Alto (Talis Capita) to Alma Migration Guide
Overview
Talis Alto is the Integrated Library System produced by Capita.
This document serves two purposes:
- A step-by-step guide to filling out the Talis Alto (Capita) Migration Form.
- An explanation of the migration rules for Talis to Alma which do not require any customer input.
Recommendations for Using this Guide
This document is divided into four areas:
- Inventory
- Fulfillment
- Acquisitions
- Physical to Electronic
Each area has the following sections:
- Questionnaire Tab – Instructions for individual questions asked on the Questionnaire tab of the Migration Form.
- Individual Tabs – Instructions for how to fill in individual tabs on the migration form.
- Further Explanation – Explanations of migration processes that need more explanation and/or do not need customer input.
We recommend that you look at the Questionnaire tab section and the individual tabs in each area to assist in filling in the migration form.
If you have further questions about any of the data input or about the migration in general, see the more detailed explanations in the Further Explanations sections.
Related Documentation
- This document is intended to complement the Talis (Alto Capita) Migration Form - an Excel spreadsheet that is read by the migration programs. It provides further information regarding the migration process and the steps required for migration to Alma.
- Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of Alma and Talis key concepts and architecture, and the requirements (including the migration-related approach) described in Getting Ready for Alma and Discovery Implementation, as well as the Electronic Resource Handling Approach in Alma Migration document.
- The format and structure of the data exported from Talis is detailed in Talis Alto (Capita) to Alma Data Delivery Specification.
- It is recommended that you view the Introduction to the Alma Configuration Process video session before completing your migration form, as the mapping and migration of libraries and locations have implications for subsequent configurations.
Ex Libris migrates your acquisitions and course data only if this service is purchased by your institution and is stipulated in your contract with Ex Libris.
Using the Migration Form Validation Tool
The Alto (Talis Capita) Migration Form is used by the migration programs to convert your data for use in Alma. Therefore, it is important that the data entered by the customer is valid so that the migration can continue on schedule.
Your sandbox contains an online validation tool that helps ensure that your data is valid before you submit the form to Ex Libris. Information about this online validation tool can be found at: Support and Maintenance.
After you have completed the form, visit the link in your sandbox to begin the validation process.
Inventory
Alma uses bibliographic, holding, and item records. Talis has bibliographic and item records, plus summary statement information (‘Library has’) in related serial holding records. Because Talis does not have MARC holding records, they are created during migration, based on information in the Talis item and serial holding records.
Customer Input
Questionnaire Tab
Institution Code, Customer Code, Institution Name, Customer Name, Time Zone
Codes: INST_CODE, CUST_CODE – these are filled in by Ex Libris
INST_NAME and CUST_NAME: fill these fields in with your institution’s name and your customer name (this is only different from the institution name if you are part of a consortium). These are mandatory and must be filled in.
Default: N/A
Time Zone: Select your time zone from the drop-down list. If your time zone is not listed, contact your Ex Libris project manager.
MARC Organizational Code
Code: MARC_OC
Default: None; this is not mandatory
Options: Enter your MARC Organizational code, which will be used to construct the former system number in Alma. Only one code is allowed.
Further Information: The migration moves the value in the exported record’s 001 field (Talis bibliographic system number) to the 035 $a field:
(MOC)<talis id>-<customer code>
<(MOC)> is the MARC Organization code specified here. <customer code> is the customer code specified in the CUSTOMER_CODE question above. For example: (AbC)12345-01abc_inst
List Prefix for bibs from SFX or other management system
Code: SFX_PREFIX
Default: ‘(SFX)’
Options: String. If not indicating a link resolver management system, leave blank.
Further Information: If your Talis catalog contains records imported from SFX or another electronic resources management system and you are also migrating bibliographic records directly from SFX or the other management system, this may result in duplicate bibliographic records in Alma. You can enter a prefix here so that the migration programs can identify these bibs and not migrate them to Alma to avoid creating duplicate SFX records in Alma. The migration programs do not make any attempt to physically merge the two records into one.
The default response to this question is ’(SFX)’, but you can enter any prefix that represents bibs that you want to exclude from loading into Alma. The migration programs search for the string in the 035 $a field of the MARC record. If you do not want to exclude any such records, leave this field blank.
If the migration programs identify bib records containing the prefix in the 035 $a and the records in Talis are connected to a purchase order line and/or physical items, these bib records are still migrated so that the purchase order and/or items can be migrated, but they are automatically suppressed in Alma to avoid end-user discovery duplication.
Do you use internal system numbers in $w of Linked Entry fields?
Indicate if you use internal system numbers in fields 76x-78x to link bibliographic records to each other.
Code: LINKED_ENTRY_W
Default: No
Options: If you answered Yes to this question, the internal system numbers in the subfield w of the specified tags are converted from the Talis system number to the Alma system number.
Internal record designation for Linked Entry fields $w
Code: LINKED_ENTRY_PREFIX
Default: Blank
Options: If you answered Yes to the previous question and the internal system numbers have a prefix, enter the value to be matched to identify the local system number. If the system numbers in $w do not have a prefix, or if you answered No to the previous question, leave this question blank.
Further information on LINKED_ENTRY_W and LINKED_ENTRY_PREFIX: When bibliographic records are related to each other, such as a journal title that is superseded by a second journal title, Talis may store the information in bibliographic fields 76x-78x. If the number in the $w of the linking tags is the internal Talis system number, these numbers must be changed to the Alma representation of the system number. If your library does not use the internal system number to link and instead relies on more general identifiers such as the ISBN, ISSN, or shared cataloging DB (OCLC or DLC), these numbers are not modified.
In Alma, the system numbers in the $w field (along with $z and $x) are used to link two related bibliographic records together using the related records process. Related records can be found by clicking the More Info link on the Alma Search Results page.
Indicate which 852 subfields to use to determine unique holding records
Code: 852_SUBFIELDS_FOR_HOL
Default: bc (library and location only, not call number)
Options: To group all items on a single bibliographic record by location only, select bc here. If you have many items in the same bibliographic record in the same library and location but different call numbers WITHIN that library and location and you want each of them to have their own distinct holding record, specify additional call number subfields. Acceptable subfields: bchijklmp.
The library and location codes are matched after the Alma Location Mapping has been performed, meaning the match is done on the Alma version of the library/location codes.
Further Information: See the Determining Groups of Holding Records and Changing the Holding Record Grouping section below.
Limit exported records by location
Code: LIMIT_BY_LOCATIONS
Default: No
Options: If your export contains all of the data from a shared database, and you wish to only migrate a part of that export to Alma, then the migration programs can filter the data according to locations listed on the Location Tab. In this case, the ALMAME_VALUE_NOT_FOUND line on the location tab is not used. Use this option only if agreed upon with your Ex Libris project manager.
Bib Key Prefix
Code: BIB_KEY_PREFIX
Default: empty
Options: If you are combining data from two or more separate databases into a single combined institution in Alma, then indicate a prefix here that will be used to distinguish the former system numbers in Alma after migration. For example, the different systems likely had completely different bibs for system number 12345 and you want to be able to search for the specific bib from your own institution after go-live. The prefix does not include a hyphen so if you want a hypen in the number (e.g. PQ-12345), then include it in the string. If you are not merging institutions, leave this question blank.
See also the similar FUND_PREFIX question in Acquisitions and MERGE_PATRON_PREFIX in Fulfillment.
Move 001/003 to 035 or 035
Code: 001_035_935
Default: 035
Options: If your incoming bibliographic records have a number in the 001, then the migration programs move it elsewhere as (<003>)<001>. For example: (OCoLC)12345. To move to the 035, which is the default, then select 035 in the dropdown. If you are part of a consortium and are using OCLC numbers to determine matching records when linking to the NZ, you may wish to move this number to the 935 so that the moved number does not interfere with another matching key you may be using. If you are not linking to the NZ, then this question is likely not useful. Default: 035
Use subfield indicators in item call number (AltCallNo)
Code: ITEM_CALLNO_SUBFIELD
Default: Yes
Options: When generating an Item Call Number field (also known as AltCallNo), you can decide if the string contains subfield indicators. Default = Yes
Yes = $h PZ3.A93 Pr16 $i A975
No = PZ3.A93 Pr16 A975
For more information on when an Item Call Number is generated, see the section Changing the Holding Record Grouping, which depends on the question 852_SUBFIELDS_FOR_HOL.
Add $9 LOCAL to specified tags
Code: NZ_LOCAL_TAGS
Default: empty
Options: Add $9 LOCAL to specified bib tags, for use in consortia where an IZ environment links to an NZ. Tags marked as Local will be kept in the IZ, and not moved to the NZ.
Format for this input: tag + indicator. Use # for any/wildcard, and b for the space character. Separate with semicolon.
Example: 59###; 69###;960##;970##;090b#
Alma Library Tab
Use this tab to create a list of Libraries in Alma. At least one library is mandatory.
Alma Library Code: Maximum 10 characters. Mixed case is valid, but not recommended. Do not use special characters or spaces. Allowed: - and _ (hyphen and underscore). Not allowed: !@#$%^&*()+=/?><.,\|]}[{`~ or the space character.
The Alma Library Code may not be the same as the Alma Customer Code nor the Alma Institution Code .
Alma Library name: Maximum 255 characters. This is visible to the public.
Address lines: Alma allows you to specify address, phone, and e-mail information about each library. It is mandatory for a library to have a shipping/billing address in order to place orders in Alma. The migration process sets the designated address provided with all possible types in Alma (shipping, billing, claiming, etc.). At least one address line is mandatory.
Email: An email address is mandatory. The migration process sets the email address provided with all possible email address types in Alma. Phone: The phone number must contain dashes (nnn-nnn-nnnn). A phone number with no dashes is not accepted by the migration program. Not mandatory.
Default language: Indicate the language of patrons and/or staff members if it differs for each library. Use two-letter codes as defined in ISO 639-1. Consult the codes at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_639-1_codes
Further Explanation: The Talis SITE_ID, which is the higher level of location, and is comparable to the Alma library. Use the Alma Libraries tab in the Talis Alto (Capita) Migration Form to indicate your list of Alma libraries. The actual mapping from the Talis SITE_ID to the Alma library is done in conjunction with the Talis SEQUENCE_ID in the Alma Location tab.
If you use an error library (for example “EMPTY”) in the ALMAME_VALUE_NOT_FOUND line of the Location Mapping tab, be sure to list that library here on the Library Tab. It is not mandatory to use an error library; you may also choose to use one of your regular libraries plus a lower-level error location for the items that encounter errors during the mapping process.
Alma Location Tab
Use this tab to map your Talis SITE_IDs and SEQUENCE_IDs to libraries and locations in Alma. Filling in this tab is mandatory.
Include ALL locations of ALL types, including electronic types that may ultimately be deleted in Alma. They still need to be provided in the location tab mapping.
Talis SITE_ID: Value from the SITE_ID field in the item extract from Talis. The ALMAME_VAL_NOT_FOUND line is required to catch any location codes you may have missed.
Talis SEQUENCE_ID: Value from the SEQUENCE_ID field in the item extract from Talis.
Alma Library Code: The library that contains this library/location combination in Alma. You can use the same library codes that you used in Talis, but it is not required. This code must be present on the Alma Library Tab, column A. The match is case-sensitive.
Alma Location Code: The new location code for this library/location combination in Alma. It can be a maximum of 10 characters. You can use the same location codes in Alma that you used in Talis, but this is not required. You may also use this form to collapse locations if desired, for example refa and refb in Talis both map to ref in Alma. Mixed case is valid, but not recommended. Do not use special characters or spaces. Allowed: - and _ (hyphen and underscore). Not allowed: !@#$%^&*()+=/?><.,\|]}[{`~ or the space character.
Call Number Type: List the call number type for any newly created holdings records, based on the values used for 852 first indicators. (http://www.loc.gov/marc/holdings/hd852.html). If we cannot determine the call number type from the item record itself using the CLASS_TYPE, we use this as a default for all items in the location.
Alma Location Name: A description for this location as seen/used by library staff members. The same location name cannot be used for different locations in the same library, but the same location name can be used for different locations in different libraries. See the examples in the Further Information section below for what is acceptable and not acceptable. Maximum 255 characters.
Alma External Location Name: A description for this location as seen/used by the public. The same name can be used for as many different locations as desired. For example, the location names may be Archives A and Archives B, but the external location names can both be Archives. Maximum 255 characters.
Electronic Location? (Yes or No): Used by the P2E migration process to determine if a holding/item/order should be converted to electronic. See the Physical to Electronic (P2E) Processing section for more information.
Suppress from Externalization? (Yes or No): Indicate if the location should be suppressed from being visible to the public. The items are not marked as suppressed, but no holdings or items with this location code are exported to Primo.
Further Information: Do not leave the Alma location and library code fields blank. If you want to stop using a location code after migration, map the Talis code to an easily identifiable code such as XXX or unused just in case any stray items are still in your Talis database.
The ALMAME_VALUE_NOT_FOUND line must be included at the top of the list of locations, in case any location codes were overlooked when completing this map. For example, you may think that you do not have any items left in a certain collection, so you leave it off the location map. However, there may be one or two items left or a stray holding record, etc.
By default, the location code for the ALMAME_VALUE_NOT_FOUND line is UNASSIGNED, which is the default catch-all in Alma in production mode. Ex Libris recommends that you select your primary/largest library as the library code for the line, for example MAIN as in the example line below. In this case, the items inherit the configurations for the MAIN library.
| Talis SITE_ID< | Talis SEQUENCE_ID | Alma Library Code | Alma Location Code | Alma Location Desc | Alma External Loc Desc | Suppress from Externalization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALMA_ME_ VALUE_NOT _FOUND | ALMAME_VALUE_NOT_FOUND | MAIN | UNASSIGNED | Problem location from Migration | Problem: See Library Staff | Yes |
Post-migration, search for items in the UNASSIGNED location and correct the records appropriately.
Alma Location Name and Alma External Location Name
The Alma Location Name column contains the names of the location codes that are displayed in the staff interface. The names cannot be repeated in the Location Name column when the location codes both belong to the same library, but you can use the same name for two different locations, if these locations belong to different libraries. The Alma External Location Name column contains the names of the location codes that are displayed to library patrons. These names can be repeated within the column without regard for libraries. For example:
The following is acceptable:
| Library | Alma Location Code | Alma Location Name | Alma External Location Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library A | stacks | Main Stacks | Main Stacks |
| Library B | stacks | Main Stacks | Main Stacks |
| Library A | archa | Archives A | Archives |
| Library B | archa | Archives B | Archives |
| Library A | archstk | Archives Stacks | Archives |
| Library A | archref | Archives Reference | Archives |
The following is not acceptable:
| Library | Alma Location Code | Alma Location Name | Alma External Location Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library A | archstk | Archives | Archives |
| Library A | archref | Archives | Archives |
The Alma library and Alma location are put in the following places in the migrated or newly created MARC holdings record:
- The Alma library is placed in the 852‡b field.
- The Alma location is placed in the 852‡c field.
Collapsing Locations
This mapping table can be used to collapse location codes – that is, two or more location codes in Talis can map to a single location code in Alma. The Alma location and library code fields may not be empty. If you want to stop using a location code on migration, map the Talis code to an easily identifiable code such as XXX if any stray items are still in your Talis database.
If you collapse location codes, you may have lines in the table such as the following:
| Talis Location Code | Alma Library | Alma Location Code | Alma Location Name | Alma External Loc Name | Suppress from Externalization | Electronic Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| reserves | MAIN | RESERVES | Reserves | Reserve | Yes | No |
| reservesElec | MAIN | RESERVES | Reserves | ReserveElec | Yes | Yes |
| reservesShort | MAIN | RESERVES | Reserves | Reserve | Yes | No |
| reservesPerm | MAIN | RESERVES | Reserves | Reserve | Yes | No |
Holding Code Tab (DELIVERY_SITE)
Use this tab to map the Talis DELIVERY_SITE to Talis Library and Home Location values.
DELIVERY_SITE: The Talis delivery site found in the subscription and order records
Description: Description of the Talis Delivery Site, not used in the migration programs
Talis Library code: Used as input to the Alma Location Tab
Talis Home Location code: Used as input to the Alma Location Tab
Further information: The DELIVERY_SITE in Talis is used in the subscription to indicate the eventual physical location of an order/subscription. When item records are made in Alma from the Talis checkin/issue record, the DELIVERY_SITE is used to assign the library and location in the Alma item record. Additionally, the holding (destination) library and location for the order record is assigned using this map.
The input to this map is the Talis DELIVERY_SITE. The output from this map is Talis Library and Home location, which is used as input to the Alma Location tab. DO NOT use Alma codes as the output for this map.
Shelving Scheme Tab
Alma will generate a first indicator for the newly-created 852 based on the Shelving Scheme tab.
CLASS_NUM_TYPE: The values in the Shelving Scheme tab as delivered in the extract from Talis. The commonly used values are included in the tab, but you can make additions or changes as necessary.
852 1st Indicator: List the value that should be used in the 852 first indicator field when generating a holding record from the item. For a list of possible values and their description, see http://www.loc.gov/marc/holdings/hd852.html. Note that 7 is not supported on migration. Mandatory.
Description: A description or note for this shelving scheme value, if you need to make a note while deciding the first indicator value. This column is not used in migration.
Further Information: Do not include an ALMAME_VAL_NOT_FOUND line here, because if an item has a shelving scheme that is not listed or does not have a shelving scheme value, the shelving scheme is taken from the Call Number Type column on the Location tab of the Talis Alto (Capita) Migration Form.
Item Type Tab
Use this tab to migrate the Talis Item Type to the Alma Item Policy. This tab is optional. The item type in Alma is not required, so if you leave this tab blank, no item policies in Alma are created.
Talis Item Type (TYPE_ID): The value in the item type field of the Talis item. The item type is used to differentiate between items when determining how items circulate.
Talis Description: The description of the Talis item type, for information only. This column is not used during the mapping process.
Alma itemPolicy: The Alma value for the item type. This sheet can be used to collapse item types if desired.
Alma itemPolicy Description: This description is loaded into Alma as the display text for the item types. These values can be changed after migration. Maximum 255 characters.
You can optionally include an ALMAME_VAL_NOT_FOUND line at the top of the map. If this line is included, any value not found or any blank value is assigned the value in the ALMAME_VAL_NOT_FOUND line. If the ALMAME_VAL_NOT_FOUND line is not included, any value not found, including blanks, is left as blank in Alma.
Item Base Status Tab
Use this tab to map your item status in Talis to an item status in Alma.
Talis Item Status (STATUS_ID): The item status in Talis.
Description: A short description of the item status in Talis, if desired, for note purposes while filling out this form. This column is not used for migration.
Base Status: In Alma, the base status indicates whether or not the item is on the shelf. Indicate whether or not an item with this status is on the shelf. For example, NewBooks is on the shelf (1), but Withdrawn is not (0).
Further Information: Talis has a field for item status that indicates what is happening to the item. For example, an item may be in binding, in repair, or internally being handled by a specific library department. As stated in the Boundwith section below, items with status BOUN are not migrated to Alma.
Include in column A any status that may indicate no status, for example Available, but leave column B blank. This migrates the item to Alma with no status at all, which is how Alma indicates that an item has no status. If any status is in your data but is NOT included in column A, it is given a note of Unknown status.
Alma also has a process type that indicates the status of an item depending on the Alma workflow (item is on loan, item is sent to the bindery, etc.), but the process type is dependent on the corresponding Alma workflow. For migration, all item statuses that are indicated as not on the shelf (0) from Talis are given the process type of TECHNICAL. Further, the item status description field is written to internal note 1 for all items where there was a status, regardless of the shelf/not on shelf designation.
Post migration, customers can then search for and re-route items with values in the internal note 1 to the appropriate handling or department in Alma. This process can also be used as a configurable criterion for suppressing items from display in the GetIt services screens from discovery systems. See Appendix A – Post-Migration Process Statuses for more information.
Further Explanation – Inventory
Bibliographic Records
Bibliographic records are migrated as is and each bibliographic record may be modified in the following way during migration:
- Australian customers will have ALL Bibs marked for Libraries of Australia Publish, in case relevant.
- OCLC records (records with an 035 |a with an OCLC-official prefix) will be marked for OCLC publish, in case relevant.
- The LDR position 9 (Character coding scheme) is set to a indicating Unicode.
MARC Holding Records
Alma requires a MARC holding record for all items. On migration, items are grouped by library, location, and possibly call number and a single holding record is created for each group of items. During the migration process, the MARC Organization Code, Alma library, and Alma location are put in the following places in the exported MARC holding record:
- The MARC Organization Code is placed in the 852 $a field (if desired/provided).
- The Alma library is placed in the 852‡b field.
- The Alma location is placed in the 852‡c field.
Call numbers in Alma are stored at the holding record level, in subfields h, i and k of the 852 tag. The call number is determined from Talis as follows:
$k SIZE_ID $h CLASS_NUMBER $i SUFFIX
Determining Groups of Holding Records
The permanent location and call number in Alma is only stored in the holding record. All items attached to the holding record have the same permanent location and call number. On migration, the call numbers for any new holding record created are generated from the first item found in the group of equivalent items. By default, a group of equivalent items is determined by the location of each item attached to the same bibliographic record. For example, if a bibliographic record has five items:
- Item 1, 2 in Location A
- Item 3, 4 in Location B
- Item 5 in Location C
The migration program generates three different MARC holdings records, one for each location A, B, or C. The items for each location are then attached to the newly created holding record. If there are any call numbers that differ from the holding record’s call number, the differing call number is stored in the item’s Item Call Number field.
Changing the Holding Record Grouping
You may decide which 852 subfields are used to determine what makes items belong to the same group. The 852 subfields as mapped from Talis, described in the Library, Location and Call Number sections above, are: $b SITE_ID $c SEQUENCE_ID $k SIZE_ID $h CLASS_NUMBER $i SUFFIX. By default, the migration programs compare $b and $c, but you may decide to change this based on items and serial holdings records in your collection.
When the holding record group is based only on $b (library) and $c (location), some item call number information is not reflected in the holdings record call number if the call numbers differ from each other in the same library/location. However, the differing call number is stored in the item’s Item Call Number field, so the call number is not permanently lost.
For example, if there are four items on the same bibliographic record with the following call numbers, all in location main:
item 1 $b main $c stacks $h PN 567 .M4
item 2 $b main $c stacks $h PN 567 .M457
item 3 $b main $c stacks $h PN 567 .M457
item 4 $b bio $c flr1 $h PN 567 $i .M457
When only $b and $c are used to determine a holding record group, two holding records for the above items are created: Holding record $b main $c stacks $h PN 567 $i .M4
item 1
item 2 (with PN 567 .M457 stored in ItemCallNo)
item 3 (with PN 567 .M457 stored in ItemCallNo)
Holding record $b bio $c flr1 $h PN 567 $i .M457
item 4
When the holding record group is based on more subfields, for example $b $c $h $i, three holding records are created:
Holding record $b main $c stacks $h PN 567 $i .M4
item 1
Holding record $b main $c stacks $h PN 567 $i .M457
item 2
item 3
Holding record $b bio $c flr1 $h PN 567 $i .M457
item 4
Decide which 852 subfields will be used to determine holding record groups by answering the question in the Questionnaire tab of the Talis Alto (Capita) Migration Form, “Indicate which 852 subfields to use to determine unique holding records”.
Serial Records
Serial holdings records are included in the same holding record groups as item records, described above. Using the example in the Determining Groups of Holding Records section above, if there is a serial holdings record on the same bibliographic record as the four items above, and the generated call number for the serial record is $b main $c stacks $h PN 567 $i .M457, then serial information from that record is placed on the shared holding record. Additionally, if there are multiple serial holdings records with the same location, a single holdings record is created for the location and all notes from all serial holdings records are added to the single holdings record in Alma.
The Talis HOLDINGS_NOTE migrates to the 866 tag in the holding record, and the GENERAL_NOTE, DESCRIPTIVE_NOTE, and the WANTS_NOTE can be migrated either to the 852 $x (public note) or the 852 $z (non-public note) depending on how you fill out the Serial Holdings tab of the Alto (Talis Capita) Delivered Files List.
Checkins (Issues)
Talis checkin records are individual serial issues that have been received but for which there is no item. These migrate to item records in Alma. Checkin records in Talis do not have a call number, so the only information that can be used to determine holding record groupings is the library/location combination (852 $b and $c). If only the $b and $c are used to determine holding record groupings, then the checkin records inherit the call number of the holding record that was created from items with the same library/location ($b/$c) on migration. If more subfields are used to determine the call number grouping (for example $b $c $h $i), then because the checkins do not have a call number they will always be their own group in determining holding record groupings – and the resulting holding record will not have a call number at all. See the section Determining Groups of Holding Records above for more information on making that decision.
The item record in Alma that is created from the Talis checkin/issue record does not have an item type defined. Item types can be assigned to sets of item records in bulk using standard Alma item modification tools.
Suppressing Bibliographic Records in the OPAC
As in Alma, bibliographic records can be set to be suppressed in the OPAC in Talis. Provide a list of suppressed record keys (bibliographic record numbers) in a separate file as described in Alto (Talis Capita) to Alma Data Delivery Specification.
Boundwiths
Items that are shared by multiple bibliographic records are called boundwith items. Alma supports boundwiths by using standard Bib relationships defined by Marc 21 linking fields. The migration process associates this shared item with a parent bibliographic record and creates links to the secondary bibliographic records via the standard 774 linking field.
On migration to Alma, the MASTER_WORK_ID gets new 774 tags that link to all of the CHILD_WORK_IDs provided in the exported boundwith file. The bibliographic records associated with the CHILD_WORK_IDs are not modified on migration.
Talis requires that the CHILD_WORK_ID bibliographic records have dummy item records attached to them, listed in CHILD_ITEM_BARCODE in the exported boundwith file. These dummy item records have a status of “BOUN” in the exported item file and are not migrated to Alma.
Finally, if there are two or more items in the item file that are all linked to the same MASTER_WORK_ID – that is, one group of bibliographic records together share a number of item records – all of the items are simply attached to the master (host) bibliographic record in Alma on migration.
Item Barcodes
While Talis allows item barcodes to be duplicated, Alma does not. The item barcode must be unique in Alma – though it may be left empty.
The item barcode is migrated according to the following rules:
- If the barcode is empty, leave it as is.
- If the barcode exists but is not unique:
- First item barcode encountered – migrate as is.
- Second and subsequent item barcodes encountered – migrate as <item barcode>-<item id>.
Material Type
The material type in Alma is a description of the type of material the item is such as book, map, issue, DVD, compact disc, etc. It is controlled by a fixed list of physical resource material types in Alma. Each item in Alma must have a material type specified.
Talis customers may provide a material type in a subfield of the item tag (typically 999) of the exported bibliographic records. The material type you indicate determines the item's material type.
If not provided in the extract, the migration automatically assigns a material type based on Bibliographic record LDR and 007 fields. There is no customer input required for this part of the migration as the Alma types are fixed. The material type in migration is derived from the resource type which is constructed by Alma based on the bib header information. To see a description of how the resource type is determined, see the Resource Type Field description.
Fulfillment/Patrons
Customer Input
Questionnaire Tab
Complete the following in the Questionnaire tab:
Enter a two-letter code for the default conversational language for your users
Code: PATRON_LANG
Default: en
Options: Use the two-letter codes as defined in ISO 639-1. Consult the codes from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_639-1_codes. Additionally, the language code zh-tw (Taiwanese Mandarin) is accepted.
Which identifier should be used as the patron's Primary Identifier?
Code: PATRON_PRIMARYID
Default: UNIV ID
Options: Using the Migration File Validation Tool, map the identifiers exported from Talis to the following list: UNIV ID, BARCODE, ADDL ID 1, ADDL ID 2, ADDL ID 3. Then here, select the identifier to be used as primary for all patrons. Further information: The identifier selected here is used as the match point for externally managed patron records to match with an external authentication system such as LDAP or Shibboleth. Additionally, this identifier is the primary identifier for internally managed patrons. It is highly recommended to use the Primary Identifier as the identifier for authentication. Notice that Primary Identifier is not case-sensitive, as opposed to all other identifiers, which are case-sensitive.
Currency for patron fines
Code: CURRENCY
Default: USD
Options: Use the three-letter code (for example, USD, EUR, GBP) for the currency used for patron fines. For a list of valid codes, consult http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_4217.
Request Default Destination Library
Code: REQUEST_LIBRARY
Default: None
Options: If the requests file does not contain a destination library/location, the library you enter for this question is used as the default for where patrons will usually pick up requests from the hold shelf.
Merge Patron Prefix
Code: MERGE_PATRON_PREFIX
Default: No
Options: If you are combining data from two or more separate databases into a single combined institution in Alma, then indicate a prefix here that will be used to distinguish the incoming patron record original IDs. This prefix is only added to the internal patron identifier, it is not added to barcodes or usernames or UNIV_ID. If you are not merging institutions, leave this question blank.
See also: BIB_KEY_PREFIX in Inventory and FUND_PREFIX in Acquisitions
User Group Tab
The user group is used to distinguish groups of patrons from each other in determining different levels of circulation policies. Typical user groups are faculty, staff, and undergrad.
If patrons are being migrated, then this mapping table is mandatory.
Talis Patron Type: The Talis patron type code, found in the TYPE field of the patron extract.
Talis Description: A description of the Talis patron type code, for informational purposes only. This column is not used in the mapping to Alma user group.
Alma User Group Code: The mapped group code in Alma. You can use the same codes that you used in Talis, or you can use different codes. You can also collapse groups if desired, for example, having Freshman and Sophomore from Talis both map to Undergrad in Alma. Do not use special characters, for example slashes (/) or spaces in the code.
Alma User Group Description: The description of the Alma User Group. This description is loaded into the Alma code table as the description displayed in the user interface. This description can be changed easily after migration.
Internal? Y or N: Alma categorizes users as either external or internal. External patrons are managed and authenticated by an external system, such as through a regular load from the bursar’s office/campus student information system. Internal patrons are created and managed internally. Examples of internal patrons are minority cases where community borrowers or alumni use library services. When Y, all of the patrons in the Alma userGroup are categorized as internal. When N, all of the patrons in the Alma userGroup are categorized as external. External users are fully external (except patron notes), including all user identifiers, authentication, and address information.
Notes/Comments: Add any notes or comments for the Talis User Profile. This column is not used during migration.
Further information: See also the following question in the Questionnaire tab, regarding internal and external users:
- Which identifier should be used by as the patron's Primary Identifier?
See also the section on internal/external patrons.
User Stat Categories Tab
This tab is used to migrate the statistical categories in your patron records (if you have them) to Alma. In Talis, it is possible to have multiple fields that contain statistical codes, usually named GROUP or DEPARTMENT.
Before filling in this tab, specify in the Patrons area of the Migration File Validation Tool which fields from Talis are migrated to statistical categories in Alma. You can include a label before each category to distinguish between categories in different fields. For example, you can have LAW in GROUP and also LAW in DEPARTMENT. If desired, use a prefix to distinguish between the two, for example, CAT1:LAW and CAT2:LAW.
Talis original value: List all of the values from all of the fields that you want to put into the statistical category mapping. For example, if you both fields of GROUP and DEPARTMENT in the list, list all of the values from those fields in Talis. Include the label applied if it is important to distinguish between values in different fields.
Source Description: A description of the individual categories, for information only. This field is not used in the mapping to Alma.
Alma Stat Category: The Alma Statistical Category code desired. This code is used to retrieve groups of patron records with various reporting tools.
Alma Stat Category Description: The description of the Alma Statistical Category Code. This value is loaded into the code table for userStatCategories. This description can be updated after migration.
Further Information: Alma has a Statistical Categories field in the patron record that can be used to retrieve statistics on groups of patrons. Talis has two different user category fields and Alma has only one.
Fine Fee Type Tab
Talis TRANSACTION_TYPE: List all of the values from the TRANSACTION_TYPE field in the Talis extract.
Talis Description: A description of the TRANSACTION_TYPE, for assistance in filling out this form. This column is not used in the mapping routine.
Alma Fine Types: Possible values in Alma are listed in the drop-down list.
Further Information: Outstanding patron bills from are migrated to Alma Fines and Fees. Only the currently owed amount is migrated. If any partial payments have been made before conversion, they are not reflected on migration to Alma.
Further Explanation – Fulfillment/Patrons
Internal/External Patrons
Alma categorizes users as either external or internal. External patrons are managed and authenticated by an external system, such as through a regular load from the bursar’s office/campus student information system. Internal patrons are created and managed internally. Examples of internal patrons would be minority cases where community borrowers or alumni use library services. Ex Libris expects to find a field INTERNAL_EXTERNAL in the Talis patron extract which specifies whether or not a patron is internal or external.
External users will be fully external (except patron notes), including all user identifiers, authentication and address information.
Identification Numbers
The migration program allows for six different types of user identifiers: University ID, Barcode, and Additional ID 1, 2, 3, and 4. One of these identifier types should be selected as the primary ID – the primary unique identifier that the patron uses to authenticate via Primo. Internal patrons authenticate with the primary ID and a password via the Alma Identity service, and external patrons use the primary ID as the match point with an external authentication system. When selecting the primary ID, the first identifier found in the field is used as the primary ID, and all subsequent identifiers are kept in the userIdentifier section. The primary ID must be unique, so if there are duplicates, the first unique ID found is migrated as is, and the IDs for the second and subsequent patrons with the same ID are given a suffix of -1, -2, etc. The original identifier is stored in the non-unique userIdentifier field so that the patron can still be retrieved using that identifier.
The identifier selected as the primary ID is not also written to the patron identifier section in the Alma patron record. The identifiers that are NOT selected as the primary ID are written to the patron identifier section in Alma.
When an identifier is written to the identifier section and there are multiple instances, the first one found for each type is active and the subsequent ones are inactive. Identifiers that are not used as the primary ID do not need to be unique and are not deduplicated.
If the identifier chosen for the primary ID is not present, the migration program creates an identifier for the patron based on the patron original identifier, prefixed with ID. The migration programs do not use a non-selected identifier as the primary ID.
Select BARCODE, UNIV_ID (Registration Number) or ADDL ID 1, 2, 3, or 4 as the primary ID type for all patrons in the Questionnaire tab of the Talis Alto (Capita) Migration Form.
Loans
Active loan transactions are migrated from Talis to Alma. Completed loan transactions are not included in the migration to Alma.
Acquisitions
Customer Input
Questionnaire Tab
Complete the following in the Questionnaire tab:
Migrate Acquisitions
Code: ACQ_MODE
Options: Select Yes or No depending on whether or not you have contracted with Ex Libris to migrate any Acquisitions data.
Default currency for Ledgers/Funds
Code: ACQ_CURRENCY
Default: USD
Options: List the currency used for all of your funds. Orders can have other currencies and be translated to the default currency, but funds must have a single base currency.
The currency should be a three-letter code, as listed in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_4217
Default language of conversation with vendors
Code: VENDOR_LANG
Default: en
Options: Specify the default vendor language for your vendors. Use the two-letter codes as defined in ISO 639-1. Consult the codes from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_639-1_codes.
Fiscal Period Cycle Pattern
Code: FISCAL_PERIOD
Default: 01-07-1 (fiscal period starts on July 1 (01-07) and lasts for one year (-1).
Options: To have functioning ledgers, fiscal periods are required. Specify your fiscal period as DD-MM-C (Day-Month-Cycle). For example, a one year fiscal period starting on January 1 is indicated by: 01-01-1. A one year fiscal period starting on July 1 is indicated by: 01-07-1. Alma currently supports one-year fiscal period cycles.
Which year do you use to name the fiscal year?
Code: FISCAL_PERIOD_NAME
Default: second
Options: Specify if the fiscal period is named with the first year or the second year.
- second – if fiscal period runs July 1 2014 through June 30 2015, then the fiscal year is named 2015.
- first – if fiscal period runs July 1 2014 through June 30 2015, then the fiscal year is named 2014.
If your fiscal period runs from January 1 through December 31, this question is not necessary.
Current Fiscal Year
Code: CURRENT_FISCAL_PERIOD
Default: determine by date of conversion
Options: This question is important around the fiscal period close, depending on whether or not you have run fiscal period close in your legacy ILS, or if you will run it in Alma after migration. If you do not know how to answer this, select determine by date of conversion. The options are:
- Determine by date of conversion – The conversion program uses the fiscal period that includes the date of conversion.
- 2013-2014 – Select this option if the date of conversion is later than the fiscal period to which you want your orders to migrate. For example, if the migration date is July 3, 2014, and the previous fiscal period ended on June 30, 2014, select this to put all of your orders in the fiscal period that ended on June 30, 2014. Select this option if you want to run fiscal period close in Alma instead of in your old system.
- 2014-2015 – If the date of conversion is earlier than the start date of the desired fiscal period, select this option. For example, if the migration date is June 15, 2014, and the next fiscal period begins on July 1, 2014, select this option to put all of your orders in the next fiscal period. Select this option if you want to perform the fiscal period rollover in your legacy ILS prior to conversion.
Accrual Accounting
Code: ACCRUAL_ACC_FY
Default: No – do not make an additional fiscal year
Options: If your library uses accrual accounting, you can instruct Ex Libris to make an additional fiscal year. When an additional fiscal year is created, it will be after the current fiscal year. For example, if the current active fiscal year is 2016, then the additional year, also active, will be 2017. The options are the following:
- No – do not make an additional fiscal year.
- Yes – No Funds – make an additional fiscal year but leave it empty. The library will then need to create funds for this fiscal year after go-live.
- Yes – duplicate funds – make an additional fiscal year and also fill it with funds that are the same codes as the funds in the current fiscal year. No allocations are made.
Default claiming period
Code: ORDER_CLAIM
Default: 90
Options: Default claim used for vendors and orders (if applicable), in days
Central Order Library
Code: CENTRAL_ORDER_LIB
Default: None
Options: See explanation below in Default Order Library
Default Order Library
Code: DEFAULT_ORDER_LIB
Default: First library found on the Alma Library list
Options for Central and Default Order Library: The DELIVERY_SITE field specifies the order location for orders in Talis. The migration attempts to map the DELIVERY_SITE field to the corresponding Alma Library. If you want to override this DELIVERY_SITE field and instead assign an order library to all orders migrated, fill in a value for the Central Order Library question. Otherwise, if you want to use the DELIVERY_SITE field to determine the order library, leave the Central Order Library blank and fill in a value in the Default Order Library question. In this case, the migration attempts to determine a library based on the DELIVERY_SITE field and only when a library is not specified or a mapping is not found does it use the Default Order Library as a second choice.
Renewal Date for Serials Subscriptions
Code: RENEWAL_DATE
Default: none
Options: Default renewal date for subscriptions. If your subscriptions are generally ordered on the same cycle and you don’t provide that renewal date in the order data itself, place that date here. The first choice of populating this mandatory field for ongoing orders will be based on explicit renewal date information in the order, second will be to populate based on an answer to this question (if populated) and finally the fallback would be set the renewal date = migration + 1 Year. The fallback will only occur if no renewal date is provided in the orders and no answer is provided in the migration form questionnaire.
Fund Prefix
Code: FUND_PREFIX
Default: none/blank
Options: If you are combining data from two or more separate databases into a single combined institution in Alma, indicate a prefix here that will be used to distinguish the former fund codes in Alma after migration. Provide a string to be used to prefix all fund codes in the database. A hyphen is NOT provided. For example, if your fund code is SCIENCE-MONO and you put UWS- here, the final fund code is UWS-SCIENCE-MONO. Leave this question blank to leave the fund code as is.
See also the similar BIB_KEY_PREFIX in Inventory and MERGE_PATRON_PREFIX in Fulfillment
PO Entry Point Tab
Use this tab to map values from the Talis ORDER_STATUS field to the Alma PO Entry Point field. This tab is required.
The entry point value is used to determine where the PO falls in the Acquisitions workflow in Alma. The PO entry point is mandatory in Alma, so the ALMAME_VALUE_NOT_FOUND line is required to catch any ORDER_STATUS values that may not have been found in the map.
Talis ORDER_STATUS: The value of the Talis order status, found in the ORDER_STATUS field of the Talis order extract.
Order Status Description: A description of the ORDER_STATUS field, for information only. This field is not used in the mapping.
Alma PO Entry Point: The desired order status in Alma. Select from one of the values in the drop-down list. The following options are available:
- NEW – The order has been created, but has not been sent to the vendor. Orders can have status NEW for years while librarians are reviewing what to order, or they can be NEW for just a short while if the acquisitions staff created the order to send to the vendor immediately.
- SENT – The order has been sent to the vendor and funds have been encumbered/committed. The item has not been received yet for one-item orders, or the item has been received for continuous orders. Continuous orders that continue to be invoiced/received remain with SENT status (which can be considered as a sub-status of waiting for renewal within Alma) until they are closed.
- WAITING_FOR_INVOICE – Use only for one-time orders. The item has been received, but not the invoice. Invoice status must not be FULLY_INVOICED.
- CLOSED – The order has been received and invoiced. Nothing else will be received on this order. (Do not use for open continuous orders that you are still receiving.)
- CANCELLED – The order is cancelled.
PO Line Type Tab
This tab is mandatory if you are migrating orders. Include a line for ALMAME_VAL_NOT_FOUND since this field is mandatory in Alma.
SUBSCRIPTION_TYPE: Value of the subscription type field in Talis, found in the SUBSCRIPTION_TYPE field in your order extract.
Subscription Type Description: A description of the SUBSCRIPTION_TYPE field, for information only. This field is not used in the mapping to Alma.
poLineType: The Alma line type value. Select one of the following line types from the drop-down list:
- PRINT_OT – printed book one time. This is used for one time or infrequent orders of specific items, for example, a printed book, E book, or a musical score, that is not published repetitively. The order is at the item level. If the only physical items that you order are books, this type is essentially the same as Print Book - One Time.
- PRINTED_BOOK_OT: Print Book One Time
- PRINT_CO – journal/continuation. This is used for orders that are repeated on a regular basis. An example is monthly subscriptions to physical or electronic material such as journals. The order is at the holding level, and items in the holding record are received periodically.
- PRINTED_JOURNAL_CO: Print Journal - Subscription
- PRINT_SO – standing order monograph. This is used for orders that are not repeated on a frequent or regular basis. For example, this type of PO line is used for purchasing all the printed books by a particular author when they are published or where a series of books are being published, but not necessarily on a regular basis. The receipt of new material involves a new bibliographic, holdings, and item record. If the only physical items that you order are books, this type is essentially the same as Print Book - Standing Order.
- PRINTED_BOOK_SO: Print Book – Standing Order
- PRINT_SO_NONMON - Standing Order Non-Monograph – Similar to continuous orders.
- OTHER_SERVICES_OT - Other Services One Time – Various non-inventory orders for services purchased from a vendor. Both one-time behavior and repetitive behavior are available. This should only be applied to orders without inventory. For electronic resources, see the ‘Line Types and electronic orders’ section below.
- OTHER_SERVICES_CO: Other Services Subscription. This should only be applied to orders without inventory. For electronic resources, see the ‘Line Types and electronic orders’ section below.
Further Information: Use this tab to define the line type of the migrated order. The PO may move through Alma workflows differently according to what type of item is on order. For example, a monographic order is opened, sent to the vendor, received, invoiced, and closed. However, a serial order may be received and invoiced many times and may remain open indefinitely. Alma does have other PO Line types but they are not available for use in migration.
Line Types and Electronic Orders
The above line types are all descriptions based on a print order. All orders are stored in Talis as print and so are migrated to Alma initially as print using the above line types. The physical to electronic (P2E) process identifies orders attached to electronic bibliographic records and transforms the order to electronic. In other words, if an order migrates as PRINT_SO, is attached to a bibliographic record you identify as electronic and is in an electronic location, it is changed to the corresponding electronic standing order line type by the P2E process. See the section on Physical to Electronic Processing below for more information on the overall P2E process.
PO Acq Method Tab
Use this tab to determine the Acquisition Method of an order in Alma. The acquisition method is an indication of how the order is acquired.
ORDER_TYPE_ID: The value of the ORDER_TYPE_ID field in Talis, found in your order extract.
ORDER_TYPE_ID description: A description of the Order Type in Talis, for information purposes only. This field is not used in the mapping to Alma.
poLineAcqMethod: The Acquisition method in Alma. AcqMethod is mandatory in Alma. If not found, then use PURCHASE. Select one of the following values from the drop-down list:
- PURCHASE – normal workflow
- GIFT – not sent to vendor and no invoicing or payment
- EXCHANGE – not sent to vendor and no invoicing or payment
- APPROVAL – pre-established delivery plan - normal workflow except not sent to vendor
- VENDOR_SYSTEM – the order is placed at the vendor site so that sending it to the vendor is not required. The normal workflow is followed except that the order is not sent to the vendor.
- DEPOSITORY – usually from the government. The order is not sent to vendor and there is no invoicing or payment.
- TECHNICAL – no fund or amount required
- LEGAL_DEPOSIT – does not require fund or price, and uses a special version of the PO Line order letter
Comment: Add any comments about ORDR_TYPE for use while filling out this form. This field is not used by the migration programs.
Further Information: The PO Acq Method is mandatory in Alma, so the ALMAME_VALUE_NOT_FOUND line is required to catch any values that may not have been found in the map.
PO Reporting Code Tab
Use this tab if you wish to map values from the Talis FORMAT field to the Alma Reporting Code field. This tab is not required.
When an encumbrance transaction is created in Alma, the acquisitions staff can classify the transaction with a reporting code. Later, reports can be used to retrieve transactions with the same reporting code. Reporting codes are often (but not always) used to classify a purchase as serial, monograph, or electronic, for state or nation-wide reporting purposes.
Talis Format: The value of the Talis order format, found in the FORMAT field in the order extract.
Format Description: A description of the FORMAT field, for information only. This field is not used in the mapping.
Alma Reporting Code: The desired code value for the reporting code in Alma. You may choose to collapse FORMAT values if desired.
Alma Reporting Code Description: The name for the reporting codes in Alma. This field is used to create a code table that is loaded into Alma. This value can be easily changed after migration.
Further Explanation – Acquisitions
Fund Input File
Fund records are submitted in CSV format and loaded to Alma. They are not extracted directly from Talis. See Talis Alto (Capita) Alma Data Delivery Specification to see the file format required for funds.
The funds in the input file are only created for the current fiscal year.
Initial allocations for the migrated funds are created from the Allocation field of the Fund Input file.
PO Entry Point
The entry point value is used to determine where PO falls in the workflow in Alma. Possible values for poEntryPoint are: NEW, SENT, WAITING_FOR_INVOICE, CLOSED, and CANCELLED.
The migration from Alma uses the following map from ORDER_STATUS to determine the PO entry point:
ACT = SENT
PEND = NEW
PART = SENT
Transactions of Amount 0.00
Talis Alto allows for transactions to be of value 0.00 for all purchase orders (encumbrances). In Alma, fund transactions can be of amount 0.00 only when it is an encumbrance and when the associated PO is of type GIFT, DEPOSITORY, EXCHANGE, or TECHNICAL. All other encumbrances of amount 0.00 are changed to 1.00.
Physical to Electronic (P2E) Processing
This section describes the process of correctly categorizing resources as electronic in Alma. In Talis, all resources are stored as physical in the database, even if the record represents an electronic item. During migration, all records are initially converted to Alma as physical. A second process converts records that you identify as electronic to the electronic format. It is up to you to provide a list of records that are identified as electronic, in the following format:
123475,portfolio
12345,package
12346,db
The words portfolio, package, and db are not case-sensitive; therefore, both portfolio and Portfolio are acceptable.
If you provide a bibliographic record in the P2E file, the migration programs will generate an electronic resource for the bib, even if there is no valid URL. An example of an invalid URL might be an 856 tag with an indicator which does not match the specific indicator in the question P2E_LINK, below. For example, if you say that we use 85641u for the P2E_LINK, and you provide a bib record *without* a 85641u but that bib record is in the p2e file, then we will generate a local e-resource without any link at all (an empty resource). Be careful which bibs are placed in the bib file.
Further, the P2E process attempts to identify an order related to the identified inventory for conversion to electronic. Similarly to items and holdings, orders are initially migrated as print and are transformed to electronic through the p2e process. See the guide https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Implementation_and_Migration/Migration_Guides/Electronic_System_Migrations/Electronic_Resource_Handling_in_Alma_Migration for more information.
Customer Input
Questionnaire Tab
For each of the following three questions (P2E_LINK, P2E_NOTE, and P2E_PROVIDER), you can use indicators in the following manner:
- Specific indicators: 85641u – only tags with 41 as the indicator is used.
- No indicator (# is used for a blank character, for example: 8564#u) – only tags with 4<blank> as an indicator are used.
- All possible indicators: 8564*u – tags with 4 as the first indicator are used. The second indicator is not taken into account.
The space character operates the same way as an asterisk (*), for example: 8564 u is the same as 8564*u.
-
Special Request: If you need to specify multiple specific indicators, for example 85641 and 85642, it cannot be coded in the migration form but your ExL representative can make a special request to the migration team.
Which Holding or Bib field stores electronic link information
Code: P2E_LINK
Options: Provide a 3 digit Marc field code + subfield: 856u. Only one field/subfield is allowed.
Recommendation: 856 u
Default: If this is left empty, no tag is used.
Which Holding or Bib field stores electronic link public note
Code: P2E_NOTE
Options: Provide a 3 digit Marc field code + subfield: 856z. Only one field/subfield is allowed.
Recommendation: 856 z
Default: If this is left empty, no tag is used.
Which Holding or Bib field stores electronic provider name information
Code: P2E_PROVIDER
Options: Provide a 3 digit Marc field code + subfield: 856m. Only one field/subfield is allowed.
Recommendation: 856 m
Default: If this is left empty, no tag is used.
For the questions on the Questionnaire tab, only one field/subfield is allowed per question.
Alma Location Tab
Electronic Location Column
Identify which locations indicate an electronic holding or item record. A single bibliographic record may contain holdings for multiple locations, but only the holdings/items for electronic locations need to be identified. Identify the locations in the in the Electronic Location? column in the Alma Location tab of the Talis Alto (Capita) Migration Form.
PO Line Type Tab
Line Types and Electronic Orders
The PO line types are all descriptions based on a print order. All orders are stored in Talis as print, and so are migrated to Alma initially as print using the above line types. The physical to electronic (P2E) process identifies orders attached to electronic bibliographic records and transforms the order to electronic. In other words, if an order migrates as PRINT_SO, is attached to a bibliographic record that you identify as electronic and is in an electronic location, then it is changed to the corresponding electronic standing order line type by the P2E process.
Further Explanation – P2E
If you have multiple 856 links in a single bibliographic record identified as electronic, a different inventory link for that bibliographic record is created for each URL found in the record. In addition, if you have two item records with different electronic locations attached to the same bibliographic record, a different inventory link is created for each location, as well.
For more information on the electronic migration approach to Alma, refer to Electronic Resource Handling in Alma Migration.
Appendix A – Post-Migration Process Statuses
The process statuses (codes) from the local system are mapped to the indexed internal note 3 field of the Alma item. These items are considered not available after migration when process = Technical – Migration.
These fields are currently indexed in the item keyword and advanced searches.
When searching for physical items, a staff user can search by item process status code with the general keyword search and then by facet if before searching, Process type = Technical – Migration and with the advanced search filter when Process type = Technical – Migration.
In order to give items real Alma statuses or remove the Technical – Migration status, scan the barcode of the item to various configured departments (via receiving, for example), request a move to various departments/temp locations, or just scan the item for return, which removes the status from the item. You may also use the ‘Scan In’ API, described here: https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/blog/Performing-the-Alma-scan-in-API-on-a-file-of-barcodes.
Additionally, it is also possible to configure the GetIt (Primo) services to display or not display items with this process status in the GetIt Item list.