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Data Planning & Information Gathering

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We will continue adding new resources and recommendations to this guide as we learn more. Remember to check back regularly for new information, or start “watching” this page to receive a notification email whenever there are updates.

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Recommendations to College Libraries for Data Planning and Information Gathering

The goal of this page is to suggest strategies that might help to streamline your migration efforts to Alma. For a broader understanding of the requirements needed to implement Alma and Primo visit Getting Ready for Alma and Discovery Implementation.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

The recommendations below contain tips or suggestions for ways to get organized before migration to Alma. This is not a ‘one size fits all’ guide – but a list of local considerations that you can begin to think about. Ex Libris suggests that local data cleaning may streamline the migration process and help to ensure to best possible outcomes. Read Getting Ready for Alma and Discovery Implementation, Appendix A - Fulfillment Simplification to gain a fuller understanding of Ex Libris' suggestions. As you explore this information in the Ex Libris Knowledge Center, consider keeping the https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/120Alma_Glossary open in a new tab for quick reference.

Organization and Simplification of locations, patrons and item types:

Sirsi Colleges please do not remove any policies as this could cause data issues and require a restore of the system at cost to the college library

Making sure that records and collections in your original source database are well organized is one thing you can do to ensure a best possible migration outcome. If there are small collections that no longer need to stand on their own, consider merging them into larger ‘locations’. Depending upon your system, you may choose to merge collections ahead of time OR simply choose to map two collections together upon migration. Note: In Alma, a location is defined as a “physical place where items are stored” that is “associated with a library.” Locations that have similar fulfillment (circulation) policies and blocks will become associated with your library’s fulfillment units.

  • Plan to categorize locations into about five “location type categories” that share common circulation policies: For example: regular loan; limited loan, short loan/reserve, closed stack, and media.

  • Ex Libris expects that most locations should fit into one of the above categories and recommends that libraries restrict the number of ‘item type’ circulation exceptions to five. Item type circulation exceptions are only used in situations where items cannot circulate in the same way as the majority of items in their location, for any given user group. To read more about Item Exceptions, refer to the Alma Configuration Form Guide, pages 17-18; 21; & 52.

  • The diagram below illustrates the relationship between the bibliographic record, libraries, holdings records, locations and item records.

  • Visit https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/040Resource_Management/050Inventory/010Introduction_to_Alma_Inventory#Physical for additional information describing the relationship between ‘location,’ ‘holding’ and ‘item' in the institutional zone (IZ).

  • Also consider amalgamating user groups that share common permissions.

Electronic Resource Handling in Alma – Planning Considerations:

Note: Many electronic resources are available in Alma’s CZ/Central KnowledgeBase (CKB) and can be migrated directly by Ex Libris or through the use of a link resolver form. The P2E (Physical to Electronic) instructions in the Data Cleaning - Early Housekeeping apply to local electronic records that are not found in Alma’s CZ/Central KnowledgeBase (CKB) or cannot be migrated via the link resolver form. To know which databases are available in the Community Zone (CZ), download the latest Alma Static Collection spreadsheet at https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Content_Corner/Supporting_Resources/Alma_Community_Zone_Collection_List. For more information on migrating electronic resources see https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Implementation_and_Migration/Migration_Guides_and_Tutorials/Electronic_Resource_Migration_General and https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Implementation_and_Migration/Migration_Guides_and_Tutorials/E-Resource_Activations.

A separate, more complete eResource activation guide is being developed.

ExLibris Migration Resources - Getting Ready

A selection of Ex Libris migration guides and tutorials can found in the links below – this additional information may help to further inform your data cleaning decisions.

General Migration Guides:

The links below are a selection of guides and tutorials that may inform data cleaning decisions. Visit https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Implementation_and_Migration/Migration_Guides_and_Tutorials in the Ex Libris Knowledge Center to find all migration guides and tutorials.

Symphony (SIRSI) Migration Guides:

Generic Migration Guides (Non-SIRSI)

Note: Insight into amalgamating St. Clair’s two Centriva databases into one IZ may be gained from this ExLibris Knowledge Center link: Combining Source Databases into One Alma Institution

 

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