Alma Known Issues

When relinking holdings, can't search by MMS ID in the System Number field – it yields zero results. Use Any field instead https://www.screencast.com/t/bbrwbJln

SOLUTIONS planned for 2025

Name headings with $t will only link if there is an authority for the name/title

(See also variants in next row)

Variant 1: If multiple authorities have the same 1XX where the only difference is $l (language), the bib heading will not link, and it will be reported as a multiple match (ambiguous). 

Variant 2: Same for subfield $k (added 7/25/22)

Variant 3: We noted that in at least one example the only possible sources of incorrectly assessed conflict in Alma were other vocabularies (e.g. Rameau). (added 4/24/23)

new case number 05307441

case number in previous salesforce: 00922961

If the authority is for the subdivided form of a heading, and the bib heading is further subdivided, it will not be flipped when the heading changes. Only the subdivided form that exactly matches to the authority will be flipped. For example, this authority changed from:

$a Germany $x Politics and government $y 19th century

to:

$a Germany $x Politics and government $y 1789-1900

Bib headings that exactly matched that $a $x $y were flipped. Bib headings that were further subdivided did not, such as:

$a Germany $x Politics and government $y 19th century $v Congresses

Idea Exchange.

The presence of some punctuation prevents 800 field headings from linking. For example, the presence of a semicolon at the end of $f or $l prevents the field from linking.

800/1_ $$a Sibelius, Jean, $$d 1865-1957. $$t Works. $$f 1998 ; $$v ser. 1, v. 99. 

the above does not link, but if you remove the period after Works, and the semicolon after 1998, it does link.

Partially resolved Oct 2020

Outstanding scenarios will be resolved as part of partial heading linking work by ExL 

NOT CURRENTLY ON ROADMAP

Headings with ampersands, plus signs, apostrophes, and commas may be marked as Ambiguous instead of linking if there is another heading or cross-reference without the character. Examples of headings that may be reported as ambiguous instead of linking: 

• Peabody Essex Museum
• Peabody & Essex Museum

• Ciné+ (France)
• Cine France

• Mohammad, Ali
• Mohammad Ali (a cross-reference in the authority record for Ali, Mohammad)

• McFarland & Company
• McFarland Company (cross-reference in authority record for J. Horace McFarland Company)

NONE

Example: our heading (incorrectly) has 651 a x y x

Matching authority has a x x y

Our heading is linked to authority but order of subfields was not corrected

Note: using F3 from MDE does correct the subfield order.

When a name is used as a subject, Alma will flip the heading even if the authority record has the fixed field that says the heading is not valid as a subject. 

When a 655 field is coded for LCSH and matches a non-preferred term in LCGFT, Alma flips the heading to the preferred LCGFT term but does not update the coding (it should change the 2nd ind to 7 and add $2 lcgft). This does not have an effect on patrons using HOLLIS, but the incorrect coding may cause problems in future linked data projects or migrations. Genre terms in other thesauri are not affected (aat, etc.). Data correction needs to occur in Alma for flips where the LCGFT term DIFFERS from the LCSH term, such as Comics (Graphic works), Screenplays, Thrillers (Fiction), Academic Theses.

Please vote on the Ideas Exchange. (Clean-up of these was removed from the project request list in Nov. 2023 - data will need to be addressed during future migration projects). More background on LC FAQ on LCSH/LCFGT. At Harvard generally only legacy records use the 655/0 LCSH term. Current records generally use 655/7 LCGFT.

Note that the issue was discussed at length at ExL, and derives from the fact LC provides the LCGFT in the LCSH file, rather than as separate feeds.

NONE

Please vote on the Idea  

CZ bib records have outdated headings. This will create split entries in the Browses and Primo facets if we use CZ collections for certain packages. ExL has no plans to perform authority control on CZ bibs. Revisit with Provider Zone.

 NONE

Death dates and other changes are not being made. 

Dec 2023

FIXED AS OF NOV 2023

Loss of data. Example of improper flips:

• 600 10 $$a Shakespeare, William, $$d 1564-1616 $$x Comedies.  flipped to:
• 600 10 $$a Shakespeare, William, $$d 1564-1616. $$t Plays. $$k Selections

Note - as of 6/25/18 this appears to be limited to 600 fields. The example below no longer occurs:

• 650 $$a Motion pictures $$x Periodicals $$x History.  flipped to:
• 650 $$a Motion pictures $$x History $$v Periodicals 

Fixed as of 6/26/24 for prospective jobs via new rule "respect subfield coding"

Preferred term correction process won't flip headings if the field number changes. It only reports them.

(E.g. bib headings is 110 and matches 410 xref, and preferred term is in 130)

Fixed in Fall 2024. 

Idea

Also NERS 6670

00830184

"This will be fixed in the March 2021 release.







It depends on a setting that Support will do for you when the March 2021 release is installed"

May 2021

Resolved. 

(The line item was briefly not working for a month or two in 2024 due to a regression that was then fixed) 

CB adjusted Primo rules to display in proper place