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    Managing Search Queries and Sets

    Translatable

    Any role that can perform a repository search can save a query in order to create a set and manage sets (a user can only manage sets created by that user).

    However, users can do so only for content types with which a user is allowed to work according to user's role. 

    You need the Repository Manager role to see the combined results of sets made by other users.

    The following roles are required depending on the content type of the set:

    • For Acquisition content type sets, one of the following roles is required:
      • Purchase Operator/Purchase Manager (Order-line set only)
      • Vendor Manager (vendor set only)
      • Acquisitions Administrator
      • General System Administrator
    • For user sets, one of the following roles is required:
      • User Manager
      • User Administrator
    • For reading list and course sets, one of the following roles is required:
      • Course Reserves Operator/Manager
      • Fulfillment Services Operator/Manager
    • To manage a research asset set, Esploro must be enabled for your institution, and you must have the role:
      • Research Asset Manager
    • To manage a researcher set, Esploro must be enabled for your institution, and you must have the role:
      • Researcher Manager
    • To remove records from sets created by others, you must have the Repository Manager role.
    • To see the combined results of sets made by other users, you must have the Repository Manager role.
    Sets are collections of records in Alma. They can be created manually, as a list built up item-by-item by the user, or dynamically, in which case the set is a saved search query whose results are determined each time the search is run. Sets do not have a size limit.
    Sets may be used for publishing metadata in bulk, moving a group of records, or running jobs. For information on running jobs on defined sets, see Running Manual Jobs on Defined Sets.

    Types of Sets

    There are two kinds of sets:
    • Itemized sets – Static sets of individual items that are manually selected or uploaded by the librarian (see Creating Itemized Sets),
    • Logical sets – These are the results of a saved search query, and are created dynamically each time the search is run (see Creating Logical Sets).

    Set Content Types

    Sets can be created from several content types. Your ability to create a set of a certain content type depends on your permissions, as described in the Permissions section above.

    • Acquisition sets
      • Order lines
      • Vendors
    • Courses sets
    • User sets
    • Reading list sets
    • Resource Management sets
      • All Titles
      • Authorities
      • Citations
      • Collections
      • Digital Files
      • Digital Titles
      • Electronic Collections
      • Electronic Portfolios
      • Electronic Titles
      • Physical Holdings
      • Physical Items
      • Physical Titles
    • Esploro sets (visible only if Esploro is enabled for your institution):
      • Researcher sets (similar to user sets)
      • Research asset sets (similar to resource management sets)

    For information, see Creating Batches of Records in Alma-Sets (7:14 mins.).

    Managing Sets

    Sets are managed on the Manage Sets page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets).

    Manage Sets screen
    Manage Sets Page

    For more information on Facets, see New Layout > Facets.

    Manage Sets Toolbar

    The following functionality is displayed in the Manage Sets toolbar:

    Manage Sets Toolbar
    Field/Icon Description
    Refresh Button Refresh Refreshes the Manage Sets page.
    Select-Deselect field Select/Unselect all items Selects all or Unselects all items only in the displayed list. If there are many sets that span across numerous pages, only the items on the current page are selected/unselected.
    Search Option Search Search list results by set Name or by the Created by user ID. In the drop-down field, select Name or Created by and enter the criteria for either option.

    Use asterisk ( * ) wildcard character to search for a string that begins with the searched characters. For example: search for “ser*” to search for “serials” along with “series” and ”serology”.

    Sort by:

    Ascending-Descending button Ascending/Descending
    Sort the list of Sets by either Name or Creation Date. In the drop-down field, select the option to sort.
    Additionally, select the Ascending or Descending button to display the results in ascending or descending order according to the option selected (Name or Creation Date).
    Filter Scope:

    Users can filter the displayed sets as follows:

    • All Sets – All queries
    • My Sets – Your saved search queries, both private and public
    • Public Sets – All users' saved queries that are not marked private
    • The All Sets tab is available only to a Repository Manager. This role is also required in order to edit public sets.
    • Itemized sets may include references to deleted records. Deleted records do not appear in repository searches or in normalization jobs. Using itemized sets, you can perform operations on deleted records, such as republishing them to Primo.
    • There are no limits on the number of records that can be included in a set.
    Status:

    Presents the option to filter the sets by whether the sets are active, inactive, or all (for both inactive and active sets). 

    An Active set refers to whether the set can be selected when running a manual job. 
    An Inactive set refers to a set that cannot be selected by users when running a manual job.
    Delete When one or more sets are selected, the Delete button is displayed in the toolbar. Select this option to Delete a set. Select Confirm in the Confirmation Message dialog box.

    You can delete only sets that you created. A Repository Manager can delete any set.

    Export button Export

    Exports the selected sets to Excel (*.xlsx format).

    Only the first 100,000 records are exported.

    Customize Enables users to personalize various aspects of the Manage Sets List. This includes determining the sequence and appearance of sections and facets, as well as customizing the display of records (see Manage Sets List Customization).
    Enable-Disable Split Screen option Enable/Disable Split Screen When a set is selected in the Manage Sets screen, the screen splits to display an additional screen indicating associated information with the selected set. Users can enable/disable the split screen functionality by selecting either one of the following two buttons Enable-Disable Split Screen option.

    Manage Sets - Split Screen

    For more information, see Split View.

    Create Itemized Set Creates a static set of individual items that are manually selected or uploaded by the librarian (see Creating Itemized Sets).
    Create Logical Set Creates a saved search query, and is dynamically updated each time the search is run (see Creating Logical Sets).

    Manage Sets Page More Actions Menu

    The actions menu includes the following actions:
    The actions described below are the general main actions. There may be additional actions/options depending on the content type of a set.
    Logical Sets - Row Actions Options Menu      Itemized Sets - Row Actions Options Menu
    Actions Menu Options - Logical Set
    Action Description
    Content Runs the saved search query and displays the results.

    Catalog Set

    Opens the set in the MD Editor, but only if the set contains less than 200 items. See Working with Catalog Sets in the Metadata Editor.  

    For Community Zone sets, this option is available for bibliographic and authority records.

    This action is not available for sets created from Authorities Community Zone search results.

    Duplicate Copy a set. The duplicated set is added to the Manage Sets page with the words Copy of added as a prefix to the set name.
    Itemize Convert a logical set to an itemized set. Select Confirm in the Confirmation Message dialog box; see Converting Logical Sets to Itemized Sets.
    Combine Sets Create a new set based on the members of two existing sets; see Combining Sets.

    Filter Set

    Presents the option to filter the set using an indication rule. Records will be included in the set when the indication is true.

    See Filtering Sets for more information.

    Delete Delete a set. Select Confirm in the Confirmation Message dialog box.
    You can delete only sets that you created. A Repository Manager can delete any set.

     

    Actions Menu Options - Itemized Set
    Action Description
    Content Displays the results of the saved set.
    Add Members to Set Display the members (results) of the saved set; see Viewing Members (Itemized Sets Only).
    Duplicate Copy a set. The duplicated set is added to the Manage Sets page with the words Copy of added as a prefix to the set name.
    Combine Sets Create a new set based on the members of two existing sets; see Combining Sets.
    Delete Delete a set. Select Confirm in the Confirmation Message dialog box.
    You can delete only sets that you created. A Repository Manager can delete any set.

     

    Manage Sets List Customization

    Users can personalize various aspects of the Manage Sets List. This includes determining the sequence and appearance of sections and facets, as well as customizing the display of records. This provides users with a range of options that enable them to configure the sections within the edit view, select the elements visible in the record view, and select the facets that are available for the list.

    There are three customizations to select from:

    • Sections Customization
    • Facets Customization
    • Records Customization
    To Customize the Manage Sets List:
    1. In the Manage Sets List page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets), select the Customize (Customize Icon) icon.
      Alternatively, in the toolbar menu options, select Actions > Customize.
      A sidebar pane is displayed with the customization options.
      Manage Sets List - Customize Menu Options
      Manage Sets List - Customize Menu Options
    Sections and Facets Customization:

    Sections and Facets are similar in nature to their customization.

    1. In the Customization sidebar pane options, select either Sections Customization or Facets Customization.
      The customization options are displayed for each selection.
      Sections and Facets - Customization Options
      Sections and Facets Customization Options
    2. You can re-order the Sections or Facets fields as you want them to appear in the UI.
      Simply drag and drop the fields in the order of position.
      Select Apply when finished.
      The Set description field in the Sections Customization can not be hidden or re-ordered.
    3. You can hide Sections or Facets fields from being displayed. 
      Drag and drop the field into the Hide Sections area. The hidden field will not appear in the UI. To un-hide the field, drag and drop it from the Hide Section back into the Sections or Facets list.
      Select Apply when finished.
    4. You can reset the order and appearance back to the default display by selecting Reset to default.
    Records Customization:
    1. In the Customization sidebar pane options, select Records Customization.
      The Records Customization options are displayed.
      Records Customization Options
      Records Customization Options
    2. You can select the fields that are to be displayed or hidden in the UI by selecting (Selected Checkbox - Records Customization) or un-selecting (Unselected Checkbox - Records Customization) the field's checkbox.
      Select Apply when finished.
    3. You can re-order the Records fields as you want them to appear in the UI.
      Simply drag and drop the fields in the order of position.
      Select Apply when finished.
      • First Column - fields in this column are always displayed even in narrow lists (when UI screen is re-sized).
      • Second Column - fields in this column are of less priority and are not displayed in narrow lists.
      • Third Column - fields in this column are always displayed. In narrow lists, they are displayed as icons.
      Fields in Records Customization can be re-ordered in either the First or Second column. In addition, any field from either column can be moved between the columns.
      Fields in the Third column (Badges and Icons) can not be re-ordered, moved, or hidden.

      The Set name field in Records Customization can not be hidden or re-ordered.
    4. You can reset the order and appearance back to the default display by selecting Reset to default.

    Creating Itemized Sets

    An itemized set is a static collection of individual records in the repository. 
    For information about creating a set based on loan status, see Creating an Itemized Set Based on Loan Status below.
    To create an itemized set:
    1. On the Manage Sets page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets), select Create Itemized Set. The Itemized Set Details page opens.
      Itemized Set Details page
      Itemized Set Details page
    2. Enter the set details in the respective fields. Set name is a mandatory field and must be unique.
      The set name cannot contain special characters (for example: &, #, $, %).
    3. You may optionally include additional information for the set by including a Description or Note.
    4. The options that are available for Set content type depend on your permissions as described at the top of this page. For Primo VE environments, this field is set to All Titles if you select Discovery from the Content Origin field.
    5. By default, the set is designated as a Private (SelectedCheckbox_ManageSets.png) set. This means that the set is only available to you. If you unselect the checkbox (UnselectedCheckbox_ManageSets.png), the set becomes a public set and is available to all other users.
    6. By default, the Status is set to Active (SelectedCheckbox_ManageSets.png). Optionally, unselect the checkbox (UnselectedCheckbox_ManageSets.png) to make the set Inactive. Inactive sets cannot be selected by users when running a manual job.
    7. The Content Origin field indicates the origin of the source records, which is set to Institution only. For Primo VE environments, you may also select the Discovery option, which allows you to create sets that consist of unsuppressed records that are based on metadata used by the Primo VE index (such as Resource Type = Newspapers).
    8. Add records to a set using one of the following methods:
      Method Description
      From search
      After entering a set name and defining the other fields, select Create. A search page opens, depending on the content type you selected. 
      From file
      Select a file in the Add Contents from File to Set section that contains the identifiers (MMS ID, ISSN, ISBN, and so forth).
      Do not select Add Members to Set since this has no functionality when adding records to the set by uploading a file.
      The imported file must be a text file (.txt or .csv and the files must be encoded as UTF-8) or Excel file (.xls or .xlsx). For the data to be read, it must have the correct header at the top of the column. If the Excel file has more than one column, it utilizes the first column of data that has a valid header type. See the table below for acceptable header types. All other information in the file is disregarded.
      Creating itemized sets using Network Zone MMSs for Network Zone-managed records is not supported. Instead, Institution Zone MMSs must be used.
      The file must not contain any duplicate barcodes. If the file does contain some duplicate barcodes, Alma skips all instances of them (for example, if the same barcode is mentioned twice in the file, Alma skips both instances). 
      Creating sets from digital files is not supported.

      Header Types

      Content Type Header ID Prefix
      When you use the 035 field option in a file (see below), the matching process to build your itemized set uses only 035 $a to create the set. Note that this is different from the matching method used in an advanced search with the Other System Number parameter: it includes the 035 $9, however this field is not accepted when creating an itemized set.
      The header column should have only one value for each line, meaning only one identifier for each line. For example, if an MMS record has several ISSN values, only one should be included in the imported file.
      All Titles
      • MMS ID
      • ISSN (matches on both active and non-active fields (022 $a,z) )
      • ISSN_A (matches only on active fields (022 $a) )
      • ISBN (matches on both active and non-active fields (020 $a,z)
      • ISBN_A (matches only on active fields (020 $a) )
      • OCLC number
      • 035 field
      99
      Authorities MMS ID 98
      Citations Citation ID  
      Collections PID 81
      Course

      Course_ID. For more information, see Managing Courses.

      The Course_ID is currently only available from Alma Analytics.  The Course_ID is not the same as the Course “Code” found within Alma.

       
      Digital files PID
      When creating itemized sets from analytics reports, this is the IED (not the Rep ID).
      13
      Digital titles
      • PID
        When creating itemized sets from analytics reports, this is the IED (not the Rep ID).
      • ISSN
      • ISBN
      • MMS ID
      • OCLC number
      • 035 field
      11
      Electronic collections PID 61
      Electronic portfolios
      • PID
      • Portfolio ID
      53
      Electronic titles
      • PID
      • ISSN
      • ISBN
      • MMS ID
      • OCLC number
      • 035 field
      51
      Order line PO Line reference

      PO Line Reference number needs to be the exact and full PO Line Number, such as POL-1234, rather than 1234.

       
      Physical items
      • Item ID (or PID or Item PID)
        When creating itemized sets from analytics reports, this is the Physical Item ID (23) (not the bibliographic MMS ID).
        For more information, see Record Numbers.
      • Barcode
      23
      Physical titles
      • PID
        When creating itemized sets from analytics reports, this is the IEP (21) (not the bibliographic MMS ID).
        For more information, see Record Numbers.
      • ISSN
      • ISBN
      • MMS ID
      • OCLC number
      • 035 field
      21
      Physical holdings
      • HOLDINGS ID
       
      Reading list READING_LIST_CODE  
      User
      • Barcode
      • User name (default primary ID)
      • PRIMARYIDENTIFIER
      • Institution ID
      • Facebook
      • Google
      • Twitter
       
      Vendor Vendor code  
      Sets that have PIDs as headers will import successfully. However, due to a known issue, you cannot view the members of such sets.
      For more information, see the Create Itemized Sets by Uploading List of Identifiers video (1:53 mins).
      Users:
      When uploading users to an itemized set with an Excel file, the A1 cell must contain either the code of the identifier type used in the file (see Viewing Additional User Identifier Types) or USERNAME (for the primary ID), and the ensuing cells of the A column must contain the user identifiers. Similarly, when uploading a .txt file, the first row must contain either the code of the identifier type used in the file or USERNAME, and the ensuing rows must contain the user identifiers (each separated by a carriage return). For example, if you want to upload a set of user names (default primary ID), enter the text USERNAME in the top row of your Excel/.txt file, and enter the actual user names in the ensuing cells/rows.
      For details on available user identifier types, see Managing User Identifiers.
      user_code_example.jpg
      Example of an Excel File with User Identifiers
      Validation is performed for the set types of Users, Order lines, and Physical items. The Add Members to Set job runs and creates a set from the file. Several instances of this job can run in parallel. 
      • If you select Add Members to Set after selecting a file, the file is not loaded. Select Confirm in the confirmation dialog box to search the repository for records to include in the set. The records that are then selected, and not those in the file that was previously selected, are included in the set after you select Done.
      • The import file can be a maximum size of 10 MB.
      • If you perform an import with invalid data, each invalid cell is ignored.
      • If you import a file and then change the content type, you must re-import the file.
      From analytics
      Select From analytics. Note that using this method you cannot add members (items, users, etc.) to an existing set. You can only use Analytics to create a new set. 
      When creating an analytics set, only institution sets can be used, not private sets.
      The following options appear:
      Create Itemized Set - From Analytics
      Add Contents from Analytics
      Select an option from the Analytics folder drop-down list:
      • Recent reports – Reports that were recently used in the Manage Sets screen (not recently-created reports in Analytics). Select the report from the Name field. The Name field is populated for recent reports when you have created an itemized set from a report and saved it.
      • My Reports – Reports to which you have permissions to access (see Analytics Object List). Select the report from the Name field.
        This feature works only with reports, not dashboards or DVs.
        Reports must be in a shared folder for this feature to work.
      Select Download Report to download the report.
      Similar to when creating an itemized set from a file, the Analytics report must contain a header with a valid field for creating the report. If the report contains a Title header at the top of the report, it must be removed. For more information, see Analytics - Creating sets in Alma from Alma Analytics Reports.pptx.
      A job creates the Alma set from the analytics report.
      For a video that describes this feature, see Create a Set in Alma from an Alma Analytics Report.
    9. When you are done, select Create.
      If you used the file input method, the system runs a job to build your set that appears in the list of sets when it is done. The resulting number of records/members in the set may be more or less than the number of entries in the input file. If, for example, an ISBN has multiple matches in the Alma database, all matches found are added as members to the set; and the opposite is true if no matches are found. Similar to other jobs that are run, you can view the job status/history on the Monitor Jobs page (see Viewing Running Jobs and Viewing Completed Jobs).
      • When the Add Members to Set job is run using the file input method, the resulting Job Report will include a Validation File, if the submitted file uses a list of one-to-one identifiers, such as MMS ID, Portfolio ID, Primary ID, etc.
      • When the Add Members to Set job is run using identifiers that have the potential for many matches per identifier, there will be no Validation File in the Job Report.
      For Itemized sets: If a record is linked to a Network Institution and displayed upon Content click, the "Network" icon is not clickable.

    Resource Management Sets

    For a Resource Management set (a title, authority, collection, or some kind of inventory), a generic search page opens. Search for the content you want added to the set using the simple or advanced search. The page refreshes to show the results of the search. For more information, see Searching in Alma.
    Res_Mngmt_Sets.png
    Repository Search Results for Itemized Sets
    Select the items you want included in the set and select Save and Filter Query. The selected records are added to the set. If the number of items is large, a Manage set members job is run to add the items to the set; to see the results, see Viewing Completed Jobs.
    If you perform an All Titles search, you can add all items on all pages of results: select Select All and select Confirm in the confirmation dialog box.
    For itemized sets, you can continue searching, selecting, and adding records; for logical sets, your current search query defines the set. When you are finished, select Done. The itemized set is saved. The Manage Sets page opens with the new or updated set.

    Reading List Sets

    For a reading list set, a search page appears, with a search for reading lists pre-selected; see Resource Management Sets for more information.

    Order Line Sets

    For an Order-line set, a search page appears, with a search for PO lines pre-selected; see Resource Management Sets for more information.

    Vendor Sets

    For a Vendor set, the Search Vendors page opens.
    vendor_search.png
    Search Vendors
    Select the items you want included in the set and select Add Selected. The selected records are added to the set.
    For itemized sets, you can continue searching, selecting, and adding records; for logical sets, your current search query defines the set. When you are finished, select Done. The itemized set is saved. The Manage Sets page opens with the new or updated set.

    User Sets

    For a User set, the Find and Manage Users page opens.
    find_and_manage_users.png
    Find and Manage Users
    Select the items you want included in the set and select Add Selected. The selected records are added to the set.
    For itemized sets, you can continue searching, selecting, and adding records; for logical sets, your current search query defines the set. When you are finished, select Done. The itemized set is saved. The Manage Sets page opens with the new or updated set.

    Esploro Sets

    The options to create an Esploro set appear only if your institution is enabled for Esploro. See Esploro Overview.

    Researcher Sets

    The Find and Manage Researchers page opens. See Managing Researchers.

    Select the items you want included in the set and select Add Selected. The selected records are added to the set.
    For itemized sets, you can continue searching, selecting, and adding records; for logical sets, your current search query defines the set. When you are finished, select Done. The itemized set is saved. The Manage Sets page opens with the new or updated set.

    Research Asset Sets

    A generic search page enabling you to search research assets opens. Search for the content you want added to the set using the simple or advanced search. The page refreshes to show the results of the search. For more information, see Managing Research Assets.

    Select the items you want included in the set and select Add Selected. The selected assets are added to the set. If the number of items is large, a Manage set members job is run to add the assets to the set; to see the results, see Viewing Completed Jobs.
    For itemized sets, you can continue searching, selecting, and adding assets; for logical sets, your current search query defines the set. When you are finished, select Done. The itemized set is saved. The Manage Sets page opens with the new or updated set.

    Creating an Itemized Set Based on Loan Status

    A Fulfillment Administrator or Requests Operator can create an itemized set of physical items based on their loan status. This is done in the Manage Fulfillment Sets page.

    Only active loans can be included in this type of set.

    Manage Fulfillment Sets pg.png

    Manage Fulfillment Sets Page
     
    To create itemized physical-item sets based on their loan status:
    1. On the Manage Fulfillment Sets page (Fulfillment > Advanced Tools - General > Create Fulfillment Sets), fill in the fields as follows:
      Manage Fulfillment Sets Page Fields
      Field Description
      Name
      (Required)
      Name of the set.
      Description
      (Required)
      Description of the set.
      Note Notes about the set.
      Due date after Loaned items with a due date after the indicated date are included in the set.
      Due date before Loaned items with a due date before the indicated date are included in the set.
      Status date after Loaned items whose status has changed after the indicated date are included in the set.
      Status date before Loaned items whose status has changed before the indicated date are included in the set.
      Loan status Loaned items whose status matches the indicated status are included in the set. Possible values are:
      • Normal
      • Recalled
      • Renewed
      • Lost
      • Claim returned
      • Any
    2. Select Save. The set is saved and the fields on the Manage Fulfillment Sets page are cleared, enabling you to create another fulfillment set.
    Select View My Sets to open the Manage Sets page.

    Viewing and Removing Members of Itemized Sets

    You can view or remove members (selected items) in an itemized set.
    To view members of an itemized set:
    1. On the Manage Sets page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets), find the set and select Add Members to Set in the row actions list. A search page opens, depending on the content type. For example, for a Resource Management content type, the Repository Search page opens:
      remove_members_itemized_set_new_ux.png
      Repository Search Members
    To remove one or more members of an itemized set:
    1. View members.
      • For multiple members – Select the members you want to remove and select Remove Selected.
      • For one member – Select Remove in the row actions list.
    2. Select Done.
      When removing members from a set, selecting Done or using the Back button saves the changes.

    Another way to remove records is to create a set of unwanted records, then use the Combine Sets operation (see Combining Sets) with the 'Not' operator.

    Editing Itemized Sets

    You can edit the set details and add items to the set. To delete items from the set, see Viewing and Removing Members of Itemized Sets.
    To edit an itemized set:
    1. On the Manage Sets page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets), scroll to the itemized set you want to edit and select it. The Set Details are displayed in a split screen.
      Edit Itemized Set in Split Screen
      Set Details Page Itemized Set to Edit
    2. In the split screen, hover over the section to edit and select the Edit icon (Edit Icon - Manage Sets). Modify the set details as required. The Set name is a mandatory field and must be unique (see Adding Itemized Sets for a description of the fields).
    3. When you navigate away from the section you updated, Alma saves your changes with the following indication (Saved notification).
    To add items to an itemized set:
    1. On the Manage Sets page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets), scroll to the itemized set to which you want to add items and select the Content button. The Edit page opens.
    2. In the Search bar, enter the search parameters for the set you want to add items for.
    3. Select the items you want to be included in the set (or select Select All).
    4. Select Done. The selected records are added to the set.
      You can continue searching, selecting, and adding records by following steps 2-4 above. When you are finished, select Done. The Manage Sets page opens indicating that the set has been successfully saved.

    Identifying Records Matching to Alma Records Based on Itemized Set

    Institutions often get a list of record identifiers used in external systems (e.g. in a vendor system). You load this list to Alma and easily get a list of what you already have in Alma and what you don't have in Alma, in order to facilitate your purchasing decisions. 

    To get a list of records matching / not matching the Alma records:
    1. Load your input file of identifiers into Alma (see Creating Itemized Sets). Alma runs a job to create the set and produces the Add Members to Set report. 
      add members to set enhanced.jpg
    2. Do one of the following:
    • To download a file of records for which a match was not found with Alma records, click the counter for Non-matched Records to download a .csv file of identifiers for which a match was not found with Alma records, for example:
      example of file 2.jpg
    • To download a file of records matching Alma records, click the counter for Total added to set to download a .csv file of identifiers for which a match was found with Alma records. The file features an additional column that indicates the ID of the records for which a match was found, for example:
      example of file 1.jpg

      The file provides the following Alma ID for each set content type:
      Set Content Type Alma ID
      Collections PID
      Digital files PID
      Electronic collections PID
      Electronic portfolios PID
      Physical items Barcode
      POLs POL number
      Reading lists Reading List code
      Titles MMS ID
      Users Primary ID
      Vendors Vendor code

    Creating Logical Sets

    For repository sets, a logical set is the same as a saved query: the items in a logical set are determined each time by running the query.
    For other kinds of sets, a logical set is created by filtering the results on the search page.
    To create a logical set:
    1. On the Manage Sets page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets), select the Create Logical Set button. The Set Details page opens.
      Logical Set Details page
      Set Details Page for Logical Sets
    2. Enter the set details in the respective fields. Note that the Set name is a mandatory field and must be unique.
      The set name cannot contain special characters (for example: &, #, $, %).
    3. The options that are available for Set content type depend on your permissions as described at the top of this page. For Primo VE environments, this field is set to All Titles if you select Discovery from the Content Origin field.
    4. By default, the set is designated as a Private (SelectedCheckbox_ManageSets.png) set. This means that the set is only available to you. If you unselect the checkbox (UnselectedCheckbox_ManageSets.png), the set becomes a public set and is available to all other users.
    5. By default, the Status is set to Active (SelectedCheckbox_ManageSets.png). Optionally, unselect the checkbox (UnselectedCheckbox_ManageSets.png) to make the set Inactive. Inactive sets cannot be selected by users when running a manual job.
    6. The Content Origin field indicates the origin of the source records, which is set to Institution only. For Primo VE environments, you may also select the Discovery option, which allows you to create sets that consist of unsuppressed records that are based on metadata used by the Primo VE index (such as Resource Type = Newspapers).
    7. Select Create. A search page opens for the content type you selected.
    8. For repository sets, enter the search parameters for the set. For other kinds of sets, filter the list to determine the parameters for the set.
      It is recommended not to use Keywords contains * as a basis for a logical set. A term such as Tag Suppressed (Title) equals "No" is more efficient.
    9. Select Save. The logical set is saved.

    Editing Logical Set Details

    You can edit logical set details. To change the set contents, see Editing Logical Set Queries.
    To edit a logical set:
    1. On the Manage Sets page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets), scroll to the logical set you want to edit and select it. The Set Details are displayed in a split screen.
      Edit Set Details - Logical Set
      Set Details Page Logical Set to Edit
    2. In the split screen, hover over the section to edit and select the Edit icon (Edit Icon - Manage Sets). Modify the set details as required. The Set name is a mandatory field and must be unique. (See Creating Logical Sets for a description of the fields).
    3. When you navigate away from the section you updated, Alma saves your changes with the following indication (Saved notification).

    Viewing the Results of Logical Sets

    You can view the results of a logical set (in other words, the records returned when running a search using the logical set). The population of a logical set is determined dynamically, reflecting the records currently in the repository.
    To view results of a logical set, on the Manage Sets page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets), scroll to the logical set whose results you want to view and select Results in the row actions list. A search page opens, depending on the content type:

    Editing Logical Set Queries

    You can edit logical set queries.
    To edit resource management logical set queries:
    1. On the Manage Sets page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets), scroll to the logical set whose query you want to edit and select the Content button. The search page for the query opens.
    2. Change the search as required.
      Edit Logical Set
      Change Advanced Search Page
    3. To save the set, select Save and Filter Query. The Set Details page opens. Edit any other details as required and select Save.

    Converting Logical Sets to Itemized Sets

    If you have a perfect set of results in a logical set, you can capture it as an itemized set. This retains your original logical set and creates a snapshot of the current results as a new itemized set.
    To convert a logical set to an itemized set:
    1. On the Manage Sets page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets), scroll to the logical set that you want to convert to an itemized set and select Itemize in the row actions list. The New Itemized Set page opens with the set name filled in:
      New Itemized Set
      New Itemized Set Page Convert Logical Set to Itemized Set
    2. Modify the set details as required. See Creating Itemized Sets for a description of the fields.
    3. Select Create. A confirmation message opens.
      Logical to Itemized Set Confirmation

    Combining Sets

    You can create a new set based on the members of two existing sets, as long as the sets are of the same type (for example, two All Titles search sets or two Physical Titles search sets, but not one All Titles set and one Physical Titles set). The combined set is an itemized set.
    You need the Repository Manager role to see the combined results of sets made by other users.
    For more information on Combining Sets, see the Combine Two Sets of Items video (3:42 mins).
    1. On the Manage Sets page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets), scroll to the set whose members you want to combine with another set and select Combine Sets in the row actions list. The Combine Sets page opens.
      Combine Sets page
      Combine Sets page
    2. Select an Operation from the Operation list:
      • And – Include only the members in common between the two sets in the new combined set.
      • Not – Include only the members that are in the first set and not in the second set in the new combined set.
      • Or – Include all of the members in both of the sets in the new combined set.
    3. In With, select the set that you want to combine with the first set you selected.
    4. In the Set Name field, type a name for the combined set or use the default name from Alma.
    5. Select the Combine button. A confirmation message is displayed.
      Combine Sets Confirmation
      A job is run to combine the sets. After the job finishes, the new set is added to the list of sets (you must refresh the list to see the new set).

    Combining Sets - Example

    The following is an example of combing sets to create a set such as
    (X and Y) or Z
    To create this set:
    1. Create set X, set Y, and set Z.
    2. For set X, select Combine sets in the row actions list.
    3. Combine set X with set Y:
      Combine X and Y
      Combine Set X and Set Y
    4. For the new X and Y set, select Actions > Combine sets.
    5. Create set (X and Y) or Z. Select the Combine button.
      Combine X and Y or Z
      Create (X and Y) or Z
      Set (X and Y) or Z is now available:
      Mange Sets List - X and Y or Z - Example
      Set (X and Y) or Z

    Creating a Titles Set from an Items, Portfolios, or Files Set

    A titles set is a set of bibliographic records, as opposed to a set of inventory records, such as physical items, electronic portfolios, or digital files. You can create a title set from an itemized set of physical items, electronic portfolios, or digital files. The new set contains the titles of the items in the original set.
    • Title sets can be created only from Resource Management content types.
    • To create a title set from a logical set, you must first convert the set to an itemized set.
    To create title sets:
    1. On the Manage Sets page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets), select Create title set in the row actions list for an itemized set of physical items, electronic portfolios, or digital files. The Create Titles Set (Itemized) page opens with information concerning the new title set - such as the date and time that the set was created - added to the set name.
      Create Titles Set Page
      Create Titles Set (Itemized) page
    2. Fill in the Description and Note fields (optional) and select Create. A confirmation message appears.
      The job runs and creates the title set.

    Filtering Sets

    • Filtering sets is possible only for Resource Management content types.
    • Filtering sets is possible only for sets derived by Title searches (All Titles, Physical Titles, Electronic Titles, Digital Titles).
    • Users can define filters based on their preferences. Filtered searches are sticky and are saved when users re-visit the page. This eliminates the need for users to manually re-select the defined filter settings of a viewed page.
    You can filter existing sets to create new itemized sets. This feature is helpful when you need a set that is based on metadata elements that are not indexed. You can refine any set to include just the records that match the bibliographic record content regardless of whether the attributes are indexed or not.
    This feature is implemented using indication rules. Similar to normalization rules, indication rules use the flexible Drools logic to filter existing sets, both public and private sets. With the Drools logic, you can filter a set to create a new set based on different characteristics, as shown in the following examples that may include non-indexed fields:
    • Excluding government documents (where the 008 field byte 28 equals #, blank, or u)
    • Bibliographic records that do not contain a MARC 074 or 086 field
    • Limiting bibliographic records to print journals (where leader 06 record type = a or leader 07 bibliographic level = s)
    In addition, you can check for brief bibliographic records or missing fields by using the Drools logic.
    For information about filtering sets, see the Filtering Sets Using Drools Logic video (3:24 mins).
    To filter existing sets using indication rules:
    1. Create the required indications rule and store it in the Shared folder in the MD Editor. See Creating Indication Rules.
    2. Search for the items to include in the set by any of the repository Title searches (All Titles, Physical Titles, Electronic Titles, Digital Titles).  
    3. In the search results screen, select the desired items and click "Save and Filter Query". The Set Details page opens. 
    4. Define your set (see Creating Logical Sets) and select "Save and Filter". 
      A new page opens where you can create the filtered set out of that main set, while the main set is being created in the background. Select Filter to create an itemized set.
      OR, If you prefer to work from the the Manage Sets page (Admin > Manage Jobs and Sets > Manage Sets): locate the main set that you want to refine, and select Filter set in the row actions list. The Filter Set page is displayed.
      Filter Set page
      Filter Set page
    5. Select the indication rule. 
    6. Enter a new set name or use the automatically-generated one, and complete the remaining options to match your requirements and select Filter. A confirmation message is displayed.
      Filter Set Confirmation Message
      The Filter set by indication job runs to process your filtering request and creates a new itemized set. The filtering process goes over all records in the main set and applies the specified indication rules. Those records that do not meet the indication rules condition are filtered out of the set. When the job completes, the system sends an email to the user who initiated the request.
    7. Select "Confirm" in the confirmation message.
    8. You can view progress or the job results for the Filter Set by Indication job on the Monitor Jobs page (see Viewing Running Jobs and Viewing Completed Jobs). Select Actions > Report to view the results. The report shows the number of records that were processed and the number of records that were created in the new, filtered set. The new set appears on the Set Details page of the main set; click on the link to open it. You can also select an indication rule from this page to create another filtered set. 
      A similar section appears on the Set Details page for the original set from which this set was created, listing all its filtered sets.
      Both the new set and the original set appear also on the Manage Sets page.

    Saving Sets in the Network Zone

    You can save a local set of bibliographic records in the Network Zone, in order to later make bulk changes to them using normalization rules. A set can only be built on the Institution Zone because the query uses search criteria from either localized fields in the bibliographic record or from the inventory (holdings, items, portfolio, etc.) Saving a local set to the Network allows you to apply the necessary normalization rules on the bib records.

    This action runs a job that creates a set in the Network Zone containing only the records linked to the Network. 

    • This functionality is available only for institutions that are part of a consortium.
    • This functionality is available only for bib and title sets. 
    To save a local set in the Network Zone:
    1. In the Manage Set page, create a new set of one of the following types: Physical titles, All titles, Electronic titles
      You can create either logical or itemized set. 
    2. Select Save In Network in the row actions list. 
    3. In the screen that opens, provide the name of the set that will be created in the Network Zone (NZ). Follow the naming convention displayed in the field. The default name is '<original set name>_<member_institution> - date/time'. Prefixing the institution name to the set name will help you find the set in the NZ. 

    save set in network.jpg

    1. Select Submit and then select Confirm in a confirmation message that opens. 
      Alma sends a message saying that the job was created, and an email will be sent upon completion. 

    The Save Set in Network job is submitted and runs in the background in the IZ. The job is displayed in the member institution who initiated the action. The report Save Set in Network is generated in the member institution. 

    If the process fails, then no set is created in the NZ, even if some of the records were processed.