Skip to content

How can we improve Alma?

← Alma

Add "Description" to the "Change Physical Items" job so that this field can be edited in batch across sets of item records

We would like to be able to edit (and delete) the "Description" field across large numbers of records without having to do it manually for each one. The "Rebuild Physical item description" job does not help here, since the content of the field is not necessarily based on Enumeration and Chronology data.
Several fields have been added since we started with Alma (e.g. Alternative Call Number, Temporary Call Number, Inventory Number, etc.). Therefore, we hope that this field will also be available for this job in the near future. Thank you in advance!

241 votes
c. shared this idea  ·   ·  Admin →
How important is this to you?
AdminLiza Voloshin (Product Owner, Alma ERM, Ex Libris) responded  · 

Hi all, we're working on analyzing the request for batch item description updates and would love your input to make sure our solution fits your needs.

I would like to propose the following:

The "Rebuild Physical item description" job currently allows auto-generating a description for a set of items (based on enum/chron data) - this option will be kept as is, but the job would allow selection to either auto-generate the description (existing) or enter a description value as free text (meaning all items in the set would get the same description). The free text option would also support updating the field with an empty value as exists in other jobs.


1. What are some examples of descriptions that would be relevant across an entire set of items?

2. As discussed in previous comments, changing the description of an item (manually or via job) causes the pending requests for that item to be rejected. I'm curious to know are there any workflows you currently use to mitigate this risk?


I would greatly appreciate your comments,

Liza
Signed in as (Sign out)
Close
Submitting...
An error occurred while saving the comment
  • Esther Vilar commented  · 

    This field contains the volume number of multi-volume monographs, for example: 1, 2, XI. However, operators sometimes make mistakes and enter "vol. 1", "v. 1", etc. Being able to correct these errors in bulk would help us a lot.

  • Anne S. commented  · 

    Many of our records migrated with just a volume number in the description field. These are mostly analyzed series monographic records where the volume number is already in the call number field so it's redundant. It would be nice to be able to delete the volume number from the description field for all volumes in the series by set & job. I did discover a work around after I had voted to support this idea though and that was to use the "Rebuild item description" job which cleared the description field (provided there was no other enum/chron data.)

  • Bodil Wik commented  · 

    1. We register (among other things) copy id in the description field in order to make requests for a specific copy, possible (older material means unique copies).
    We also use copy id in the description field for items on related records in order to keep them separate from items not related (the system did some strange things with requests here). It is possible to process all items with copy id 1 together, all with copy id 2 together and so on.

    2. We always have an Analytics list to start from. In that list we have Process type as a column in order to see what items are requested. We also have a separate report for requests in more detail. But the fact that Analytics gets updated only once a day is a problem. We have to check and run things in the morning in order to be sure that we do not delete a request by mistake. This is one of the major disadvantages with Alma: not having direct access to the database (SQL!).
    It is also possible to use Resource Request Monitoring, but there is no way of choosing location there so it is easy to miss requests.

  • AdminLiza Voloshin (Product Owner, Alma ERM, Ex Libris) commented  · 

    Hi all,
    To better understand your request here, could you please provide a couple examples of the actual content of the description field you would like to be able to set in bulk? i.e. content that would be relevant to the entire set of items?

    thanks, Liza

  • c. commented  · 

    Dear Lili,

    thanks for you reply!

    Yes, we know that data updates can be risky and you are right, the description field is an important field for requests.
    We are aware of this. For example: changing a location can also be risky, if you switch to location that is linked to fulfillment unit which cannot be requested.

    Kind regards,
    Christian.

  • AdminLili Daie (Product Manager, Ex Libris) commented  · 

    Dear all,
    Thank you for posting this idea and for the helpful comments. We are reviewing this idea, and would like to make sure we fully understand the request.
    Since the item description impacts fulfillment functionality, such as requests - changing an item's description unlinks it from any existing patron requests, which can lead to their cancellation.
    Our concern is that bulk changes of item descriptions on a set of items could be risky, potentially leading to unintentional mass deletion of patron requests. I would therefore like to make sure that this is the desired functionality (meaning if item descriptions are inaccurate, the requests attached to them are also inaccurate, and request cancellation in this scenario would not cause any data issues).
    Thanks!

  • Frank LIU commented  · 

    It is hoped that this function can be modified

  • Lisa Hatt commented  · 

    I've run into this limitation and it was definitely frustrating.

  • Peta Hopkins commented  · 

    No votes. But I support more flexibility with jobs.

Alma: Resource Management - Physical

Categories

Feedback and Knowledge Base

(thinking…)