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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.

Linking and Unlinking Records

 

Page Contents:
Link an IZ record to the NZ
Share with Network Workflow
Unlinking Bib Records From the Network Zone
The Unlinking Workflow

Link an IZ record to the NZ

“Share with Network” is used to link an Institutional Zone (IZ) only bibliographic record with the Network Zone (NZ). The IZ record and its associated inventory will be linked to the NZ when "Share with Network" is selected in the MD Editor. 

“Share with Network” can be used to:

  • Add/link an IZ brief bibliographic record to the NZ
  • Add/link an IZ bibliographic record to the NZ.
  • Add/link an IZ bibliographic records that migrated to Alma without being linked to the Network Zone (NZ)

All IZ records need to have an 035 $$a (OCoLC) number to use "Share with Network" because:

  • The NZ matches bib records on the OCLC number in MARC field 035 $$a
  • Duplicate bib records can be accidentally created in the NZ when no OCLC number is present
  • Bib records that do not have an OCLC number will not be updated by the OCLC nightly jobs

NOTE: Only one record at a time can be linked to the NZ using "Share with Network". Use the "Link a set of records to the Network Zone" job if you have more than one IZ bib record you want to link to the NZ

Share With Network Workflow

Workflow for Linking Individual IZ Bibs to the Network Zone

To link an IZ only bib record to the NZ:

  1. Open the IZ only bib record in the MD Editor
  2. Make sure that there is an OCLC# in MARC field 035 before proceeding
    1. To add MARC field 035 with the OCLC#:
      1. Click Editing Actions>Add Field (F8)
      2. Type in 035 _ _ $$a (OCoLC)#############
      3. Click on the Save icon
  3. Remove any non-OCLC numbers in the 035
    1. To delete a MARC field:
      1. Click on the 035 with a non-OCLC number
      2. Click Editing Actions>Remove Field (Ctrl+F6)
      3. Click on the Save icon
  4. Click Record Actions>Share with Network
    1. If there are no matching records, the IZ bibliographic record will be added to the NZ and the workflow is complete
    2. Continue on to step 5 if a confirmation pop-up box appears stating: "Matched record/s exist in the catalog, do you want to view them before saving?"
  5. Click Yes from the Confirmation message
    1. Important: DO NOT select No or a duplicate record with the same OCLC number will be added to the NZ
  6. Click View from the record displaying in the right-hand of the MD Editor to make sure it is the correct record
  7. Select Link from the blue drop-down menu button at the bottom of the record view
  8. Click the blue Execute button at the bottom the record view 
    • The header of the record in the right-hand of the MD Editor will contain the record information including the NZ MMS ID
    • The header of the IZ only record will no longer contain the record information and only the IZ MMS ID will remain
  9. Click Save>Save and Release Record (Ctrl+Alt+R)
    • Note: The original IZ only record will remain in the MD Editor, but it not longer exists and it is no longer in the list of records in the left-hand column of the MD Editor
  10. Click the X in the upper right corner of the bib record to close the original IZ only record

Workflow for Linking a Batch of IZ Bibs to the Network Zone

The best way to link multiple IZ records to the NZ is to create a set and run the “Link a set of records to the Network Zone” job on the set.

  1. Perform an All Titles repository search for the bib record you want to link to the NZ
    1. Create an All titles set for the record(s)
    2. Check the correct bib record(s) is in the NZ using the 035 (OCoLC) 
      1. If the record does not exist in the NZ, export it to the NZ from OCLC
  2. Go to Admin>Manage Jobs and Sets>Run a job
  3. Search for the  “Link a set of records to the Network Zone” job
    1. Click on the radio button next to the “Link a set of records to the Network Zone” job
    2. Click Next
    3. Click on the radio button next to the set you want to run this job on
    4. For the serial and non-serial match method select: 035 (other system identifier) match method 
    5. For the system identifier prefix type in: (OCoLC)
    6. Click Next
    7. Review the job and click Submit is correct, back or cancel if there is a mistake
    8. Click Confirm when the Confirmation Message pop-up appears 
    9. The job will run and link the IZ bib record to the NZ bib record

NOTE: Use "Share With Network" to link one IZ record at a time to the NZ

Unlinking Bib Records From the Network Zone (NZ)

Unlinking bib records from the Network Zone (NZ) may be necessary under the following scenarios:

  1. Order was placed on the wrong bib record 
  2. Course reserves are accidentally created in the NZ
  3. Brief bib records are accidentally created in the NZ
  4. A NZ linked bib record is being withdrawn and there are no items or holdings records attached

"Copy to Catalog" allows users to unlink a bib record from the NZ. Unlinking bib records from the NZ will create an IZ only copy and retains the NZ bib records. The IZ record maybe retained or deleted. Since the NZ record remains in the NZ, it will need to be reported to be deleted to the Network Zone Coordinator if no other campus holdings are attached.

 

The Unlinking Workflow

"Copy to Catalog" is used in the MD Editor to unlink bib records from the NZ. To unlink records from the NZ:

  1. Open the NZ linked record in the MD Editor
    • Records with a network icon and NZ MMS ID ending in 4801 identify this an bib record linked to the NZ
  2. Click Record Actions>Copy to Catalog (Alt+Shft+C)
    • This will change the MMS ID from an NZ MMSID (ending in 4801) to the institution's IZ MMS ID
  3. Click Save>Save and Release Record (Ctrl+Alt+R)

To unlink a bib record from the NZ and delete it from the IZ:

  1. Open the NZ linked record in the MD Editor
    • Records with a network icon and NZ MMS ID ending in 4801 identify this an bib record linked to the NZ
  2. Copy the NZ MMS ID (ending in 4801) and title
  3. Click Record Actions>Copy to Catalog (Alt+Shft+C)
    • This will change the MMS ID from an NZ MMSID (ending in 4801) to the institution's IZ MMS ID
  4. Click the Save icon
  5. Click Record Actions>Delete Record
  6. Click Yes when the confirmation message appears
  7. Report the NZ MMS ID and title to the FLVC Help Desk for Deletion.