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Table of Contents

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  • I want to share some logistics information: 
    • The nearest bathrooms are...
    • The nearest water fountain/supply is...
    • Please log in to your computers using the following username and password: (Whatever it is for those computers - if possible, put it into a Word document and project it on the screen)
  • Quick recap of essential training elements:
    • This is Phase 1 of Training. We are trying to make sure people are prepared to do 80% of their job on day 1
    • We are training on the tool of Alma, not on specific workflows or local procedures
    • We will show you one verified way to do tasks – there are almost certainly several other ways to do the same thing, and possibly better ways – you can go back, practice and find out.
    • Please use fidgets – they can be helpful for focusing, relaxing, staying awake...and if you are feeling tired at any point, feel free to stand up in your area, stand along the wall, etc.

  • Please ask questions when they come up; I will also pause between sections for questions and to make sure things are clear

  • Let's start by introducing ourselves.

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  • Holdings and items together are called "inventory" in Alma. 
    • To help understand how Alma Inventory is structured, Ex Libris has created these diagrams – you may remember seeing this structure of Alma inventory in your Intro or Search & Sets class.  

      • Trainer can show images on this page / draw something similar on the board, as needed: Items & Holdings

  • In Alma, anything with a holding is referred to as a Physical Title or Physical Inventory.  
    • Most holdings and items represent physical pieces in our collection. 
    • A difference from Aleph is that most electronic resources will not be represented by holdings, instead they will be represented by Electronic collection and portfolio information. 
  • In Alma, all items are attached to holdings. This is a core difference from Aleph, where creating a holdings was not required. 
    • Alma will not allow you to create an item without a holding. 
    • When creating an item, Alma will also create a holding if one does not already exist for that library/location.
    • You may be wondering – what about the things in Aleph that didn't have holdings?
      • Aleph items that were not attached to holdings were attached to holdings in Alma during data migration.
        • During migration, Alma either attached the item to an existing holding (when the library/location were the same) or, if they were not, Alma created a new holding.
  • In Alma, a holding may or may not have an item.  
    • Examples of a bib that has a holding without itemsare an analyzed monographic series, a multipart work, or an older serial.  (Trainer, 3 examples below if you want to show one, two or all)
        • a monographic seriesConduct an "All Titles" search for MMS ID 990091802930203941 (Archaeological studies Leiden University) 
        • a mulipart work: Conduct an "All Titles" search for MMS ID 990074312040203941 (Oxford history of art
        • older serial tiles do not have items : Conduct an "All Titles" search for MMS ID 990051690120203941 (Quarterly digest of statistics (Accra, Ghana : 1959
  • Alma allows setting of Temporary locations values, which can be helpful for some materials, such as Reserves and Serials.
    • When temporarily moving items from one location to another, staff have the option of inputting an end date for the temporary location in Alma. 
      • On this date an automated job will warn staff to return these items to their regular location.

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  • First, note that there is no "Physical Holdings" search in our drop down.  There is no way to directly search for holdings.
  • If I perform a physical items search for the title I created I can only view the holdings by choosing "Holdings" from the ellipsis menu. But if I click on the hyperlink for the title, I now have the option of clicking choosing "Edit" at the top of the screen, which will open the holdings in the MDE and allow you to make any necessary changes.
    • (Trainer, demo this with the title from earlier in the class.)

  • However, performing a Physical Titles search offers a more options for editing the holdings. For this demonstration I will use a title that has multiple holdings attached and that has fuller content than the record I created earlier.
    • (Trainer: search Bossypants)
    • You can see that several different libraries have holdings of this title.
    • If you click on the hyperlinked text in the Location column (Trainer click on the LAM FARNS holdings), you will get the MARC view of the holdings record.
      • I easily can move to editing by clicking "Edit" at the top.  
    • But before I click on that, let's go back a screen.
      • I can also click on the hyperlinked text "holdings" in the expanded view below or in the ellipsis menu
      • Because there is more than one holdings,this will take me to a list of all holdings associated with this bib.
        • Having lots of holdings also means I get lots of options here: 
          • I can click on the hyperlinked holdings record number for the MARC view, 
          • (Trainer use the LAM FARNS holdings and click on the ellipsis)
          • Going back one screen to the List of Holdings, I can use the ellipsis menu to View, Edit or several other options
          • I also have options at the top like:Delete Holdings and Add New Holdings
  • If I click on edit, the Metadata Editor will open.  I land in the same place as I would have if I clicked Edit earlier. 
    • Note that there are even more ways to open a holdings and those will be covered in more detail in the Cataloging classes.

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  • The MDE will keep keep track of holdings that you are working on. 
    • These will display on the left hand pane. You can click on any holdings in your left pane to display and edit that holdings.
      • When you open things to edit (bibs or holdings) they become locked to you.  Make sure to release them when you are done.  Otherwise they are locked for editing (view-only) for 7 days after your last edit. 
      • More information about using the MD Editor can be found in the MD Editor Overview documentation.
  • You can add or delete fields using the Edit menu.
  • You can open fixed fields like the 008, LDR and 852 using Ctl + F.
    • Trainer demonstrate adding and editing fields as appropriate
      • Isabel please improve this section, I am not very fluent at holdings stuff
  • Got to Tools: Save and Release (rather than the Save icon) when your edits are done, or click Ctl+Alt+R. 

Practice time (show instructions on screen): Now let's try searching for a holdings, viewing a holdings, making edits to a holdings, and saving your edits.

 

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Additional topics

Some other topics that are important with regard to holdings and items are:

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