TLC to Alma Data Delivery and Migration Guide
Migration Overview
This migration document is intended to be used by customers who are coming from the Library Solution integrated library system, produced by The Library Corporation. This library system is typically referred to as TLC (for The Library Corporation), so this document uses TLC throughout.
This document serves two purposes:
- A step-by-step guide to filling out the TLC Migration Form.
- A description of files expected as well as an explanation of general migration rules
Recommendations for Using this Guide
This document is divided into three areas:
- Inventory
- Fulfillment
- Physical to Electronic
Each area has the following sections:
- Files expected - a description of files expected from TLC
- 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 TLC 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 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 in Alma Migration document. Additionally, knowledge of the concepts and architecture of TLC.
- 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.
This migration document is intended to be used by customers who are coming from the Library Solution integrated library system, produced by The Library Corporation. This library system is typically referred to as TLC (for The Library Corporation), so this document uses TLC throughout.
Customers are expected to provide extracts for their inventory and fulfillment data, and map them into expected TLC fields using this guide and the TLC Field Mapping form.
The procedure for migrating from TLC to Ex Libris’ Alma consists of the following steps:
- Indicate which local fields correspond to Ex Libris' expected fields using the TLC Field Mapping form, prior to data delivery (customer responsibility).
- Validate the flat files using Non-Ex Libris to Alma Validation Tool Excel. It is recommended that this step be done against a small subset of data to ensure that the header of each of your flat files and the filled in TLC Field Mapping form match each other.
- Extract the relevant data elements from the ILS into flat files (customer responsibility).
- Upload the files to Ex Libris’ secure file server (MFT) along with the TLC Delivered FIles List form and the executed/validated Non-Ex Libris to Alma Validation Tool (customer responsibility).
- Transform the data elements, based on the Field Mapping form, into an intermediate conversion XML format (Ex Libris responsibility).
- Load the transformed data into Alma (Ex Libris responsibility).
Deliver the TLC Field Mapping form and validated data validation output form to Ex Libris along with the TLC Migration Form prior to the actual delivery of the data. The lead time depends on your project schedule. Provide the TLC Delivered Files form, which lists the file names and the record counts for each file, at the same time that you provide your data extract files.
Provide the data elements in flat files, and place them on an Ex Libris secure file server (MFT). Prepare the data files in the exact format as specified in Appendix A – File Delivery and Delivered Files Form with the naming conventions as described there.
Files Requested from TLC
Ex Libris expects a certain set of files to be exported from TLC, listed below. As files are extracted, be sure that the extracted file description, such as data elements and lengths, matches the description in Expected File Formats.
The data elements listed are those that Ex Libris expects to use in conversion. Not all data elements that exist in the local ILS are necessary to transfer to Alma.
The scope of your specific conversion is agreed upon in your Alma contract.
- As you extract data from any area listed below, provide it to Ex Libris via a secure file connection (MFT). This facilitates the transformation analysis and expedites the conversion process. For file delivery instructions, see Appendix A – File Delivery and Delivered Files Form.
- DO NOT OPEN/UPDATE any delimited file extracts you provide to Ex Libris in Excel. This may ruin the appropriate delimiter formatting and text formatting and may result in corrupted data.
Expected File Formats
All the files listed in the tables below are expected in CSV format with one record per line, and fields delimited by commas and multi-values within fields delimited by semicolons. The following is an example of a record with multiple values for the third field:
“field1”,”field2”,”field3a”;”field3b”,”field4”
The following are the only exceptions to this expected format:
- Bibliographic records (which are MARC standard files) - this includes items which are embedded in bibs
- MARC Holdings records
For all files, the maximum file size is 2GB.
TLC Field Mapping Form
Prior to submitting your extracted files, complete the TLC Field Mapping form. Indicate which data elements (files) you plan to provide in the Overview tab of the spreadsheet. On the subsequent tabs, indicate your local field names and how they map to Alma's expected field names.
On all of the tabs in the TLC Field Mapping form, there is a ##Foreign Key## column. Customers should not fill out this column – it is for internal use only. In addition, there are various note fields for each data element. Fields that are not expected by Ex Libris (because there is no functional place for the data element in the corresponding Alma data structure) can be placed in a note in the record. Specify the note type that you want the field to go to at the bottom of each tab in the TLC Field Mapping form.
TLC Delivered Files Form
At the time you submit the requested data files, submit the completed Excel spreadsheet TLC Delivered Files form. List the files, record counts, and encoding for each file delivered to the MFT server.
Inventory
Alma uses bibliographic, holding, and item records. TLC typically has bibliographic and item records, and may have textual serial holding information in a tag in the bib record. Since TLC does not provide MARC holding records, they are created during migration, based on information in the item record and possibly a serial holding record created from a summary statement in the bib.
Bibliographic Records
Bibliographic records are expected in MARC, UNIMARC or KORMARC format. Binary MARC, UNIMARC or KORMARC is preferred, but Ex Libris also accepts files in MARCXML, UNIMARCXML or KORMARCXMLformat as well. The character encoding expected is UTF-8 or ANSEL/MARC8. If your library prefers to export in a different format, inform your Ex Libris project manager. All files should be delivered with the same character encoding.
Each Bibliographic record MUST have a single unique source key/identifier in a consistent single source MARC/UNIMARC/KORMARC field. Records which do not conform will be rejected.
The following sections explain additional bibliographic use-cases which are supported.
Suppressed Records
Suppressed records are those bibliographic records that you want to have in the database, but not show to the public. Examples of this are:
- titles on order
- missing or damaged titles where you want to keep the record but not show it to the public
- titles that are for internal management only, such as equipment
Provide a text file that contains the source BIB key/ID, one key per line, for bibliographic records that are suppressed.
Boundwiths
Ex Libris does not expect to receive boundwith information from TLC customers. However, if you think you have boundwith info, contact your Ex Libris project representative. A boundwith is where a single item is linked to multiple bibliographic records.
Examples of boundwiths:
- Bound journals with a title change in the middle of the year. For example, if January – April is “Journal of Mathematics Education” and May – December is “Mathematics Educator”, and all 12 of the issues are bound in the same volume with a single barcode.
- Pamphlets or small volumes with similar content which were combined into the same item/barcode, either by binding or in a folder.
Linked Bibliographic Records
If you use standard 7XX fields for linking between MARC/KORMARC bibliographic records (or standard linking fields for UNIMARC), they are leveraged during migration and create appropriate bibliographic-level linking in Alma.
No exported files are necessary for this category: use the migration form, Questionnaire tab, to indicate if your bibliographic records contain linking fields.
Electronic Link Resolver Records
If you have SFX MARCIt records or equivalent electronic records in your ILS that are also represented by your link resolver system, it is suggested that they be excluded from the data provided to Ex Libris to avoid unnecessary duplication with the link resolver system data. If these records are NOT removed, you will likely see a record in Alma migrated from the ILS and the same record migrated from SFX.
An exception to this is if the records have active orders or physical inventory that are also being migrated, these records should be kept. If you choose to provide a string to indicate records to be removed/not migrated, the migration programs remove records with no attached orders or inventory and keep records with attached orders and items.
No exported files are necessary for this category: use the Questionnaire tab of the migration form to indicate a string that will be checked in the 035 field. Example: ‘(SFX)’.
Holding Records
Ex Libris does not expect to receive MARC holding records or non-MARC serial holding records from TLC customers.
Holding records can be generated from a summary statement in the bib record, as described below. If no holding record is present for an item, the migration program generates a holding record based on information in the item. See the 852_subfields_for_hol section in the migration guide for more information about how to determine how item records can be grouped when generating holding records.
Holding Records from a Summary Statement in a Bibliographic Record
If the customer has serial holdings which are only represented by a summary statement such as Vol. 1 (1980) – Vol. 21 (2000), these statements should be included in a tag in the bibliographic record. Use the Holdings tab of the TLC Field Mapping form to indicate which field and subfield contents to use for generating holdings records from summary statements embedded in the bibliographic record.
Fill in the values of the following fields in the Holdings tab of the TLC Field Mapping form. If the SUMM_LOC_CODE matches an existing holdings record on the same bibliographic record, even a holdings record that was generated from items attached to the same holdings record, then the summary holdings statement is attached to that holdings record, regardless of call number. In other words, the summary holdings is placed on the holdings record with the same location, even if 852_SUBFIELDS_FOR_HOL contains call number subfields for matching like bchi. If there is no existing holdings record on the bibliographic record with the same location, a new holdings record is generated.
| Expected Field Name | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SUMM_TAG | Five characters; tag+2 indicators. May use # as wildcard, for example, 866## or 86#3#. Wildcard allowed for third digit and indicators but not first two digits. To indicate a space character, use b, for example 866b1. | |
| SUMM_SUBFIELDS | Multiple subfields allowed,for example, abz. | |
| SUMM_CALLNO | Textual call number to be used in all newly generated holdings records, if desired. | |
| SUMM_LIB_SUBF | A single subfield code (like 'a') which contains a library code in local ILS format. DO NOT enter a different bib tag: the migration program searches for a subfield within the SUMM_TAG BIB tag. | |
| SUMM_LOC_SUBF | A single subfield code (such as a) that contains a location code in local ILS format. Do NOT enter a different bib tag: the migration program searches for a subfield within the SUMM_TAG BIB tag. | |
| SUMM_LIB_CODE | If SUMM_LIB_SUBF is not provided or the subfield is not found, this is used for all records as a default. Provide a library code in local ILS format. | |
| SUMM_LOC_CODE | If SUMM_LOC_SUBF is not provided or the subfield is not found, this is used for all records as a default. Provide a location code in local ILS format. | |
| SUMM_PUBLIC_NOTE_SUBF | Public note, is placed in 852 $z of the generated holding record. | |
| SUMM_NON_PUBLIC_NOTE_SUBF | Non-public note, is placed in 852 $x of the generated holding record. |
Item Records
Ex Libris expects item records from TLC in item fields which are embedded in bibliographic tags in the BIB extract. This is typically in the 949 tag of the bib record but can be in any tag that you specify. Indicate the tag (for example, 949) that contains the embedded item.
Then, place the subfield code in the TLC Field Mapping form in the appropriate field, for example:
LIBRARY $m
LOCATION $n
ITEM_CALL_NO $c
Item Record
The following subfields are expected in the item tag.
Dates can be in any format, but they must be consistent. Do not use YYYYMMDD and then MMDDYYYY in the same file.
| Expected Field Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| $g barcode | will be used in loan, request, and fine/fee files to link to the relevant item |
| $a Library | use in the ALma Location tab if customer uses two levels of location. This is the higher level of location. |
| $b Location | use in the Alma Location tab. If customer uses only one level of location, use this field for that single level of location. Use column B in the Alma Migration Form, Alma Location Map for this single location. |
| $c Call Number | |
| $d Call Number second part | |
| $k call number prefix | |
| $m call number suffix | |
| $h description date part | |
| $i description enumeration part | |
| $n copy number | |
| REPLACEMENT_COST | Place a field here ONLY IF this will be used an actual replacement cost for a lost item in Fulfillment. |
| INVENTORY_PRICE | Place a field here for information purposes about the original cost of the item. |
Any additional fields not listed above may be put into notes. The possible note fields in Alma items are listed in the following chart in the Note Name column. The fields listed in the Default Local Field column are those that are expected by Ex Libris. If you use other field names or have fields that you want to include in the migration but are not expected by Ex Libris, you can rearrange, add, or subtract fields on the right, as necessary. If you want to include multiple local fields in the same Alma note, make as many copies of the line in the spreadsheet as needed for all note name/local field combinations.
| Note Name | Default Local Field |
|---|---|
| PUBLIC_NOTE | Shows to the public |
| FULFILMENT_NOTE | Pops up at circulation activity. |
| NON_PUBLIC_NOTE_1 | Internal notes |
| NON_PUBLIC_NOTE_2 | |
| NON_PUBLIC_NOTE_3 | |
| STAT_NOTE_1 | Statistical notes |
| STAT_NOTE_2 | |
| STAT_NOTE_3 |
Item Statistics Notes (STAT_NOTE_*) can use controlled vocabulary when statistics_note_controlled is set to true. For more information, see Configuring Item Statistics Notes.
Suppressed Item Records
All suppressed item records are migrated to Alma as regular items (not suppressed). However, specific locations can be marked as suppressed in Alma so that groups of items can be suppressed from public view.
Secondary Item File
You may want to provide item descriptive information in a secondary file. For example, you have a description in the format Vol. 12 No. 2 (2015 February), but Alma recommends that enumeration and chronology information are without labels and are in separate fields. You can provide your description in a secondary item file.
With the exception of the item_key and barcode, all other fields will force blank if an empty field is provided. In other words, if you have an item description in Alma, and you provide a blank description in this file, the incoming blank will be 'written' to Alma, meaning the Alma description will be deleted.
We recommend that EnumX and ChronX fields contain only numbers, for example '12' instead of 'Vol. 12' and '2' instead of 'Feb'. However, it is programmatically time-consuming to distinguish between an invalid use (Vol. 12) and a valid use (12A), so in the interest of processing quickly, we allow any string in EnumX and ChronX fields. Do not provide a full date in a single field. Split any dates into three, for example 4 Feburary 2020 is ChronI=2020, ChronJ=2, ChronK=4.
Even though it is not recommended, if for any reason you need to provide a full date in a single field, put a tick (') before the date in the Excel cell so that it is treated like text (instead of the Excel date format).
Provide the secondary item file in regular csv format, or Excel format (xls or xlsx) format, with the following fields:
| Expected Field Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| item_key |
Provide either item_key or barcode, but not both. If both are provided, item_key is preferred Always provide both fields, even when one is empty. E.g.
|
| barcode | |
| description | Provide in a format such as: Vol. 12, No. 6 (February 2015) |
| enumA | For example, “12”. |
| enumB | For example, "6". |
| enumC | |
| enumD | |
| enumE | |
| enumF | |
| enumG | |
| enumH | |
| chronI | For example, "2015" |
| chronJ | For example, "2". |
| chronK | |
| chronL | |
| chronM |
Customer Input - Inventory
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 former system number field (bibliographic system number) to the 035 $a field:
(MOC)<bibliographic record 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)u12345-01abc_inst
Usually the former system number can be in the 001 field of the bibliographic record. Customers should specify where the former system number is in the Bibs & P2E tab of the Generic Field Mapping form.
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. Multiple strings are allowed, use a semicolon to separate: (SFX);WaSeSS;EBC
Further Information: If your 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 your incoming records 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 Linked Entry fields?
Indicate if you use internal system numbers in linking fields. Internal system numbers from your legacy system are not continued in Alma, and therefore should be changed to MMSID (the Alma internal system number).
MARC fields: $w subfield for tags 76x-78x, 80x, 81x, and/or 83x
Unimarc fields: $1 subfield with prefix 001 for fields 423, 461, 462, 463, 464 [example: bib key 99999 in tag 461 = 461 $100199999]
Code: LINKED_ENTRY_W
Default: No
Options: If you answered Yes to this question, the internal system numbers in the subfield $w or $1001 of the specified tags are converted from the former 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 or $1001 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, your previous ILS may store the information in bibliographic fields 76x-78x, 80x, 81x, and 83x $w for MARC, and 423, 461, 462, 463, 464 for Unicode. If the number in the $w or $1001 of the linking tags is the internal legacy ILS 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 linking field 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. For more information on configuring related records, see Configuring Related Records for Physical Inventory.
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 library/location only, select bc here. If you have many items in the same bibliographic record in the same library/location but different call numbers WITHIN that library/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 Determining Groups of Holding Records and Changing the Holding Record Grouping.
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. Inventory is filtered by locations on the Location Tab, and Fulfillment is filtered based on campus codes in the Campus Code Tab. 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 hyphen 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: MERGE_PATRON_PREFIX
Move 001/003 to 035 or 935
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
Ex Libris marks the moved 035 or 935 with $9 ExL to indicate that the migration programs generated this field.
Further information: If an 035 exists in the record already with the identifier that was in the 001, then a second (duplicate) tag is NOT made. Also, when checking if the identifier already exists, the migration programs compare to the $a only. Meaning, if an existing tag contains
001 12345
003 OCoLC
035 $a(OCoLC)12345 $z (OCoLC)54321
then the existing 035 $a is considered a duplicate and a second tag is not created.
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 institution suffix to Bib ID
Code: BIBID_INST_SUFFIX
Default: No
Options: When moving the legacy bibliographic identifier to the 035 or 935, you can choose to add the institution code to the end of the string, like 12345-34ABC where 12345 is the legacy bib ID and 34ABC is the institution code. This may be used in conjunction with other bib identifier options, such as BIB_KEY_PREFIX and MARC_OC.
Yes = include suffix
No = do not include suffix
Add $9 LOCAL to specified tags
Code: NZ_LOCAL_TAGS
Default: empty
Options: Add $9 LOCAL to specified bib tags, for use in consortia where an IZ environment links to an NZ. Tags marked as Local will be kept in the IZ, and not moved to the NZ.
Format for this input: tag + indicator. Use # for any/wildcard, and b for the space character. Separate with semicolon.
Example: 59###; 69###;960##;970##;090b#
The wildcard works only for the third digit of the tag and the indicators. Examples:
CORRECT: 95###
INCORRECT: 9####
Also, 900-949 cannot be used here, as described in the Migration Considerations for Consortia guide
Alma Library Tab
Use this tab to create a list of Libraries in Alma. At least one library is mandatory.
Alma Library Code: Maximum 10 characters. Mixed case is valid, but not recommended. Do not use special characters or spaces. Allowed: - and _ (hyphen and underscore). Not allowed: !@#$%^&*()+=/?><.,\|]}[{`~ and 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, cannot contain a double quote ("). This is visible to the public. This must be unique. For example, you cannot have two libraries with code LIBA and LIBB and have them both called 'Library'. They must have different names.
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 Alma library is the higher level of location. The Location or sometimes Physical Location is the lower level of location. Your ILS may or may not have an existing higher level of location. If you have a higher level of location already, you may likely simply copy those libraries to this tab here. If you only have one level of location, you can list new libraries here and then map existing locations to a library/location combination using the Alma Location tab.
Use the Alma Libraries tab in the Generic Migration Form to indicate your list of Alma libraries. The actual mapping from the legacy library to the Alma library is done in conjunction with the Physical Location in the Alma Location tab.
If you use an error library (for example “EMPTY”) in the ALMAME_VALUE_NOT_FOUND line of the Alma Location Map 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 TLC libraries and locations to libraries and locations in Alma. Filling in this tab is mandatory. If you use only one level of location in TLC, then put the values for that location into the ‘First Level Location’ column (Column A - Library), and leave Column B blank. If you use two levels of location, use both Column A and Column B.
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.
TLC Library: First level of location - Value from the Library field in the item extract from TLC. The ALMAME_VAL_NOT_FOUND line is required to catch any location codes you may have missed.
If you use only a single level of location, use this first (Library) column and leave the second column (location) blank.
TLC Location: Second level of location or single location - Value from the location field in the item extract from TLC.
Alma Library Code: The library that contains this library/location combination in Alma. You can use the same library codes that you used in TLC, 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 your TLC, but this is not required. You may also use this form to collapse locations if desired, for example refa and refb 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 for the 852 first indicators. (http://www.loc.gov/marc/holdings/hd852.html). If we cannot determine the call number type from the item or holding record itself, 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 incoming code to an easily identifiable code such as XXX or unused just in case any stray items are still in your previous ILS 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.
| Incoming Library code | Incoming Location Code | Alma Library Code | Alma Location Code | Alma Location Desc | Alma External Loc Desc | Suppress from Externalization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALMAME_
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:
| Alma 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:
| Alma 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 your legacy ILS 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 incoming code to an easily identifiable code such as XXX if any stray items are still in your library database.
If you collapse location codes, you may have lines in the table such as the following:
| Incoming 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 |
The three values in bold italic above (ReserveElec as the External Location name, and Yes for Suppress from Externalization and Electronic location) are not used in Alma. Since the locations are being collapsed, the first line for the RESERVES Alma location is used, and all subsequent lines below it use the values from the first line.
Other Item Information
Ex Libris does not expect to receive information in the item related to the Item Type or the Item Base Status. If you think you can provide item type or ittem base status information, inform your Ex Libris project representative.
Further Explanation – Inventory
Bibliographic Records
Bibliographic records are migrated as is and each bibliographic record can be modified in the following way during migration:
- Australian customers have ALL bibliographic records marked for Libraries of Australia Publish, if relevant.
- OCLC records (records with an 035 |a with an OCLC-official prefix) is marked for OCLC publish, if relevant.
- The LDR position 9 (character coding scheme) is set to 'a', indicating Unicode.
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, described in the Library, Location and Call Number sections above, are: $b Library $c Location $h Call Number. By default, the migration programs compare $b and $c, but you may decide to change this based on items 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, three holding records are created: Holding record $b main $c stacks $h PN 567 .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 Generic Migration Form, “Indicate which 852 subfields to use to determine unique holding records”.
Attaching Items to Existing Holding Records
The algorithm described above to determine groups of items for generating new holdings records is also used to determine if an item should be attached to an existing MARC holdings record. The question Indicate which 852 subfields to use to determine unique holding records from the Questionnaire tab of the Generic Migration Form is used here as well.
For example, consider the following incoming records:
Holding record A: $b PER $c MFORM $h PN 567 $i .M4
Holding record B: $b PER $c CURRENT $h Shelved by title
item 1: PER,MFORM PN 567 .M4
item 2: PER,MFORM PN 567 .M4 2010
item 3: PER,MFORM PN 567 .M4 2011
item 4: PER,CURRENT PN 567 .M457 2012
When only location (852 $b $c) is used to determine unique holding records, the following is the resulting structure in Alma:
Holding record A: $b PER $c MFORM $h PN 567 $i .M4
item 1 (ItemCallNo is empty because the call number matches)
item 2 (with PN 567 .M4 2010 in ItemCallNo)
item 3 (with PN 567 .M4 2011 in ItemCallNo)
Holding record B: $b PER $c CURRENT $h Shelved by title
item 4 (with PN 567 .M457 2012 in AltCallNo)
When the entire call number (852 $b $c $h $i $k) is used to determine unique holding records, multiple additional holding records are created in Alma:
Holding record A: $b PER $c MFORM $h PN 567 $i .M4
item 1
*Holding record B: $b PER $c MFORM $h PN 567 $i .M4 2010
item 2
*Holding record C: $b PER $c MFORM $h PN 567 $i .M4 2011
item 3
Holding record D: $b PER $c CURRENT $h Shelved by title
*Holding record E: $b PER $c MFORM $h PN 567 $i .M4 2012
item 4
The holdings records with the asterisk (B, C, and E) are created new because the entire call number string of the item did not match the entire call number string of any of the existing holdings records.
Suppressing Bibliographic Records in the OPAC
In Alma, bibliographic records can be set to be suppressed in the OPAC, meaning that library staff can see and work with the records, but the public cannot see them. Provide a file the bib keys which are suppressed according to the description in the Generic to Alma Data Delivery Specification.
Boundwiths
Items that are shared by multiple bibliographic records are called boundwith items. Alma supports boundwiths by using standard bibliographic record relationships defined by Marc 21 linking fields. The migration process associates the 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 first bibliographic record attached to an item gets new 774 tags that link to all of the secondary bibliographic records attached to the same item. The secondary bibliographic records are not modified on migration.
Ex Libris does not expect to receive Boundwith information from TLC customers.
Item Barcodes
While many legacy ILS systems allow item barcodes to be duplicated, Alma does not. The item barcode must be unique in Alma, although it may be left blank (and many of them can be left blank).
The item barcode is migrated according to the following rules:
- If the barcode is empty, leave as empty in Alma.
- 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>
Because it is possible to use the barcode as the link between item and loan, request, or fine, if one of those is linked to an item with a duplicated barcode, it will be linked to the item with the unsuffixed barcode.
Material Type from Bib Fixed Fields
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.
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
Ex Libris expects patron records in CSV delimited format. Patron records without a record key identifier are skipped, since this is the minimum required patron information. The record key identifier is used to link the patron to other records such as loans, requests, and fines.
The following fields are expected. Indicate the local field names for the expected fields in the Patrons tab of the TLC Field Mapping form.
| Field Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Borrower Name | use PATRON_NAME_ORDER on the questionnaire tab to tell us if this is 'First Last' or 'Last, First' |
| Borrower ID | |
| Borrower Type | |
| Card Expiration Date | may be left empty |
| Date of Birth | |
| Account Status |
User Identifiers
There can be a number of fields in the patron record that are user identifiers. The types of identifiers that are available for migration into Alma are listed in the left column. Enter fields from your institution’s patron extract that include identifiers. The values in the left column cannot be changed, but the fields in the right column may be modified/rearranged/added to. Use the values in the left column to select the appropriate primary identifier in the Questionnaire tab of the TLC Migration Form, PATRON_PRIMARYID question.
All patron primary identifiers MUST be unique across all users, as required by Alma. If they are not, the migration program disambiguates them.
| Alma Identifier Type | Typical TLC fields |
|---|---|
| UNIV_ID | Alternate ID |
| BAR | Borrower ID |
| ADDL_ID_1 | |
| ADDL_ID_2 | |
| ADDL_ID_3 | |
| ADDL_ID_4 |
User Preferred Address
There may be a number of addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses in the patron record. You may decide which addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses are the preferred ones in Alma. If the preferred entry is empty, the secondary one is preferred.
Additionally, select a type for each address, phone, or email. All can be selected so that the address, phone, or email can be used as any type.
| Address Field | Repeatable? | Instructions |
|---|---|---|
| ADDRESS_LINE_1 | Y | |
| ADDRESS_LINE_2 | Y | |
| ADDRESS_LINE_3 | Y | |
| ADDRESS_LINE_4 | Y | |
| ADDRESS_LINE_5 | Y | |
| ADDRESS_CITY | Y | If city, state, zip and country are all together on one line, you can put them into one of the ADDRESS_LINE_x fields |
| ADDRESS_STATE | Y | |
| ADDRESS_CODE | Y | Postal code |
| ADDRESS_COUNTRY | Y | Migration programs make no attempt to standardize this country name/code. If country is provided, it must be a three-letter ISO country code, which can be found here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-1_alpha-3 |
| ADDRESS_NOTE | Y | |
| ADDRESS_START | Y | Date |
| ADDRESS_END | Y | Date |
| ADDRESS_TYPE | Y | Select one: HOME, WORK, SCHOOL, ALTERNATIVE, ALL |
| PHONE | Y | |
| PHONE_TYPE | Y | Select one: Home, Mobile, Office, OfficeFax, All |
| Y | ||
| EMAIL_TYPE | Y | Select one: Personal, School, Work, All |
User Statistical Categories
There may be a number of fields in the patron record that function as a statistical category only, for example, a student’s department or major. The way the student borrows can be determined by the User Group, but you may want to track the department, so that you can get more detailed statistics on how Law students borrow, for example. Since various ILS systems have different fields for tracking statistical categories, we provide you the option to map the data from any field in TLC to the User Statistical Categories in Alma.
| User Statistical Category | Local Field Name | Field Label |
|---|---|---|
| USER_STAT_CATEGORY | DEPT: | |
| USER_STAT_CATEGORY | SCHOOL: | |
| USER_STAT_CATEGORY |
Up to 10 incoming fields can be mapped. To map the values, use the UserStatCategories map in the TLC Migration Form. If a value is not found in the map, it is migrated as is. If you use a label, the userStatCategory map expects the incoming field to include the label. The first column in the userStatCategory map would be: LABEL:value, for example if you put 'SCHOOL:' in the Field Label column, and the incoming category was law, then the expected incoming mapping value is: SCHOOL: Law. This is implemented in case there are multiple categories with 'Law' as the value. Example SCHOOL: Law and MAJOR: Law. You may wish to map these differently in the mapping table. The migration program does not include the colon so if you want it, then include it in the label as above. The migration program does include a space between the label and the value.
If you use this prefix, be sure to use the prefix again in the Migration Form Mapping tab for User Stat Categories, in column A (incoming data). In the Field Mapping form, provide labels to the right of the field:
Then, in the migration form, use that label as a prefix to the values in the field. Be sure to put a space between the label and the code:
In the case above, you can see that if there were no prefix to the fields, it would not be possible to distinguish between 'b' from PC1 and 'b' in PC2.
Notes
Any additional fields not listed above may be put into notes. The possible note fields in Alma items are listed in the following chart in the Note Name column. The fields listed in the Default Local Field column are those that are expected by Ex Libris. If you use other field names or have fields that you want to include in the migration but are not expected by Ex Libris, you can rearrange, add, or subtract fields on the right, as necessary. If you want to include multiple local fields in the same Alma note, make as many copies of the line in the spreadsheet as needed for all note name/local field combinations.
| Note Name | Information |
|---|---|
| LIBRARY_NOTE | |
| BARCODE_NOTE | |
| ADDRESS_NOTE | |
| OTHER_NOTE | OTHER_NOTE is set to User Viewable by the migration programs. This is the only note which migration marks as user viewable. |
| CIRC_NOTE | The 'CIRC_NOTE' is marked by the migration programs as a popup note. This is the only user note which migration marks as a popup note. |
Loans/Circ Transactions
Extract only current circulation transactions - items that are currently checked out. Alma does not migrate historical circulation transactions.
Provide the loan files in comma delimited format. The following fields are expected. Use the Loans tab of the TLC Field Mapping form to indicate local field names for the expected fields.
| Field Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Borrower ID | links to borrower ID in patron file |
| Item Barcode | links to item barcode in embedded item tag |
| Date Checked Out | if no field is present, will use conversion date as the checkout date |
| Due Date |
Any additional fields not listed above may be put into notes. The possible note fields in Alma items are listed in the following chart in the Note Name column. The fields listed in the Default Local Field column are those that are expected by Ex Libris. If you use other field names or have fields that you want to include in the migration but are not expected by Ex Libris, you can rearrange, add, or subtract fields on the right, as necessary. If you want to include multiple local fields in the same Alma note, make as many copies of the line in the spreadsheet as needed for all note name/local field combinations.
| Note Name | Default Local Field |
|---|---|
| NON_PUBLIC_NOTE |
Requests/Holds
Ex Libris does not expect to receive hold request information from TLC customers. If you think you have hold request information, contact your Ex Libris project representative.
Fines/Fees
Fine and fees information is not mandatory, but when it is provided, Ex Libris expects active fine and fee information in csv format (preferably as an outstanding active balance total in the patron CSV extract). Only active (outstanding) fine and fee information is migrated, and only the outstanding balance of each individual fine/fee; partial payment information is not preserved. The following fields are expected. Indicate the local field names for the expected fields in the Fines/Fees tab of the TLC Field Mapping form.
| Field Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| BARCODE | links to Borrower ID in patron file |
| LOCATION | |
| Item Barcode | matches item barcode from embedded tag in bib |
| Fine Details | use in Fine Fee Type map in Migration Form |
| Fine Date | |
| Fine Amount* |
Any additional fields not listed above may be put into notes. The possible note fields in Alma items are listed in the following chart in the Note Name column. The fields listed in the Default Local Field column are those that are expected by Ex Libris. If you use other field names or have fields that you want to include in the migration but are not expected by Ex Libris, you can rearrange, add, or subtract fields on the right, as necessary. If you want to include multiple local fields in the same Alma note, make as many copies of the line in the spreadsheet as needed for all note name/local field combinations.
| Note Name | Default Local Field |
|---|---|
| NON_PUBLIC_NOTE |
Customer Input - Fulfillment
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 as the patron's Primary Identifier?
Code: PATRON_PRIMARYID
Default: UNIV ID
Options: Using the Generic Field Mapping Form, map the identifiers exported from Generic to the following list: UNIV ID, BARCODE, ADDL ID 1, ADDL ID 2, ADDL ID 3. Then, select the identifier to be used as primary for all patrons.
See also: Identification Numbers, Internal? Question on the User Group tab
How should we handle duplicate identifiers in the same patron?
Code: DUP_ID_SAME_PATRON
Default: DISCARD
Options: Alma does not allow duplicate identifiers anywhere, even in the same patron. If the patron has the same number in two or more different identifier types, we can either not migrate the second one, or disambiguate it with -1, -2 etc.
DISCARD: do not migrate the second and subsequent identifiers
ADD_SUFFIX: add -1, -2, etc
Default: DISCARD
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.
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
Patron Name Order
Code: PATRON_NAME_ORDER
Default: First M Last or First Last
Options: Let the migration team know the order of the patron 'Borrower Name' field.
There are two options:
First M Last or First Last
Last, First M or Last, First
First M Last or First Last
Last, First M or Last, First
Note: for the Last, First, a comma is assumed but we can't put a comma in the Excel dropdown box
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.
Incoming borrower type: The incoming values for the patron group, called the Borrower Type in TLC.
Description: A description of the incoming borrower type, 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 your previous system, or you can use different codes. You can also collapse groups if desired, for example, having Freshman and Sophomore from TLC 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 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 community borrowers or alumni. If you select Yes, all of the patrons in the Alma userGroup are categorized as internal. If you select No, all of the patrons in the Alma userGroup are categorized as external.
Notes/Comments: Add any notes or comments for the user groups. 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 b as the patron's Primary Identifier?
User Stat Categories Tab
This tab is used to migrate the statistical categories in your patron records (if you have them) to Alma. In many legacy ILS systems, it is possible to have multiple fields that contain statistical codes, usually named USER_CATEGORY1, USER_CATEGORY2, and USER_CATEGORY3.
Before filling in this tab, specify in the Patrons tab of the Generic to Alma Field Mapping form which fields from your legacy ILS 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 USER_CATEGORY1 and also LAW in USER_CATEGORY2. If desired, use a prefix to distinguish between the two, for example, CAT1: LAW and CAT2: LAW.
The migration engine adds a space between the label you specified in the Field Mapping form and the value. So if you included a label 'CAT:' in the field mapping, then use 'CAT: a' here (if 'a' is an incoming value).
Incoming patron category: List all of the values from all of the fields that you want to put into the statistical category mapping. For example, if you listed three different three fields that have a patron category in the field mapping form, then list all of the values from all three of those fields here. 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.
User Block Tab
User Blocks are indicators that a patron may be prohibited from borrowing temporarily, for example for too many overdue books. Provide the list of available blocks from your legacy ILS and their description, along with the block code as it should be in Alma.
This mapping table is not mandatory.
Incoming account status: The patron account status as found in the patron extract. Do not include statuses that indicate the patron is not blocked, such as OK.
Description: A description of the incoming account status, for informational purposes only. This column is not used in the mapping.
Alma Block code: The block code desired in Alma.
Alma Block description: The description of the block code in Alma. The value in this column is loaded to the server in the userBlock code table. This description can be updated after migration.
Comment: A space for notes; not used in the migration.
Fines and Fees Tab
The Fine Fee Type indicates why a patron has to pay a fine. Some common examples are: Overdue material, Lost material, Registration fee.
Incoming Fine details: List all of the values from the 'fine details' field in the fine/fee extract.
Description: A description of the 'fine details' field, 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 the legacy ILS 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
Internal/External Patrons
Alma categorizes users as either external or internal. External patrons are managed 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 community borrowers or alumni.
Identify patrons as internal or external by user group on the Generic Migration Form, User Group tab, Internal? Yes or No column. For example: all faculty are EXTERNAL and all community borrowers are INTERNAL.
Patron Identification Numbers
The migration program allows for six different types of user identifiers: University ID, Barcode, and Additional ID 1, 2, 3, and 4. Select one of these identifier types as the primary ID – the primary unique identifier for the patron. You may map multiple identifiers from your previous ILS. You may also consider mapping email address, a common matchpoint in authentication systems, to an additional ID field.
The following appears in the TLC Data Delivery Form:
##User Identifiers: values in column A are the expected field names; values in column B are your local field names. Values in column C are values to use when choosing a username in the Generic Migration Form.##
| Alma Identifier Type | Typical TLC fields |
|---|---|
| UNIV_ID | Alternate ID |
| BAR | Borrower ID |
| ADDL_ID_1 | |
| ADDL_ID_2 | |
| ADDL_ID_3 | |
| ADDL_ID_4 |
So, for example, if you want the Alternate ID to be used for the primary ID for your users in Alma, select ‘UNIV_ID' for the primary ID question on the Questionnaire tab of the TLC Migration Form.
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.
Identifiers may not be duplicated, even within the same patron record. See the questionnaire question DUP_ID_SAME_PATRON for options.
If the identifier selected for the primary ID is not present, the migration program creates an identifier for the patron based on the patron original ID, prefixed with ID. The migration programs do not fill in the primary ID with a non-selected identifier. Select BARCODE, UNIV_ID or ADDL ID 1, 2, 3, or 4 as the primary ID type for internal or external patrons in the Questionnaire tab of the TLC Migration Form.
Acquisitions
Acquisitions is not included in the general TLC migration. If your library wishes to migrate acquisitions, this must be contracted specially with Ex Libris.
When acquisitions is not included in the migration, there is still some acquisitions related information that the migration programs need to know in order to set up an empty acquisitions environment in Alma for use on day 1. These questions are listed under “Customer Input for Empty Acquisitions Environment” below.
Customer Input for Empty Acquisitions Environment
Questionnaire Tab
ACQ mode
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 and 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
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 beginning/end of the fiscal period. 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.
- Select a year from the dropdown box.
For example if the date of conversion is June 15, 2017, and your fiscal year ends on June 30, 2017, then selecting ‘determine by date of conversion’ will place the active fiscal year as 2016-2017. If you wish to start fresh on July 1 with the new fiscal year, then select the year from the drop-down that corresponds to the 2017-2018 fiscal period.
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.
Yes-duplicate funds can only be used if the customer has contracted for Acquisitions migration.
Physical to Electronic (P2E) Processing
Provide a list of bibliographic system numbers that represent electronic resources and an indication if these electronic resources are portfolios, packages, or database resources. Prepare the list as a comma separated text file containing lines that represent each e-resource. Structure each line as follows:
<bibnumber>,<resource type>
For example:
000000001,Portfolio
000000002,DB
During the P2E process, all resources must either be categorized as a portfolio or a database (DB). It is not possible to generate packages during P2E processing, since packages require at least one portfolio. A database is essentially a zero-title package. Post migration, when you add portfolios to the db, you can change them to type 'package'.
Note that the words portfolio and db are not case-sensitive, therefore both portfolio and Portfolio are acceptable.
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.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 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 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 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 Generic Migration Form.
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 – File Delivery and Delivered Files Form
Place any data files that you provide to Ex Libris in the formats indicated in Expected File Formats on a secure file drop-point on the Ex Libris MFT server. Use the access credentials provided by your Ex Libris project manager to connect to the server.
The following is the default naming convention:
CustomerName+DataType+sequence+date+[.<file_extension>].</file_extension>
For example: centralu_bib_01_20120420.mrc, centralu_bib_02_20120420.mrc, centralu_bib_03_20120420.mrc
Ex Libris recommends a maximum of 200,000 records per MARC file, and 400,000 for other types of records (items, orders, etc).
All records in a single file must be homogenous – all of the lines in the file must have the same number of fields, and those fields must contain the same type of data. Additionally, all of the records must be delimited in the same manner. For example, do not delimit with quotes and commas for some records and pipes for others within the same file.
Provide the TLC Delivered Files List form along with the submitted files.
Appendix B – 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.