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Alma Resource Management Guide

This guide explains all aspects of the cataloging process, including loading, editing, and deleting bibliographic records, holdings records, and item records in Alma.

Adding Item Records

Adding Item Records

Item records are typically created for:

  • Monographs when One-Time POLs are created
  • Continuous items upon receiving from Acquisitions>Receiving and Invoicing>Receiving
  • Manually for standing orders upon receipt
    • Holdings and Item records are created in the MD Editor and linked to the Contained Record used for ordering by the POL in the item record
  • Manually for existing items in a library's collection that are not found in Alma 


Items records can be created from:

  1. The MD Editor
  2. List of Items
  3. Create Inventory

Adding Items Using the MD Editor

From a Bib Record with No Holdings

  1. Perform an “All Titles” or “Physical Titles” repository search
  2. Click Edit Record 
  3. Click View Related Data>View Inventory
  4. Click “X” to close the Inventory screen
  5. Click New>MARC21 Holdings>[Select holdings template]
  6. Click into MARC 852 field and populate:
    1. First indicator
    2. $$b (sublocation or collection)
    3. $$c (shelving location)
    4. Click Save
  7. Click Add Inventory>Add Item
  8. Physical Item Editor opens  (populate the appropriate fields)
    1. Barcode
    2. Material type
    3. Receiving date
    4. Enum/Chron (serials only)
    5. Permanent location
    6. Item call number type/Item call number (optional)
    7. Temporary location (optional)
    8. Click Save
  9. Release the holdings and bib record from the MD Editor

 

From a Bib Record with Holdings

  1. Perform an “All Titles” or “Physical Titles” repository search
  2. Click Edit Record 
  3. Click View Related Data>View Inventory
  4. Click “Edit from the holdings record
  5. Click Add Inventory>Add Item
  6. Physical Item Editor opens  (populate the appropriate fields)
    1. Barcode
    2. Material type
    3. Receiving date
    4. Enum/Chron (serials only)
    5. Item call number type/Item call number (optional)
    6. Temporary location (optional)
    7. IMPORTANT: DO NOT change the permanent location
    8. Click Save
  7. Release the holdings and bib record from the MD Editor

 

From a Holdings Record

  1. Perform an “All Titles” or “Physical Titles” repository search
  2. Click Holdings
  3. Click Edit 
    • Single holdings – Edit at the top of the screen
    • Multiple holdings – Edit will be in the ellipses
  4. Click Add Inventory>Add Item
  5. Physical Item Editor opens  (populate the appropriate fields)
    1. Barcode
    2. Material type
    3. Receiving date
    4. Enum/Chron (serials only)
    5. Item call number type/Item call number (optional)
    6. Temporary location (optional)
    7. IMPORTANT: DO NOT change the permanent location
    8. Click Save
  6. Release the holdings record from the MD Editor

Adding Items from a List of Items

  1. Perform a Physical Title repository search for the title
  2. Click Items from the ellipses
  3. Click Add Item 
  4. Physical Item Editor Opens
    1. Populate the appropriate fields (typical fields are outlined in the image)
      • Barcode
      • Material Type
      • Receiving Date
      • Permanent Physical Location (defaults to the current items permanent physical location)
    2. DO Not use Item Policy UNLESS it is an exception item policy not included in a Fulfillment Unit
    3. Only active POLs can be added to an item record (closed or canceled POLs cannot be added unless they are re-opened)
    4. Scan the barcode last as it acts as a hard return 
  5. New item record has been added to the title
  6. Click Back (or < List of Items)

Adding Items Using "Create Inventory"

  1. Go to Resources>Create Inventory>Add Physical Item
  2. Click on the Existing radio button
  3. Click Choose 
  4. Click Select from List
  5. Perform a repository search (it will only search the library's holdings, not the NZ)
  6. Click on the title
  7. Populate the item record information
    • Location
    • Description (if applicable)
    • Material Type
    • Item Policy (DO NOT USE unless item policies are used for exceptions)
    • Public Note (if applicable)
    • Barcode (scan last for a hard return)                                                                       
  8. Click Save if the scanning the barcode does not perform a hard save
  9. Perform a Physical Titles repository search to see all items for the records at a glance
  10. Click Items from the ellipses
  11. Note the new item records do not have a receiving date (add if necessary)