We request that the Alma Metadata Editor (MDE) be updated to allow direct MARC-level editing for all fields in a Holdings Record as defined by the MARC 21 Format for Holdings Data (MFHD).

In the library industry, a "Holdings Record" is a unified data carrier. It includes the shelving location (852), but also other copy-specific fields such as donor (541), the provenance (561), and the individual item details (876-878). In the MARC standard, the "Holdings" and the "Item" are part of the same metadata record.

While we recognize that Alma’s underlying architecture treats “Items” as child entities of “Holdings”, the user-facing metadata editing interfaces should not be restricted by this internal structure.

Currently, Alma only allows us to edit a few fields (like 852) in MARC format. All other data is hidden inside a "Physical Item Editor" GUI. In addition to this GUI, we need to be able to see and edit the entire MFHD as one unified record within the MDE.

Key Examples of Failure

A. Donor Information (MARC 541)

If we have a specific donor for one copy of a book, the MARC standard says we should put that in a 541 field in the Holdings record.

Example Failure: Alma has no MARC 541 field in the Item GUI. This forces us to put donor info at the "Title" (Bib) level. This is inaccurate because Metadata at the Title level applies to every copy. If we have 10 copies but only one was a gift, the record incorrectly suggests all 10 were gifts. This ruins our data integrity.

B. Serial Patterns and Errors (MARC 853-865)

Alma uses "Templates" for serials, but it hides the actual MARC from the Metadata Editor once the items are generated.

Example Failure: If a publisher skips a volume or if legacy metadata is incorrect and multiple items in a serial need correcting, the GUI requires navigating to individual item editors, making the change, and saving the change individually rather than quickly tabbing through MARC fields, making changes, and saving once.

Summary of Requirements

We are asking for the Metadata Editor to act as a complete, bi-directional "carrier" for the MARC 21 Holdings standard. Even if Alma stores "Items" separately in the back-end, the Metadata Editor interface must not only display, but allow the direct editing of all fields as a single, cohesive record. This would ensure that professional catalogers can maintain data accuracy through a high-power MARC interface rather than a limited GUI.

This is not a permissions or "User Role" issue. Even administrative "Super Users" are restricted by this interface limitation; the issue is that existing forms simply do not allow for direct MARC-level manipulation of the full MFHD suite.

Related:
Support Full MARC21 Holdings Data Editing in Metadata Editor
https://ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/50262546-support-full-marc21-holdings-data-editing-in-metad