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Table of Contents

Batch Heading Correction in Alma

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A very big note: Alma login permissions are not granular. The new authorizations added to your login allow for other functionality, but we trust you will only perform actions for which you have received training.

Parameters of the Workaround

  •  Batch heading correction operates by leveraging Alma's overnight linking and preferred term correction jobs to make changes to bib records. The procedure is straightforward, but care must be taken to ensure that it is executed correctly. 
  • The workaround does not work on field changes. Norm rules are necessary for field changes; submit an Alma Support ticket for these jobs.

Workspace for Batch Heading Correction

Workspace maintained by ITS: https://wiki.harvard.edu/confluence/x/LNrkDQ

Finding Headings

First, determine which headings you want to update. Next, retrieve that record set.

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, then use Browse Bibliographic Headings to find them:

  1. Go to Resources >> Cataloging >> Browse Bibliographic Headings
  2. Enter the parameters of your search.(TRAINER: fill in the fields for your chosen title (make sure it has more than 1 bib attached), and narrate as you go)
    1. Heading Type: Choose from the drop-down menu
    2. Source Code: Choose from the drop-down menu
    . Note that
    1. ; the fields will change per your selection under Heading Type
    .
    2. Search Value: Type in the text
    .
  3. Choose Browse to start the search.


Viewing Headings

When the search completes, your record set will index with similar headings in Alma. Navigate to Once you have your search results, find the heading you'll be updating to determine how many bibs you'll be changing.

  1. Binoculars: indicates that the heading is linked to an authority record. The headings you'll be correcting in Alma should not have authority records. The exception to this is Judaica, as local authorities have been loaded to Alma for Judaica for their NACO workflow.
  2. Number to the left of the heading: number of records in Alma linked to that form of heading. In this example, we have (how many) bibs.
  3. View button: click to view bibliographic record(s) and authority record , if applicable. (if there is one)


Batch Changes

The next step is to update the headings. You will create a temporary  authority record to do so.

  1. Open the MDE Metadata Editor and click on File.
  2. Choose New and then Library of Congress name authority records.
  3. A new authority record will open; note the 667 field: $$a THIS IS A TEMPORARY AUTHORITY RECORD FOR HEADING CORRECTION. THIS WILL BE DELETED.
  4. 4XX: enter the incorrect form of the heading, the one currently on the bibs in Alma. Use copy and paste, as described in 5a below.
  5. 1XX: enter the new form of the name that you are updating bib headings to. 

    1. Copy and paste the heading to ensure accuracy, particularly when changing headings that contain diacritics. Some tips:

      • Do copy and paste from OCLC, Alma’s Community Zone, or LC—but LC, but take great care not to retain the double dagger subfield delimeter (ǂ). This must be changed to $$.
      • Do not copy and paste headings from:
        • the Alma Browse Bibliographic Headings list, because they won’t contain subfields.
        • the Internet, as we don't know their reliability for correct use of diacritics.

  6. Do not add end punctuation. The bib headings will end up without final punctuation but that is fine, as Alma is removing much of it anyway during control. 

  7. You may use zero spaces or one space between $$subfield and text content.
    • (TRAINER: Show this in Alma).
  8. Click on Save and Release Record.


Check Your Work

You will want to check the headings in Alma to ensure that the headings updated correctly. In most cases the bib headings will be updated by the following morning. In some cases, it will be 2-3 days depending on the length of other nightly batch jobs.

To check your work, search the heading as described in Finding headings above. Remember that the search is not persistent, so you will need to enter the parameters again, the same way you did the first time. You should see all related headings indexed under the authorized form of the name.

An LTS job will run a job periodically to delete the “workaround” authority records. The job and timing of it are under development at this time.


Troubleshooting

Hopefully, when you check your work you will see that all of the headings in your job changed. If they didn't, possible causes are:

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  • If none of the records updated, remember, this indexing job can take several days.
  • Otherwise, you will want to investigate why the record(s) didn't update with your batch job.
  • First ensure that the job has actually run and isn't simply delayed; read more about Monitoring and Troubleshooting Jobs
  • If the cause is input error, you can find the workaround authority record you created using the search type Authority option in the dropdown of the persistent search bar to search, and run the job again. First ensure that the job has actually run and isn't simply delayed (how?).

eResource Portfolio

You may find that there are still records associated with the heading you changed. Investigation informs us that the record(s) is in the Community Zone, and it shows up in our list of records because we have a portfolio on this record. To determine whether a heading is from a CZ record, navigate to the bib record associated with the heading by following the three steps below to see the full record:

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In Alma, you can see which authority record your headings are associated with by clicking “View” View and then “Authority Authority ([16 digit system numberMMSID])” rather than on “Bibliographic Records” Bibliographic Records as we did above.