to keep in mind to simplify the process and prevent errors. Making sure that spreadsheets are properly formatted prior to uploading is the first and most important step. When you try to upload a spreadsheet that is not… Read More

If you have a lot of offers, needs, or requests in My eXchange, it can be cumbersome to scroll through the entire list. This is especially true if you only want to see items from a current date, SuDoc stem, status, etc. Filtering and sorting your offers, needs, or requests can make this task simpler. From the My eXchange page, select Offers, Needs, or Requests. You… Read More

If you have a lot of offers, needs, or requests in My eXchange, it can be cumbersome to scroll through the entire list. Tip 24 described how to simplify this task by filtering and sorting your offers, needs, or requests. Tip 25 continues by describing how to search My eXchange by keyword or classification number. From the My eXchange page, select Offers, Needs, or… Read More