Import (Batch Load) Bibs/Holdings/Items - Training Materials and Script
Resources
Exercises
Please bring a set of records to class to practice loading into Alma. Records must meet the criteria outlined in the load profile, in either UTF8 MARC binary or CSV/Excel file types.
Pre-class Reading and Reference Documents
Review before class:
Introduction
Welcome to the Batch Load Bibs/Holdings/Items. My name is.....
This class covers how to create bibliographic records and stub holdings and items for records supplied by vendors or created by library staff.
A few notes:
We are continuing to learn new things about Alma as staff work with real data in the system, and processes are still being refined. Periodic trainings and online materials will continue to be available to support you as you learn.
We are training on the tool of Alma, and while there is usually more than one way to do anything in Alma, we will show you one verified or preferred way to do tasks. Once you've learned the best practice, we encourage staff to discuss local procedures and workflows in your units.
We still encourage everyone to come together in Learning Circles - either cross-functional within units or on the same functions across units - to discuss how the implementation is going and how the new features and workflows in Alma might change work at Harvard.
Please continue to use the LTS Alma Support form to ask questions and report issues with Alma data, workflows, or roles & permissions. Asking these questions, and working groups providing answers, is an important part of everyone learning more about Alma. You can find the link in the Notifications widget in Alma, along with the link to Alma documentation on the LTS wiki.
The script and all materials for this class are available to review on the wiki, and will continue to be updated with any changes in procedures.
Some quick logistics information:
The nearest bathrooms & water supply are:
Please ask questions when they come up; I will also pause between sections for questions and to make sure things are clear.90 Mt Auburn: Two restrooms are on the opposite side of the building on the basement level, water is in the kitchenette and in a fountain by the restrooms
625 Mass Ave: Restrooms are at the opposite end of the building on the 3rd floor, by the water fountain
Let's start by introducing ourselves. (Go around the room and ask everyone to share their name, library/unit, and how this class relates to their work.)
Sandbox: Now, if you haven't already, please log in to the new Alma sandbox.
Even though we are now working in the Alma Production site, the Sandbox will be available for testing and review.
Sandbox changes: For the duration of 2019, we have two Sandboxes:
The original Sandbox has a red Harvard shield in the upper left corner, and its data was last refreshed at the end of August 2018. This sandbox will not be available after December 2019.
The new Premier Sandbox has a green Harvard shield in the upper left corner, and its data was last refreshed in February 2019. This sandbox will be our permanent sandbox.
Today we will cover the following topics:
About Permissions
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.
Although Alma has a great UI to allow for batch work rather than the command line days of prior systems, it is deceptively reassuring . . . . . . we have heard anecdotes from other Alma customers where librarians experienced in batch load and update processes have used an incorrect input file or norm rule and caused great harm to their catalog, including deleting the entire database.
Import / Record Load Best Practices
The basic steps for importing/loading records into Alma is:
Get or create the file of records to import.
Validate the file as thoroughly as possible.
Use the generic load profiles (more below) or work with LTS for a vendor-specific or project-specific profile.
Run the load.
Check the results.
In addition, these guidelines should be followed for every type of record load:
Harvard should not accept records from vendors or partners that have redistribution restrictions. See the Harvard Policy On Records.
The encoding and validity of records should be confirmed prior to load. See the requirements for Import Profiles.
For MARC files, use MARCedit to validate and edit records before loading.
For Excel/CSV files, confirm correct column headers are used and that data is as clean as possible. If necessary, convert Excel to MARC and validate using MARCedit.
Files should be named in a consistent manner for each load. We suggest one of the following conventions:
[librarycode]-[vendorcode]-[invoice#].mrc
[librarycode]-[vendorcode]-[YYYMMDD].mrc
It is okay to append suffixes as well for multiple files received in a day, e.g. wid-weinberg-20180545b.mrc
No more than 500 records should be loaded in a single batch.
If your vendor file is larger than this, you can use the MARCedit Split tool to break it into smaller files.
After a set is loaded, the records should be checked to ensure:
That bib validates in Alma (Tools > Validate)
That holding validates in Alma
That item was created and can be re-saved without errors
Pre-Load Verification of Data
MarcEdit Verification of Records
If you are working with a MARC file, use MARCedit to validate the data you're working with. If needed, download MARCedit from https://marcedit.reeset.net/ and choose the 64-bit Windows/Non-Administrator version.