Holdings - Creating, Editing, Suppressing, and Deleting

Holdings Records Quick Facts

• Holdings records exist for physical materials, to identify what library holds an item. In some cases a holding may represent an electronic resource, which is explained further at Alma location codes - usage information
• You cannot create an item without first creating a corresponding holding, though many processes in Alma will create the holdings record for you (ordering, quick item creation, etc.). 
• All holdings must be linked to bibliographic records, and all items must be linked to holdings.
• If you start by creating an order (a Purchase Order Line or POL) or from the Quick Cataloging menu, Alma will create a stub holding for you.
• Holdings are viewable in the main Alma interface, and editable in the Metadata Editor.
  
• The Metadata Standards Working Group maintains MARC Holdings Examples on the Best Practices wiki. 

Viewing Holdings

Option 1: From Search Results (View Only)

1. Using the All Titles or Physical Titles search type, find the bib record of interest
2. Expand the Physical holdings tab by clicking on the double-arrow icon
3. Choose the holdings record you want to view:

• • Click on the hyperlinked Location for the holding, OR
  • Click on the Holdings link to see a list of holdings, then click on the holdings ID number or select View from the row action item list icon at the right
    

Option 2: In the Metadata Editor (View or Edit)

To view holdings for a specific bib from within the MD Editor, click on the icon highlighted below, or type CTRL + i

This will search for  inventory associated with the bib. The results will display in a split screen. 

Click View or Edit to view or edit the holdings. You can choose the full-screen icon next to the Exit button to display the holdings as a full screen.

Alma will keep also 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.

Adding Holdings

To add an additional holding to a bib that already has a holding:

1. Search for the bib record. 
2. From the search result, click the Holdings link.
3. Click Add New Holdings. This will open the new holdings record in the Metadata Editor.
4. Type in the 852 $b and $c which are mandatory (use all capital letters). You can also use Control+F in this field to open a Form Editor to choose from a drop down list of libraries and locations.
5. Click the Save icon or CTRL + S

When you save the record, Alma will copy the bib 050 into the holding 852 $h $i, if both these conditions are met: 

1. Subfield h and i were blank 
2. The library/location is configured to default to LC classification. 

This does not work for the 090, which has to be added manually.

Alma has a default 852 1st indicator set up for each library/collection (i.e. 852 $b $c combination) so you don't have to enter the indicator. If your location does not have a default, indicator 8 will be autopopulated. Contact LTS to set up a different indicator for you location if needed.

If the bib record is already open in the MDE, click on the Add Holdings icon, or type CTRL + ALT + H and proceed from step 4 above.

Editing Holdings

If you are viewing a holdings record, click Edit to open the holding in the MD Editor. 

Alternatively, open the bibliographic record in the MD Editor, and click on the icon to View Inventory or or type CTRL + I

The holdings will open in split screen:

You can edit the holdings, by choosing any commands under the Edit menu. You can choose the icon highlighted to the right to display the holdings as a full screen.

See also the Browse Shelf Listing document.

Suppressing Holdings

To suppress a holdings record from view in HOLLIS/Primo:

1. Open the holdings in the MDE per the instructions above
2. Navigate to Tools > Set Management Tags in the MDE toolbar menu
   
3. Click the box next to Suppress from Discovery

When you suppress a holding in Alma, all attached item records are also suppressed from discovery. If all items on a holding have been withdrawn, the holdings record should be deleted.

Records in Alma should be suppressed in cases in which we retain ownership of the resource, but do not want the resource discoverable in other systems such as:

• HOLLIS (Primo)
• WorldCat/OCLC
• Data stores such as LibraryCloud

Examples where it may be appropriate to suppress bibs/holdings:

• Resources used in tech services departments that are not available to patrons
• Newly received archival materials that are not ready to be exposed to the public
• Bib records used to pay for memberships to organizations

Deleting Holdings

A deleted record will be removed from Alma entirely.

The deletion of holdings and bibs for withdrawn resources is especially important in Alma. Otherwise, the resources are assumed to be parts of the collection that need to be managed. System functions for managing the collection continue to apply to suppressed records - such as authority control processes - using up valuable staff time for manual review of jobs and server processing time and space.

There are two methods to delete a holdings record:

1. Open the holdings record in the MDE
2. Select Record Actions > Delete Record (Ctrl+D)
3. You will be asked to confirm your choice
4. When you select “Yes,” you will be prompted to delete the bib or not
5. Select “Yes” if this is the last holdings record on the bib. Otherwise, select “No” to retain the bib

OR

1. Conduct a "Physical holdings" level search
2. Click the check box on the holdings you wish to delete (if there is more than one search result)
3. Navigate to the ellipses menu on the right of the search results screen and choose "Delete." This way you can delete without having to open the MDE.