Some time ago, we reported an issue to Ex Libris regarding the pop-up assistance functionality. After some back and forth, Ex Libris informed us this week that the issue has been recognized as a bug but will not be addressed in their work plan. I am sharing this information so you can either raise the same issue with Ex Libris or apply the suggested workaround.

Here is the issue we reported: When editing, for example, 264 $b in the Metadata Editor, Alma stops accepting any input as soon as the dropdown with suggestions appears. Further investigation revealed that this behavior depends on the position of the mouse. If the mouse is placed in the area where the dropdown will appear, the input cursor moves automatically to the dropdown as soon as it appears, preventing any further keyboard input in the subfield (you can still use the up and down keys to navigate within the dropdown).

The workaround is to place the mouse cursor in an area where the dropdown will not appear, such as directly on the tag or just above it. For example, after clicking on the 264 $b area, do not move the mouse cursor downwards. Instead, keep it on the tag or move it further above. This way, the input cursor will not jump to the dropdown automatically, and the dropdown will not interfere with any further keyboard input in the subfield.

For your reference, our ticket number was 07101518.

I could not reproduce this issue with tag 310, where the dropdown seems to have been implemented differently.

Catalogers in our institution would like the ability to turn off the pop-up assistance in MDE as well.

I would also question the accuracy of the controlled vocabulary, which features this value at line 3:

"Biannual (once every year)"

and no entry for Biennial

It seems that recently the 310 field has been added to the group of fields that get automatic pop-up assistance--with the additional "benefit" of having the MDE give a warning upon save if the cataloger-input data in 310 doesn't match whatever vocabulary that Alma is trying to control the field with. 310 is NOT a controlled field, it is FREE TEXT. We have catalogers here wondering why "Semiannual" (a preferred term since forever) in the 310 is now giving a warning...

This is a feature that should NEVER have been part of the system, and I cannot imagine what the developers were thinking when they created it. It absolutely MUST be removed. The only fields in which this kind of feature makes sense are those in which the data come from a controlled vocabulary, not transcriptions from the resource.

I also find it confusing for staff when it deletes subfield c metadata upon selection of one of the options for the 264 field.

My opinion may be in the minority here, but as an occasional cataloger, I find the 264 assistance helpful. I prefer this be configurable as opposed to removed completely, which is being suggested elsewhere.

Also for 264. I agree that the autocomplete suggestions do not make sense in these subfields, given that these subfields are meant to be transcribed from the resource being catalogued. The pop-up suggestions create confusion for staff who are either new to cataloguing or only occasionally works with bibliographic records.

The pop-up also occurs in field 041.

Agree!

Agree - autosuggestion doesn't make sense here and is annoying.