Configuring the Database Search Interface

Assigning Categories to the Database Records

This feature requires you to apply database categories, which can contain up to three category levels, to the bibliographic records of your local databases.

1. In Alma, choose a local bibliographic field (for example, select any 6XX or 9XX field for MARC21) in which to store the database categories in your local bibliographic records, and then enter that field in the db_categories_field parameter on the Alma Customer Parameters page (Configuration Menu > Resources > General > Other Settings).

   Administrators require one of the following roles to update the above parameter:

   • Catalog Administrator

   • Repository Administrator

   • General System Administrator

2. For each local database, use the Metadata Editor (Resources > Cataloging > Open Metadata Editor) to add the chosen MARC field with the following subfields to assign up to three category levels: $$a (level 1), $$b (level 2), and $$c (level 3). For example:

   699 ##$aEducation $bMedical $cFitness

   699 ##$aEducation $bHealth

   As shown in the example above, a database can belong to more than one category/subcategory.

3. Wait for the Creates DB Categories File job (Admin > Monitor Jobs > Scheduled tab) under the Discovery filter to update the record's categories for discovery in Primo. This job is scheduled to run daily.

4. Edit your normalization rules set in Primo, update the new facets/dbcategory rule to map the category information from the source records to Primo, and then deploy your changes to the Front End (Primo Home > Advanced Configuration > Full Normalization Rule Configuration). Note that you must include the subfield delimiter (U+2500).
   
   For example:

   

   Update Facets/dbcategory Normalization Rule from Alma MARC Template

5. In the Institution Wizard (Primo Home > Ongoing Configuration Wizard > Institution Wizard), enter the same value that you used for the API base URL in the new DB Category field under the Delivery Base URLs section.

   

   DB Category Base URL in the Institution Wizard

   Clear this field if you want to disable categories in the view.

6. Run a regular pipe and then re-index to see the database categories on the Database Search page in the new Primo UI.

Customizing the Display Labels

The following codes have been added to the new DB Search code table (Primo Home > Advanced Configuration > All Code Tables > Front End subsystem) to support the new display text on the Database Search page:

Creating Translations for Categories

In addition to the labels that appear on the Database Search page, the DB Search code table allows you to translate your categories to other languages.

The display label that appears for a category and its translations is based on the value mapped from the MARC subfield. To specify a different display value or provide a translation for a category, you must create a row definition for each language:

• Code – Specify the value of the MARC subfield that is to be mapped from the source record. Ensure each space in the mapped value is converted to an underscore (_). For example, if your category is Medicine & Technology, the value of this field should be set to default.dbcategories.Medicine_&_Technology.

• Description – Specify the value of the category/translation to display. For example, if you are creating the Spanish translation for Medicine & Technology, specify Medicina y Tecnología.

• Language – Specify the browser language for which the translation displays.