Alma
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53 results found
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To be able to remove the LOCAL marking of marc fields
Now, if a field in a record is to be 'un-local', you must delete the field and recreate the field without the local indication. An option to de-localize from the menu in MDE would make a better workflow.
4 votes -
Display personal metadata editor history of opened/edited records
Currently in Alma's All Titles search you can see a list of records you have previous looked at, but it would be helpful in the metadata editor if you had a list of records that you have opened recently. Even a list of 5-10 would helpful.
9 votes -
Información del campo-Editor de metadatos
En los diferentes campos de un registro en el editor de metadatos la información del campo podría estar en castellano.
1 vote -
With the implementation of AI Metadata Assistant, a streamlined process for exporting records created in Alma to OCLC would be nice.
...and if it could automatically set holdings and loop back to Alma and insert an 035 with the newly assigned OCLC# that would be even nicer.
1 vote -
Request for a List of Selectable Special Characters in the MDE Virtual Keyboard
Request regarding the MDE virtual keyboard for inserting special characters, which became available with the August 2025 release.
I would like to be able to view all available characters at once, or to change the order of the character code blocks in the drop-down menu.
It would be especially helpful if the characters could be displayed in Unicode order.
Currently, characters are grouped and selectable via a drop-down menu, but this structure requires users to know which set contains the character they want to input.
This makes the process inconvenient, especially when searching for less common characters.142 votes -
Expanding Unicode Tool range in Metadata Editor
The new Insert Unicode Characters tool in the Metadata Editor should be expanded to include the 0300-036F range of characters. This range includes several diacritics that are commonly used by catalogers, including the ligature (0361), candrabindu (0310), and combining diaeresis below (0324).
19 votes -
MDE Virtual Keyboard – Add Welsh as a separate language option.
The new Virtual Keyboard for Inserting Special Characters and Diacritics in the Metadata Editor has many different language options. However Welsh is not amongst them.
Can Welsh be added as a separate language.
22 votes -
Reloading several records from the union catalog at once
I would like to update several records from the union catalog at once, for example all the records within an itemized set. So far, this is only possible for individual records in the MDE ("Reload record from central catalog"), which is rather exhausting. It would be much easier if there was a button saying "reload records" by which you can push all checked items to the MDE and simultaneously reload the records from central catalog.
In this way, we could easily and quickly update bibliographic records from the "Failed to update delete" event in Analytics. Another use case would be…
51 votes -
Allow a NR to run with the PTC job
TL;DR:
We would like to have the ability to run a normalization rule whenever the PTC modifies a record.Background:
In November 2024 Ex-Libris added a new functionality to the PTC job:
MARC 21 Preferred Term Correction Can Flip Headings with Cross-Reference in Different Field
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2024/Alma_2024_Release_Notes?mon=202411Problem:
The PTC job only changes the first indicator correctly when the PTC job changes a field into 630.
in all other cases, the existing indicators remain.
We opened a case and spoke directly with Ex-Libris, but were told that the PTC job runs as intended, and that not handling the indicators is not…47 votes -
Intelex Past Masters collection needs better metadata
The Intelex Past Masters
In Alma in the electronic collections I can find the metadata have a structure that follows the structure of the database and not a normal catalogue standard.
A title looks like this: 'Collected works of Ludwig Wittgenstein. On certainty' and there are very few other information, eg. the field for ISBN and the writer has not been filled out.
When I search in Primo, I have to do a very specific search to find the title, since the title is not simply 'On certainty' and Wittgenstein in the writers field. Therefore the ranking gives a very…
4 votes -
Support Storage Location ID in SRU and Barcode API Queries
Hi,
Currently, Alma's BIB SRU interface does not support querying by Storage Location ID. This limits our ability to perform targeted searches for items based on their physical storage location, which is a critical need for institutions managing remote or offsite collections.
We propose the following enhancements to improve Alma's interoperability and search capabilities:
Extend the BIB SRU “q” parameter to support querying by Storage Location ID.
Introduce an ITEM-level SRU endpoint, similar to the existing BIB SRU, that would support more granular item-level searches including by Storage Location ID.
Alternatively or additionally, add Storage Location ID as a searchable…
1 vote -
Allow for an authority file to be addressed by different codes in $2 of various BIB fields
In Alma the authority file, a subject or term stems from, is defined by the content of $2 in various 6XX fields. This code controls the F3 functionality, as well as the linking process and the various jobs like PTC. Each and every authority file is addressed by one specific code.
In the German speaking countries we use an integrated authority file (GND), which amongst names and subjects, also includes genre/form terms. For historical reasons the genre/form terms in BIB field 655 are marked with the official LoC /MARC Genre/Form Code and Term Source Codes “gnd-content” and “gnd-carrier” in $2,…
152 votes -
Save certain subfields from being overwritten via F3 and PTC
When linking names, subjects etc. from authority files in various BIB fields, some cataloguing conventions require giving additional information in certain cases.
One example for such a requirement, stemming from the German speaking countries, is to add the time and place of an auction when linking to the genre/form term “auction catalogs” in BIB field 655 (see attached screenshot). This additional information is, of course, specific for each BIB record and must not be overwritten or deleted, if at a later point in time either PTC processes said BIB record or a colleague invokes the F3 functionality.
Since different subfields…
266 votesHello everyone, for those who raised comments about the correction of 830 $v, could you please provide a detailed, step-by-step explanation of the scenario in which this subfield gets overwritten?
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Implement Checks on the Authority Heading Type for Institutions Using ID-based Authority Control
Currently, when authority linking in Alma is based on ID rather than text, Alma does not check whether the authority heading type in the bibliographic record matches the heading type in the authority record. For example, Alma will link a 600 tag in the bib record for personal names with an authority record whose heading is in tag 110 for corporate names if their ID matches, even though Alma would not offer that option if F3 were pressed.
We would like Alma to (1) avoid linking in such cases and (2) flag these instances in the authority control task list.
…
2 votes -
Arrow keys now 'stick' in fields in MDE
When navigating through records in MDE, if you've previously typed anything in a field, you now cannot move out of that field using the arrow keys. It's not entirely consistent and sometimes does let you move out the field, while other times it 'sticks' randomly in fields you haven't edited at all, but in general it is extraordinarily inconvenient.
I see using the arrow keys to move within a field was previously suggested as a feature, but even within that suggestion, the idea included the stipulation that if the cursor was already at the start/end of a line hitting up/down…
3 votes -
Add Release Displayed Records in List to Record Actions menu and a keystroke combination
In the metadata editor, the option to release all displayed records in the record list has only one button which is not accessible by a keystroke. This makes the action less accessible to different users, and is also challenging to document for library staff without including visuals.
This button, with tooltext "Release displayed records in list," should also appear in the Record Actions menu in the section with other release records options. At minimum, the function should continue the current behavior of releasing the records in the selected records tab. Though it would be useful to have an option to…
8 votes -
Improvements for the MDEs left pane
The left pane in the MDE is a very helpful tool for navigation in daily business. With the following improvements it could be even more helpful:
- Customization of the display of the different databases in all the tabs (records/templates/rules): it would be very helpful if one could select only the databases that are necessary for the daily work for display (example: I have in the record tab 14 different databases of which I only need 4, and one that I need is only accessible through the drop down menu); if a selection is not possible it would be helpful…85 votes -
MDE Search Resources mask should be empty
When opening the Search Resources mask in MDE, the previous search is still in the data mask. For us there is no benefit for this behavior and we would like to have an empty mask and not to clear the mask every time before starting a new search.
(If other libraries need this opportunity, we would suggest to make the default settings for this mask customizable)73 votes -
Add option to Quick Cataloging Template for Publish/Don't Publish to OCLC.
Add a checkbox option to the Quick Cataloging Template for Publish/Don't Publish to OCLC. This would prevent brief records for items created by circulation staff for professor's personal copies from being sent to OCLC and added as new records.
24 votes -
Authority data: first indicator in the bibliographic record
Now we have many mistakes in our bibliographic records in the settings of the first indicator by connecting with authority data (GND, IdRef, ..). It would be great to have an automatic process, which takes over the first indicator of the authority data to the bibliographic record when you select the authority heading.
What you have then is the following: First indicator, preferred term and authority identifier are taken over from the authority record to the bibliographic record by using “select” in the index view of the authority record.
It would be great, if this is implemented for 1XX/6XX/7XX in…156 votesI wonder if this request takes into account that certain fields in the 1XX/6XX/7XX have different first indicator definitions in the MARC21 standard for Bibliographic fields compared to their corresponding Authority fields. In such cases, copying the first indicator from the Authority to the Bibliographic heading would result in incorrect data. Is the reqeust is about Names only? Hans, I would recommend consulting with AAFG group for a detailed spec where this requested behavior is valid to which fields.
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