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Printing Labels in Request Manager
Using Microsoft® Office Word 2003

This procedure shows you how to create a label set for a specific Request Manager export file and label size, and use it to print labels. This set of instructions is only applicable to Microsoft Office Word 2003.

You select the type of commercial label stock that you use, and then match column headings in the exported .csv file with individual lines on each label. You should create separate files for shipping and returning labels since these addresses are stored in different columns in the .csv file.

You may also use this file as a template for future label sets.

This file contains these topics:

 
Prerequisite knowledge

For best results with this procedure, you should have:

  • An intermediate skill/knowledge level of the overall operation of:
    • Microsoft® Word
    • Microsoft® Excel®
  • A clear understanding of your location's local practice for printing labels, including:
    • Location of your label printer
    • Which feed tray is used, and any special instructions for loading the label stock
    • The manufacturer and type of labels that your library uses, for example: Avery #2164, Pimaco 0082.

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Process overview

In order to create and print labels you must first log on to WorldCat Resource Sharing, either directly or through the OCLC FirstSearch interface (if linked). Once you are logged on, you need to select the Resource Sharing tab, which will take you to the Request Manager screen. Labels are produced from the report that results from the Batch Update process, so you must have:

  1. Completed your Batch Processing work and have it ready to export
  2. Not yet printed anything
completed your batch processing work before you can create labels.

For Help on batch processing:

  1. Display the Batch screen by select the Batch link in the Navigation menu underneath the Resource Sharing tab.
  2. Select the Help icon on the Batch screen.

Most commercial label stock will work, but you must know the brand and/or dimensions of your specific stock before starting in order to configure the printing properly. To create the labels, you match column headings in the exported .csv (comma separated values) file with individual lines on each label. You should create separate files for shipping and for returning labels since these addresses come from different places in the Request form and are stored in different columns in the .csv file.

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How the .csv file works

The .csv file that you have downloaded consists of 32 data columns. These columns include status information, the Request ID, borrower information, lender information and billing information. Row 1 contains the column labels. Use your the cursor to expand the width of any column to see its full contents.

A typical shipping label might use these columns:

Column Letter Column Label
J ShipTo_Addr_l_1
C Request_Identifier
K ShipTo_Addr_l_2
L ShipTo_Addr_l_3
M ShipTo_Addr_l_4
N ShipTo_Addr_l_5
O ShipTo_Addr_l_6

A typical return label might use these columns:

Column Letter Column Label
Q ReturnTo_Addr_l_1
C Request_Identifier
R ReturnTo_Addr_l_2
S ReturnTo_Addr_l_3
T ReturnTo_Addr_l_4
U ReturnTo_Addr_l_5
V ReturnTo_Addr_l_6

You may include as many columns in your label as space permits. Step 17 in the following procedure shows you how to insert columns into your template.

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Create Template and Print Labels

Before You Begin.

OCLC strongly recommends that you open the .csv file in Microsoft® Excel and familiarize yourself with the column headings before you start to create a template. See How the .csv file works and also Prerequisite knowledge.

Procedure.

  Action
1

Complete the batch update process, then select the Export Results button on the Batch Processing Results Summary screen to export the file to your local workstation. (Select the Help icon on the Batch Processing Results Summary screen for detailed export instructions.)

Note: You may change the file name, but you must not change the .csv extension.
2

At your workstation, open a blank document in Microsoft® Word.
3

Open the Mail Merge task pane: In the Main menu, select Tools > Letters and Mailings > Mail Merge.

Result: The pane opens on the right side of the screen.
4

At the top of the pane under Select document type, select the Labels radio button.
5

At the bottom of the pane, click the right arrow until the Next: step is: Select recipients (ignore the step number).

Result: The middle of the pane now displays a heading called Change document layout.
6

Under Change document layout, select the Label options... link.

Result: The Label Options window opens.
7

In the Label Options window:

  1. Make your Printer information selections.
  2. Use the Label products: and Product number: drop-down lists to select your library's specific label product. If your product is not available in these lists, you need to create a customized label (see Create custom label, below).
  3. Select the OK button in the Label Options window.

Result: A blank label layout is displayed.
8

Be sure your cursor is positioned in the upper leftmost label; then, at the bottom of the Mail Merge pane, click the Select Recipients link.

Result: The top of the pane displays Select recipients radio buttons and Use an existing list.
9

Under the Select recipients heading, keep the Use an existing list setting. Then under the Use an existing list heading, select the Browse link.

Result: The Select Data Source window opens.
10

Navigate to the directory to which you exported the Batch Processing Summary Results .csv file, and open the file.

Note 1: You may have to select All Files (*.*) in the Files of type: drop-down list to see the .csv file that you previously saved.

Note 2: If at this point you see a window called File Conversion Window, leave the settings unchanged and select the OK button.

Result: The Mail Merge Recipients window opens and <<Next Record>> appears in all the labels.
11

The Action_Performed column contains all Request Manager categories that you actually processed during your last batch update. Select the down arrow in the Action_Performed column, then in the resulting list select either Returned (for Return) or Yes (for Ship).

Result: The window now contains only Return or Ship records.
12

Select OK to close the Mail Merge Recipients window.

13

At the bottom of the pane, click the right arrow until the Next: step is: Arrange your labels then select this link.

Result: The top of the pane now displays a heading called Arrange your labels.
14

Under Arrange your labels, select the Address block... link.

Result: The Insert Address Block window opens.
15

Select the first name only recipient format (Joshua), and leave all the other default selections as is.
16

Select the Match Fields... button.

Result: The Match Fields window opens.
17

Map the fields as follows (a ship label is shown):

  1. Ship label: Map First Name to ShipTo_Addr_l_1 (Column J) or
    Return label: Map First Name to ReturnTo_Addr_l_1 (Column Q)

  2. Map Company to Request_Identifier (Column C)

  3. Ship label: Map Address 1 to ShipTo_Addr_l_2 (Column K) or
    Return label: Map Address 1 to ReturnTo_Addr_l_2 (Column R)

  4. Ship label: Map City to ShipTo_Addr_l_3 (Column L) or
    Return label: Map City to ReturnTo_Addr_l_3 (Column S)

  5. Ship label: Map State to ShipTo_Addr_l_4 (Column M) or
    Return label: Map State to ReturnTo_Addr_l_4 (Column T)

  6. Ship label: Map Postal Code to ShipTo_Addr_l_5 (Column N) or
    Return label: Map Postal Code e to ReturnTo_Addr_l_5 (Column U)

When you have added all the desired fields to the label, select the OK button to close the Match Fields window.
18

Select the OK button in the Insert Address Block window to close the window.

19

In the middle of the pane, select the Update all labels button

Result:  <<AddressBlock>> appears in the remaining labels.
20

At the bottom of the pane, click the right arrow until the Next: step is: Preview your labels (ignore the step number), then select this link.

Result: Data from the CSV file appears in the labels.

21

At the bottom of the pane, click the right arrow until the Next: step is: Complete the merge (ignore the step number), then select this link.

Result: The middle of the pane now displays a heading called Merge.

22

Under Merge, select the Print... link.

Result: the Merge to Printer window opens
23

Choose your print option then select the OK button.

Result: The browser Print window opens.
24

Choose your print options and select OK.

Result: The labels are sent to your printer.
25

To save this file for use as a template, in the Menu bar select: File > Save As... . Name the file and save it as a .doc file to your local workstation (for example: ship_labels.doc).

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Use Existing Template

A saved mail merge file remains linked to the Data Source file that you originally selected when you created the merge. In order to use this same file as a template for a different label set containing different data, you must always export the Request Manager .csv file:

  • Using the same name (such as Shipping.csv)
  • To the same directory

When you open the template file, you will be asked if you want to use the same information in the labels:

Select Yes and the new data will automatically appear in the file.

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Create custom label or bookstrap

If you need a label that is not available as standard commercial stock, or if you want to create a bookstrap on plain paper, the mail merge utility allows you to format a label/bookstrap to your own specifications. You can create a custom label:

Within the procedure

This procedure allows you to create a custom label at Step 7 of the Create Template and Print Labels procedure given above.

  Action
1

In the Product number: drop-down list, select a label that uses the correct page size for the label you want to create, then select the New Label... button.

    Example 1: This mini-label has a page size of 4-1/4 x 5 inches:

    Example 2: This label has a standard page size of 8-1/2 x 11 inches:

    Example 3: A landscape-format label might be more suitable for bookstraps:
2

Select the New Label... button.

Result: The New Custom window opens.
3

Enter a name for your custom label.
4

Familiarize yourself with the dimensions shown in the Preview window, then enter values for the height, width, margins, and other options. The label image in the Preview window changes to correspond to your new dimensions.
5

Select the OK button.

Result: The New Custom window closes, and the label you just created appears as selected in the Label Options window.

Note: All custom labels are stored under the Other/Custom label product category
6

Return to Step 7 of Create Template and Print Labels, above..

Outside of the mail merge utility

To create a custom label or book strap outside of the mail merge utility, open Microsoft Word Help, enter custom labels in the Search for: box, then select Create custom-sized labels in the search results.

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