Moving Items and Holdings - Items & Holdings Module

This is the third section of the items & holdings module of the Alma Overviews course. The video is at the top of the page, followed by the script.

In this video, you'll review:

In this video, we're going to look at the ways you can move items from one holdings record to another, and holdings from one bib record to another.

A word of caution: Alma treats these actions differently than other ILSs have in the past. Specifically, it always wants to clean up the database, so it's looking to delete unused holdings and bib records. Make sure you know what options you're choosing when you move the last item or last holding record, and how you want the relevant holdings or bib record to be treated when you do.

Also, in Alma, most one-time orders are connected to materials at the title level, but continuous orders tend to be attached at the holdings level. When you move a holdings record, it may break the link between a serials order and the items, which causes problems with predicted items and other processes. Again, you can move holdings records for continuous orders, but make sure you understand the effects of that move before you do it.

We will now go over methods for moving holdings and moving items.

Because of time, I am only going through the basics. There is more documentation about these two topics on the wiki: https://wiki.harvard.edu/confluence/x/4Z5dDQ

For those of you who perform Fulfillment tasks, please be certain to check this information, because there is an important warning there about using a Fulfillment tool in Alma when moving the last item on a holding. 

The methods we'll discuss should only be used when the holding that needs to be moved is one of multiple holdings attached to the bib record. If there is only a single holding attached to the bib record, use Merge Records and Combine Inventory as you learned in your Cat 2 training. 

Moving Holdings

Important things to know

• This method will not touch the bib record of the holding that is moved.  The bib record will continue to be active.

• Any items attached to the holding will also move.
• If there is an active request on an item, you will not be able to relink the holding.  You'll need first to handle the requests or move all the items first.
• I am showing you one method here, but if a PO line is involved, the best method is to relink the PO line. This is because PO lines related to the holdings record will not move using the method I will demonstrate. You need to follow separate instructions for relinking a PO line, which are taught in Order Maintenance: https://wiki.harvard.edu/confluence/x/eQGfDQ. When you relink a PO line to a different bib record, the corresponding holdings and items will also move.

To move a holding when it is one of multiple holdings on a bib record

Let's say you realize that your library's holding is attached to the bib record for the 1st edition, but the book owned is really the 2nd edition.  You need to move your holding to the right bib record, and leave intact other holdings on the record for the 1st edition.

Before you start, it is helpful to have information about the target record ready (like its OCLC number or its title) to facilitate searching for that record later in the process. Example: Practice record to beat all practice records. 2nd edition.

1. First, I'll conduct a physical items search for the bib record with the holding that I want to move. Example: Widener holding on: Practice record to beat all practice records. 1st edition.
   
2. I click on "Holdings."
3. Then I check the check box for the holding to be moved, click on the ellipsis, and choose "Relink."
4. The MD Editor opens with the holding on the left and a search panel on the right.  I will use the search panel to locate the "target" bib–the bib record to which I want the holding to be attached.
5. My bib search results appear with "View" and "Relink" options.  I'll click on "Relink." 
6. Let's look at the results.  Once I have the holdings in the left pane, I can click on the icon "View Bibliographic Record" to display the bib to which the holdings is now linked.
7. I should release the holding record from the MD Editor unless I'm going to edit it. Trainer: relink WID holdings back to 1st edition before next class.

Moving items

Moving an item to another holding on the same bib record

Let's say we are sending half of a serial set (v. 1-2) from the stacks to HD.  We'll need to move items from the stacks holding to the HD holding. I've already edited the holdings records to reflect the transfer.

1. First, I'll search the repository for the item to be moved. Example: Dastardly annual madness.
   
2. For the results list, I'll click "Items" for the bib record with multiple holdings.  The List of Items will appear.
3. I'll select the item I want to move by using the checkbox.  Then I'll click on "Change Holdings."
4. The list of holdings appears.  I'll select the holdings to which I want to move the item, and then I'll click "Select."
5. To review the results, I can click on the "View All Holdings" link. To the right of the holdings I want to see, I click on the ellipsis, and select "View Items."
6. If the result were a holding with zero items (not in this example), I can select the row with that holdings, click "Delete Holdings," and click "Confirm" in the confirmation dialogue box. Instructor: move items back to WID WIDLC holdings for next class.
   

Moving an item to a holding on a different bib record

Let's say we learn that a serial title changed with vol. 2, not vol. 3, so we need to move the item for vol. 2 to the bib record for the later title. Other Harvard libraries own the earlier title, so more than one holding exists on that record.  Example:  former title = Advances in wonderment; later title = Advances in wonderment and fun. The holdings record has already been updated.

1. First, I'll search for the Widener item for v. 2 that needs to be moved. Right now it is attached to the former title, so I'll do a Physical Title search for that title.
2. From the results list, I'll click on "Items" for the bib record (with multiple holdings). The List of Items will appear.
3. I'll select the item I want to move by using the checkbox. Then I'll click on "Relink to another Bib."
4. In the pop-up screen, I'll search for the bib record to which I want to move the item. If I have the OCLC number, I can search for "Other System Number."
5. I'll select the bib record I want from the list. The list of of holdings for that bib appears.
6. In this case, I want to move the item to an existing holding, so I'll show you that.  I will use the checkbox to select the target holding, and chose "Select" in the upper righthand corner.
7. I get a message that the item was successfully relinked.

Moving an item to a new holding on a different bib record

What if I want to move the item to a new holding, rather than an existing holding, on the bib record for the later title?  Let's move the item for Schlesinger's vol. 2 from the earlier title to the later title.  There is no holdings record for Schlesinger attached to the later title.

1. Again, I'll do a Physical Title search for the earlier title.
2. From the results list, I'll click on "Items" for the bib record (with multiple holdings). The List of Items will appear.
3. I'll select the Schlesinger item I want to move by using the checkbox. Then I'll click on "Relink to another Bib."
4. In the pop-up screen, I'll search for the bib record to which I want to move the item. If I have the OCLC number, I can search for "Other System Number."
5. I'll select the bib record I want from the list. The list of of holdings for that bib appears.
6. I'll click on "Add new holdings."
7. The MD Editor opens a new holdings workform. I need to add the 852 info (in this case, SCH GEN), Save & Release the record and then select the Back button.  
8. Your new holding is now in the list, but notice it has 0 items attached. The little circle next to your holding is already filled in. Click on Select. You'll see a blue message that the item record for v. 2 was successfully relinked to the new holding on the later record.

Trainer: move item records back to source record for next class and delete newly-created SCH holdings record.

Note: if I am moving the last item off of a holding, Alma will provide a list of options for the original holding (suppress, delete, do nothing).  The best practice is to delete the holdings record.