MARC records
Batch upload
Item records can be batch uploaded in Alma using the Staff new items (multiple) MIXED (EXCEL) import profile developed by LTS. Only the Collections Services Archivist is authorized to run this job.
To prepare item records for batch import:
- Open the excel template located in N:\Administration_CHoM\Policies_and_Policy_Development\Cataloging and Description\Alma-Batch-Item-template
- Save a copy of the template to the relevant collection folder on the N: drive. For manuscript collections, file in the Accessioning folder. Name according to e-control file naming conventions (i.e. 2024-10-07_serialItemsMultiple_Zanarini.xls)
- Populate fields with red text with collection/item-specific data (Fields in Black are pre-populated with static data and should not be edited)
- 001 - MMS ID (for the collection record)
- 049$a - barcode
- 049$n - box description (Box number) i.e. 01, 02, 03, etc.
- Save and send the file to the Collections Services Archivist for upload
Creating, editing, suppressing, deleting
Alma login page: https://hvd.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/CAS
Creating
- In Alma, go to Resources > Cataloging > Open Metadata Editor
- In the lefthand menu under the Templates tab, go to MARC21 Bibliographic and expand Shared
- Right click on MED DACS for archives and manuscripts (our custom template) or Book for books and journals (stock template)
- Select New Record From Template
Editing
- Search for the bib record in the persistent search bar
- From the search results, select Edit Record to open the record in the Metadata Editor
- When working from one of the templates above, be sure to edit/add/delete fields and content as needed for your record.
Suppressing
- Open the bib record in the Metadata Editor
- Go to Tools > Set Management Tags > Suppress from Discovery (check this box).
- To unsuppress a record, follow the same steps but uncheck the box
Deleting
- Open the bib record in the Metadata Editor
- Select File > Delete Record
- You will be asked to confirm your choice
Handy Alma shortcuts for record editing:
- Add field: F8
- Add subfield: F9
- Delete field: Ctrl+F6
- Split screen: F6 (then click on any bib or holdings record in the lefthand menu to display it on the righthand screen)
- Open form editor: Ctrl+F (only works on some fields)
- Save: Ctrl+S
- Save and release: Ctrl+Alt+R
- View inventory (opens holdings & items for a bib record): Ctrl+I
- Add holdings: Ctrl+Alt+H
- Add item: Alt+I
For additional guidance, view Resource Management on the LTS Documentation Wiki
MARC Field Guide
Leader & control fields
Edit the Leader and/or 008 using the form editor:
- Click in Leader
- Edit > Open form editor (or CTRL-F)
- Key text into variable fields or add and remove variable fields as needed (see guide below)
- Click Esc to close or navigate to different field
Leader (make sure to use lower case letters)
- 05 = n (new; if a record is substantially updated, change to c for Corrected or revised)
- 06 = p (mixed materials)
- 07 = c (collection)
- 08 = a (archival)
- 17 = 5 (partial, for stub records/accessions) or # (full, for processed/open collections)
- 18 = a (AACR2)
008
- 06 = i (for inclusive dates of collection, which are preferred) or k (for bulk dates) or s (for a single date)
- 07-10 = Enter start date (year) of records in four digit format
- 11-14 = Enter end date (year) of records in four digit format
- 15-17 = mau USUALLY (this is a three letter code for the primary location in which the records were created; mau is the usual place of origin of our archival and manuscript collections but select a different state or country code as appropriate, or use xxu for United States if a single primary state of origin can't be determined).
18-22 = ####
23 = # (none of the choices listed)
35-37 = eng (language code for English - use other code if primary language is not English)
38 = # (non-modified record)
39 = d (cataloging source “other”)
040 _ _
$$a MBCo $$c MBCo $$e dacs
(this is our MARC21 code; alternatively, our OCLC symbol, HMS, can be used. Cataloging precedent for mixed materials is MBCo)
Indicators: Both should be blank.
041 _ _
$$a eng [or other language code if applicable to materials. Repeat $$a if multiple languages are present in collection.]
1xx Main Entry
- First indicator for people should usually be 1 (surname) or, rarely, 2 (name in direct order). For corporate bodies it should usually be 2 (name in direct order). For families it should be 3 (family name).
- Second indicator should be blank.
- 100 1_ $$a Morrison, H. $$q (Hyman), $$d b. 1881
- 110 2 _ $$a New England Surgical Society
Indicators:
- First indicator should be 2 (name in direct order)
- Second indicator should be blank.
Keep in mind that established name authorities for offices of origin (1XX) are uniformly used on accession forms, ArchivesSpace records, and in MARC catalog records. The official name employed should be the same on all documentation related to that series. To ensure accuracy, please:
- Consult ArchivesSpace
- Consult Library of Congress authorities
- Search HOLLIS for possible authorities that may already exist
- Check in the archives control file to ensure that an authority hasn’t already been created
- 110 2_ $$a Harvard Medical School. $$b Office of the Executive Dean for Administration
- NOT 110 2_2 $$a Harvard Medical School. Office of the Executive Dean for Administration
The name used in the 1XX should also be included as a subject 6XX:
- 110 2_ $$a Harvard Medical School. $$b Office of the Executive Dean for Administration
- 610 20 $$a Harvard Medical School. $$b Office of the Executive Dean for Administration
If there is more than one LCNAF authority record for a name, i.e. an earlier authorized form and a later authorized form, chose as your main entry the form of the name that represents the time period during which the bulk of the material was created. The name you did not use as the main entry should be listed as an added entry (7xx) and should be referenced in the historical note (545), ex: "The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, formerly known as the Harvard School of Public Health ...."
245 Title
Indicators:
- First indicator should be 1 (title added entry) unless you are using the title as your main entry, in which case it should be 0 (see "Title main entry" note above).
- Second indicator is for how many non-filing characters at beginning of title (usually 0)
Subfields:
- $$a is used for a title proper
- $$f for inclusive dates or single dates
- $$g for bulk dates
- avoid using $$k (creating a format-only Title)
Examples:
- 110 2_ $$a Salpêtrière (Hospital)
- 245 10 $$a Salpêtrière Hospital records, $$f 1859-1942 (inclusive), $$g 1900-1919 (bulk)
- 110 2_ $$a Harvard Fatigue Laboratory
- 245 10 $$a Harvard Fatigue Laboratory reports, $$f 1935-1947 (inclusive).
- 110 2_ $$a Harvard Medical School. $$b Office of the Dean
- 245 10 $$a Harvard Medical School. Office of the Dean executive administrative files, $$f 1916-1952 (inclusive)
- 100 1_ $$a Morrison, H. $$q (Hyman), $$d b. 1881
- 245 10 $$a H. (Hyman) Morrison papers, $$g 1920-1957 (bulk)
- 110 2_ $$a New England Surgical Society
- 245 10 $$a New England Surgical Society records, $$f 1916-2002 (inclusive), $$g 1948-2002 (bulk)
- 100 1_ $$a Whitcomb, Asa, $$d 1718-1804
- 245 10 $$a Letter from Asa Whitcomb to Dr. David Townsend, Boston, $$f 17 July 1776
Archived website:
- 245 10 $$a [title of website, plus the qualifier "archived website" in square brackets. ]
- Example: 245 10 $$a Harvard Medical School [archived website]
- Note that the above title guidance only applies if the entire resource you're describing is an archived site. If the site is just one part of a larger manuscript collection/record group, you'll supply here the collection title (no qualifier needed).
- If the entire resource you're describing is an archived site, for the inclusive dates, use the website's extant dates. If you don't know the site dates, use the Archive-It crawl date(s) as your 245 date.
- $$k Special events records, |g 2005 (bulk)
- $$k Committee records, |f 2000-2010 (inclusive)
- $$a Harvard Medical School Office of the Dean executive administrative files, $$f 1916-1952 (inclusive)
- $$a Harvard Medical School Department of Pharmacology records, $$f 1995-2005 (inclusive)
- $$a Harvard Fatigue Laboratory records, $$f 1916-1952 (inclusive), $$g 1941-1947 (bulk)
300 Physical Description (extent)
300 _ _ $$a [number of] $$f [cubic feet] ($$a [number of] $$f [records center carton(s) or other container]).
300 _ _ $$a [number of] $$f [gigabytes] ($$a [number of] $$f digital files, and $$f [number of] folders
Notes: Write out "cubic feet" and "gigabytes." Digital extent should be recorded in a separate 300 field. For digital extent, always indicate volume in gigabytes (not megabytes), rounding to nearest two decimal places and including a leading zero if the volume is less than 1 (0.5 *not* .5).
Indicators:
- Both should be blank
Examples:
300 _ _ $$a 0.5 $$f gigabytes ($$a 39 $$f digital files, $$a 12 $$f digital folders)
Sample language:
- 1 records center carton
- 2 records center cartons
- 1 letter size document box
- 1 legal size document box
- 1 half letter size document box
- 1 half legal size document box
- 1 oversized box
- 1 oversized flat storage box
- 2 oversized folders in flat file storage cabinet
- 3 flat storage boxes
- 1 slide box
- 1 negative storage box
- 0.04 gigabytes
- 14.4 gigabytes
351 Organization/Arrangement of Materials (for MSS)
351 _ _ $$a Number of series in collection, followed by the series names and date spans
Indicators:
- Both should be blank
Examples:
$$a The Harold Leonard Higgins Papers are arranged in five series: Series I. Professional Records, 1910-1941, undated. Series II. Professional Organizations Records, 1920-1946, 1957-1958. Series III. Personal Records, 1896-1946, undated. Series IV. Writings, 1908, 1923-1946, undated. Series V. Collected Reprints and Publications, 1918, 1927, 1935-1948, 1957-1958, undated.
545 Biographical or Administrative Note
545 0 _ $$a Biographical note about the collection creator
OR
545 1 _ $$a Administrative history for the records creator
Notes: For institutional archives, check HOLLIS for existing records that contain a description of the office in the 545 field.
Indicators:
- First indicator: Use 0 for a biography (person) or 1 for administrative history (organization, company, etc.)
- Second indicator should be blank
For guidance on authoring biographical notes and administrative histories for this field, see the Descriptive notes page. Keep in mind that corporate or biographical histories should not be clipped and copied from websites in their entirety, especially as laudatory, promotional, or otherwise “subjective” descriptions are often employed.
520 Summary
520 2 _ $$a Brief overview of collection/records $$b Collection level scope note
520 2 _ $$a Description of records series
Notes: For stub records, the 520 can be taken from the Scope and Content note in the ArchivesSpace accession record. For institutional records, check HOLLIS for existing records that contain a description of the records in the 520 field. For processed collections, the 520 should contain a condensed version of the collection-level scope and content note from the finding aid.
Indicators:
First indicator should be 2 for scope and content note
Second indicator should be blank
524 Preferred Citation (use only for processed collections)
Indicators:
- Both should be blank
Examples:
- 546 _ _ $$a Records are predominantly in French, with some German and English.
555 Finding Aid Note
555 0 _ $$a Indicate if there is a box/folder list (for unprocessed), and/or finding aid available (repeat 555 if needed). $$u Finding aid URI
Indicators:
- First indicator should be 0 for finding aid
- Second indicator should be blank
Examples:
$$a Unpublished inventory available upon request.
$$a Electronic finding aid available: $$u http://id.lib.harvard.edu/ead/med00XXX/catalog (make sure to include a space after the colon)
6xx Subject Added Entries
Authorized subject terms are strongly preferred, only use local/unauthorized terms if absolutely necessary.See Handling Corporate Body Name Changes for specific guidance on using names of schools or departments that have changed over time as subject entries.
Search and browse for authorized headings:
Library of Congress Subject Heading (LCSH)
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) (see also MeSH tree view)
Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT)
See also: Headings & Authorities for commonly used headings.
- Assign subject headings from the point of view of a researcher: if you were interested in topic “X,” would this collection be a good “hit” in a catalog?
- The name used in the 1XX should always be included as a subject 6XX.
People & families
600 10 $$a Name of a person who is a subject of the collection, authorized form preferred $$b Numeration $$c Titles and other words associated with name $$d Dates associated with nameIndicators:
- First indicator should be 1 for surname or 3 for family name
- Use 0 for Library of Congress subject headings (LCSH), even if the name is locally formed and not in LCNAF (names coded as local do not display in Alma).
Corporate bodies
610 20 $$a Name of a corporate entity that is a subject of the collection, authorized form preferred $$b Subordinate unit $$x General/topical subdivision $$y Chronological subdivision] $$z Geographic subdivisionIndicators:
- First indicator should be 2 for a non-jurisdictional corporate body, and 1 for a jurisdictional name (e.g. United States. Army.)
- Use 0 for Library of Congress Name Authority, even if the name is locally formed and not in LCNAF (names coded as local do not display in Alma).
Topical headings
650 _ 0 $$a Topical subject heading $$x General/topical subdivision $$y Chronological subdivision $$z Geographic subdivision
Notes: When identical headings appear in both LCSH and MeSH, just provide the LCSH version. Use MeSH when needed to represent topics or aspects not adequately represented in LCSH, especially for specific diseases, medical instruments, techniques, etc.
LCSH terms have periods at the end of the entry, while MeSH terms do not.
Indicators:
- First indicator should be blank
- Second indicator should be used to indicate the source of the term
- 0 for Library of Congress subject headings (LCSH)
- 2 for Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
- 650_0 $$a Medical education [LCSH]
- 650_2 $$a Education, medical [MESH]
Formats
655 _ 7 $$a Use to indicate different types of formats, mostly non-textual (photographs, videotapes, audio recordings, etc.) $$2 Use to indicate the thesaurus used (AAT)Notes: Use AAT terms for formats. For quick reference, consult our list of frequently used format headings on the Headings & Authorities page.
- First indicator should be blank
- Second indicator should be 7 (source of term specified in subfield $$2)
Examples:
- $$a Black-and-white photographs $$2 aat
- $$a Drawings (visual works) $$2 aat
- $$a Negatives (photographic) $$2 aat
- $$a Notebooks $$2 aat
- $$a Web archives $$2 aat
Occupations
Indicators:
- First indicator should be blank
- Second indicator should be 7 (source of term specified in subfield $$2)
Examples:
- $$a Oral surgeons $$2 lcsh
- $$a Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons $$2 mesh
- $$a Prosthodontist $$2 dot
7xx Author Added Entries
7XX fields are used to indicate additional persons corporate bodies with significant responsibility for the creation of the materials. For example, the name of a particular Dean or administrator who significantly contributed to the creation of the office’s records.
See Handling Corporate Body Name Changes for specific guidance on using names of schools or departments that have changed over time.
Always use authorized forms of names from LCNAF when available.
Personal names
700 1 _ $$a Use for the personal name of some who intellectually contributed to the creation of the series/collection $$c Use for titles and other words associated with a name $$d Use for dates associated with a name
Indicators:
- First indicator should be 1 for a name in indirect order (surname first); use 3 for a family name
- Second indicator should be blank
Indicators:
- First indicator should be 2 for a name in direct order
- Second indicator should be blank
Examples:
110 2_ $$a Harvard Medical School. $$b Office of the Executive Dean for Administration
700 1_ $$a Doe, John, $$d 1945-
Additional resources
Holdings Records
Creating, editing, suppressing, deleting, moving
Creating
- Open the bib record in the Metadata Editor.
- Click the Add Holdings icon from the top right menu bar (it looks like a document with a plus sign) or hit Ctrl+Alt+H.
- Fill in the 852 $$b and $$c which are required (see the field guide below for additional instructions)
- 852 $$b MED $$c [HDRB or RAREB]
- Remember to save as you're working (floppy disk icon or Ctrl+ S) and when finished, Save and Release (under the File menu or Ctrl+Alt+R).
- Please note that every holdings record must have at least one item attached (this allows Aeon requesting).
Editing
- Open the bib record in the Metadata Editor
- Click the View Inventory Icon in the top-right menu bar (it looks like a box with a magnifying glass) or hit Ctrl+I. This will display any associated holdings records in a split screen on the right side.
- Click "View" or "Edit" to the right of a holdings record to view or edit it.
- Remember to save as you're working (floppy disk icon or Ctrl+ S) and when finished, Save and Release (under the File menu or Ctrl+Alt+R).
- Add field: F8
- Add subfield: F9
- Delete field: Ctrl+F6
- Split screen: F6 (then click on any bib or holdings record in the lefthand menu to display it on the righthand screen)
- Open form editor: Ctrl+F (only works on some fields)
- Save: Ctrl+S
- Save and release: Ctrl+Alt+R
- View inventory (opens holdings & items for a bib record): Ctrl+I
- Add holdings: Ctrl+Alt+H
- Add item: Alt+I
Suppressing
- Open the Holdings record in the Metadata Editor.
- Go to Tools > Set Management Tags > Suppress from Discovery. Check the box.
- When you suppress a holding in Alma, all attached item records are also suppressed from discovery (e.g. HOLLIS)
Deleting
- First, ensure there are no items attached to the holdings record you wish to delete.
- Open the bib record in the Metadata Editor and view Holdings by selecting View Inventory.
- Click the More Actions button (...) to the right of the holdings record you wish to delete, and select Delete Holdings, and click Confirm in the confirmation dialog box.
- Detailed instructions can be found on the ExLibris website under Section 3.2 (Relinking).
Holdings Record Field Guide
Notes: If a record for a collection already exists, but a new accession needs to be added to the holdings record, add a new holdings record for each new accession and modify the extent and dates in the bibliographic record as needed. Each new holdings record should contain the new accession number, but does not necessarily have to contain notes about availability or access.852 8_
- First indicator should be 8 for “other scheme.”
- Second indicator should be blank.
Subfields:
- $$b MED
- $$c RAREB [on site/network storage] or HDRB [Harvard Depository] or NET [Networked resource]
NOTE: Electronic records on network storage should be represented in a holdings record with the RAREB location code. If cataloging a collection that consists of papers stored offsite and digital records on network storage, you'll need two holdings records: one for the papers (HDRB) and one for the digital records (RAREB).- Archived websites: use NET. See Website Archiving Metadata for more specifics on cataloging websites in Archive-it.
- $$h [Collection/Series number. Do not put a period at the end of this field]
- For new accessions:
- Institutional records: Series ##### (ACC. YYYY-###) ex: Series 12345 (Acc. 2003-004)
- Note: if holdings is for an Archive-It seed, you only need one holdings record for all accessions. Add all accession numbers to $h.
- Manuscripts: H MS c### (ACC. YYYY-###) ex: H MS c400 (Acc. 2011-001)
- Electronic records: Add "(Network storage)" in a subfield $$j. Ex: H MS c400 (Acc. 2011-001) $$j (Network Storage)
- Note: only do this to represent electronic records that have been transferred to network storage - any media stored in boxes and not digitally transferred need not be represented by a separate holdings record.
- Institutional records: Series ##### (ACC. YYYY-###) ex: Series 12345 (Acc. 2003-004)
- For processed collections:
- Do not use the 852 to record permanent onsite stacks location. Instead, ensure that you've manually entered onsite locations in ArchivesSpace.
- For new accessions:
- $$z Collection is closed pending archival processing to prepare it for access. Please contact Public Services to inquire about availability.
Indicators:
- For the first indicator, use 1 if restrictions are present (such as for processed collections that do have restricted materials), and 0 if collection has no restrictions.
- The second indicator should be blank.
Subfield $$a:
[For processed collections; modify as needed]
Collection is open for research. Access requires advance notice. Access to Harvard University and certain organizational records are restricted for 50 years from the date of creation. Access to personal and patient information is restricted for 80 years from the date of creation. Consult Public Services for further information.
- Update dates with each new accession
908 _ _ $$a p.
Item records
Creating & editing
- Use the Add Item option in the icon menu
- Or, use keyboard shortcut Alt + I
- Or, go to Tools > MARC21 Holdings > Add Item
- Or, when viewing the list of items, click the Action button (...), select Duplicate, and update the Description field for your new item and other fields if needed).
To edit an existing item:
- From Persistent Search Bar:
- Search for the using the Physical Items search (search for creator name, title, etc)
- Click Edit Item from the search results
- Or, from the Metadata Editor
- View the Holdings/Inventory (Ctrl+I)
- Click the Action button (...) next to the relevant holdings record
- Select View Items
- Click the Action button (...) next to the relevant item and select Edit
Follow the guidelines for filling out the Physical Item Editor fields.
General Information
Barcode: Fill in if shipping to HD
Material type: Use Mixed Material [add guidance for other material types?]
Description: Use Box 01 (capitalize box and use a zero in front of single digits so that they display in sequential order)
For electronic records, enter Electronic Records in this field (only one item record is needed to indicate the presence of all electronic records).
For small archival/manuscript accessions, enter either Small Archival Accessions Box 0x or Small Collections Box 0x.
Item policy: Use Special Collections (97) for items attached to unprocessed holdings (this prevents them from being Aeon-requestable; supersedes the now-deprecated Status 88).
Use Special Collections (91) for items that are available for request (books, processed papers/records, etc)
Location Information
Permanent library/location: Inherited from the Holdings record.
When complete click Save in the upper right.
Deleting (aka withdrawing) items
Moving items between holdings
- Before you begin, make note of the box numbers OR barcodes for the items you want to move, and the ID for the Holdings Records to which you are moving them.
- Use the Physical Items search in the persistent search bar to search for the record containing the items you wish to move.
- From the results list, to the right of the relevant bibliographic record, click Items (may be under More Actions: "...").The list of items will appear.
- Select the item(s) using the checkboxes and click Change Holdings. The list of holdings appears.
- Select the holdings to which you want to move the items and click Select.
- To review, click the View all Holdings link.
Mark Item as Missing
To mark an item as missing in Alma:
- Search for the item using the Physical Titles search.
- From the search results display, find the bib record you're looking for, and expand the associated holdings by clicking Physical.
- Under the holdings record, click Items.
- Find the item that's missing, and click the action item list icon ("...") on the right, and select Toggle Missing Status.
- To unmark an item as missing, follow the same steps above.