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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. We'll start with moving holdings records to a different bib.


Moving Holdings

Important Notes

When you're moving holdings records, there are several pieces of information to keep in mind:

  • Moving a holdings record does not change the bib record at all.

  • Any items attached to the holding will also move.
  • If there is an active request on any item on the holdings record, you will not be able to relink the holding. You'll need first to handle the requests or move all the items first.
  • When you're moving a holdings record, the steps you follow depend on whether that item had a one time or continuous order. In Alma, one-time orders are connected to materials at the title level, but continuous orders are 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. You can move holdings records for continuous orders, but make sure you understand the effects of that move before you do it.

  • Similarly, it helps to know if the holdings you're moving is the last holdings on the bib record.

    • If it is, best practice is to use Merge Records and Combine Inventory. See the Working with Bib Records segment of the Cataloging module for more on that process.

    • If the holdings record is not the last one on the bib, use either of the methods below.

Relinking a POL to a Different Bibliographic Record - Continuous Orders

If you are working with a serial or other continuous order, you can relink the POL to a different bib record from the Purchase Order Lines Details page. This will move the corresponding items and holdings to that new bib record. You might do this if your item matched an existing bib record better than the one imported for the order, or if the POL is linked to a bib record for single volume that’s actually part of a multivolume work with a separate bib record.

To relink the POL:

  1. Find the title or order record, then open up the Purchase Order Lines Details page
  2. At the top, click on Relink
  3. Search to find the bib record you want to link the order (and its holdings and items) to
  4. Click on that result in the list to select it
  5. Once you confirm the relinking, the order, holdings, and any items will all move to a new bib record together

In addition, when you relink the bib record, the bib reference on the Description tab of the order record will automatically update to the new information as well.

Moving Holdings Records in the Metadata Editor - One Time Orders

If you want to move your library's holdings for a title - and any associated items - to a new bib record, you can do that in the Metadata Editor. Before you start, it's helpful to have information about the new bib record ready (like its OCLC number or its title) to speed up the second half of the process.

To move a holdings record:

  1. Search for the physical title or physical item for the holdings record you want to move. Remember, you can't search for holdings records directly, only their bib or item records.
  2. Click on Holdings to open the List of Holdings
  3. Check the check box for the record to be moved then choose Relink from the row action item list
  4. The MD Editor opens with the holding on the left and a search panel on the right. Use the search panel to locate the "target" bib, the new bib record you want to link the holdings and item to.
  5. The search results will have View and Relink options; choose Relink.
  6. With the holdings highlighted in the left pane, click on the View Bibliographic Record icon to display the bib to which the holdings is now linked
  7. Edit the holdings record if needed and then Save and Release


Now that we've seen how to move holdings records between bibs, let's look at how to move item records between holdings records.

Moving Items

Moving an Item to an Existing Holding on the Same Bib Record

Let's say you are sending half of a serial set (v. 1-2) from the stacks to HD. You'll need to move items from the Stacks holding to the HD holding. Best practice is to edited the holdings records to reflect the transfer before moving the items.

  1. First, use the physical items or physical titles search to find the items you're moving
  2. Click on Items to see the full List of Items for that title
  3. Select the item or items you want to move by ticking the checkboxes next to them in the list
  4. When you've selected all of them, click on Change Holdings
  5. Select the holdings record you want to move the items to and click Select

Now, the items have moved to the HD holdings record. To review the results, click on View All Holdings. To the right of the holdings I want to see, choose View Items from the row action item list.

If you have moved all items from the Stacks holding to the HD holding, you have the option of deleting the stacks holding from this same list. Tick the box of the row for that holdings record, click Delete Holdings, and click Confirm. Deleted unused holdings records cleans up the database and speeds up large batch updates.

Moving an Item to an Existing 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.  Again, you'll need to update the holdings records first to record the change.

  1. First, search for the volume that needs to be moved - we'll use a physical titles search
  2. Click on Items to see the List of Items
  3. Select the item you want to move using the checkbox, then click on Relink to another Bib
  4. Search for the bib record you want to move the item to; again, it's helpful to have specific information like the OCLC number on hand.
  5. Select the bib record you want from the list to see the list of of holdings
  6. Use the checkbox to select the target holding and choose Select in the upper right corner
  7. You'll see a message that the item was successfully relinked

Moving an Item to a New Holding on a Different Bib Record

Our last scenario is: What if you need to move an item to a new holding, rather than an existing holding, on a different bib record? This might happen if you're permanently transferring an item to another library that doesn't yet own any copies of it.

  1. Again, search for the title and click on Items to see the List of Items
  2. Select the item you want to move using the checkbox and click on Relink to another Bib
  3. Search for the bib record you want to move the item to and select it to see the list of holdings
  4. Click on Add new holdings
  5. The MD Editor will opens with a blank holdings record
  6. At minimum, you need to add the 852 info (in this case, SCH GEN); continue adding any relevant holdings information
  7. When you're done, Save & Release the record and then select the Back button
  8. Your new holding is now in the list of holdings, but notice it has 0 items attached. The little circle next to your new holdings is already filled in, so click on Select.
  9. You'll see a blue message that the item record for v. 2 was successfully relinked to the new holding on the second bib record


For either of these last two scenarios, if you move the last item off of a holdings record, Alma will ask you how you want to treat the holdings record: suppress or delete it. Best practice is to delete a holdings record with no items attached, per the Policy for Suppression and Deletion.

Using the Scan In Items Feature

There is one more option for moving items, but doesn't have as much control as the preceding options.

  1. Go to Fulfillment >> Scan In Items
  2. Click on the Change Item Information tab
  3. Choose Permanent for the Change Type and fill in other fields as needed
  4. Scan in the item barcode to complete the move

Do not use the Scan In Items option to move the last item on a holding to a new holding. If it was the only item on the old holding, Alma will delete the old holding and create a new one. The new one will have only the LDR/008/852 from the old holding - all other fields are lost. Instead, use one of the relinking options to move the holdings with all fields intact.


Closing

This has been the Items and Holdings module of the Alma Overviews Online Course. For more information, read the Items and Holdings documentation on the Alma wiki, or any functional area training that deals with items and holdings.



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