How to export bib/item/holdings data from Aleph to Alma

Description

How can bib/item/holdings data be exported/migrated from Aleph to Alma?  We want to migrate records from our Aleph campus to another library in our consortium who's already on Alma.    How can we do this?

Resolution

[Note: If the target (Alma) institution does not yet exist, such a migration would be performed by Ex Libris Professional Services as part of the Aleph -> Alma migration.]

Alma expects the item and holdings information to be part of an exported MARC-format (or MARC XML-format) bib record. The Aleph job for extracting bib/doc records with their holdings/item information is print-03.  The holdings information is expanded into the exported bib record by specifying a tab_expand label such as PRNT-03 with a line line this:

 PRNT-03    expand_doc_bib_hol_usm   

Item information is included (using the ./xxx01/tab/expand_doc_bib_z30 table) via a line like this:

 PRNT-03    expand_doc_bib_z30

If the xxx01 library has no expand_doc_bib_z30 file, then copy  the usm01 expand_doc_bib_z30.

Add the following lines to the ./xxx01/tab/tab_expand:

 PRNT-03    expand_doc_bib_z30 
 PRNT-03    expand_doc_course
 

Run the print-03 Service in xxx01 specifying: 

 Output File: xxx01_output 

 Field 1 + Indicator: ALL 

 Format: "MARC with alphanumeric tags" (M2)    **  

 Expand Routine: PRNT-03 

 Character Conversion: UTF_TO_MARC8 

 Export deleted records? No 

All the other fields should be left blank. 

** You should do an initial run specifying Format "Aleph sequential" (A), which will generate more readable output, which you can use to confirm that the desired fields are being included.

Alma doesn't accept alpha or alphanumeric tags, so the "Z30-2" tags produced by expand_doc_bib_z30 will need to be converted to numeric 9xx## tags (-- any 9xx tag not being used in your bib records).  This conversion could be done using manage-21 (via the "Change Field" function) or the file-08 Service. 

An "import profile", specifying which MARC fields have which MARC (items/holdings) data will need to be created by the Alma target site, in consultation with their Alma Support team.

Note:  You will want to add an 001 field with the Aleph bib# to the output (-- both for matching with any existing Aleph record which has been imported into Alma and for general reference --).   See the article " p_print_03: adding 001 field to output record " in this regard.

See this document in regard to Alma Import Profiles:  https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/...mport_Profiles .

• Article last edited: 14-Feb-2018