Exlibris: Searching in Alma
Simple Search
- Search Type
- All Titles - searches all bibs
- Physical titles - searches all bibs that have at least one physical holding
- Physical items - searches all item records
- Electronic titles - searches all bibs that have at least one portfolio attached
- Electronic Portfolios - searches all portfolios
- Electronic Collection - searches all electronic collections
- Collection - searches all physical collections
- Authorities - searches all authorities
- Other options are available depending on your user role
- Search Field
- Search Terms
- Search Zone
- Institution Zone - Local Catalog, this is everything we had added ourselves
- Network Zone - Brown does not have this zone setup as it is used for consortiums. Would be used to search all institutions in your network (Consortium).
- Community Zone - all institutions using Alma can search these results. Contains community records that can be activated to appear in the local catalog, these records are updated by the community and require no upkeep from the individual institution
Select from a drop down and instruct the search where to search. This includes options such as:
Select from a drop down and instruct the search what fields to search for your terms in. Different terms may appear in different search types, and certain terms are only available in advance search.
Type the terms you would like to search for here.
Alma has three zones available. Brown only has two setup.
Advanced Search
- Advanced Search Button
- Search Conditions
- Boolean Condition
- Add, Copy, or Delete
This button lives next to the simple search. Clicking on it will open the advanced search window.
Further filter your search with conditional statements about your search term
When working with multiple search statements, select 'AND' or 'OR' to determine whether the search requires all statements to be true.
Select the + button to add a new statement, or copy the statement using the middle button. Remove a statement with the x button.
Notable Search Fields
Most of these fields are locally created search fields. Please speak to the Systems Librarian if you need a new field made.
| Search Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sierra Bib ID (907) | Searches the 907 field in the bib record. | This field was historically used to record the bibnumber in Sierra and Millennium (e.g. b1234578). Great way to separate migrated data from original alma records. |
| Cat processing history or record source (910) | Searches the 910 field in the bib record | Local practice is to enter collection or vendor information in the 910 as a searchable field. This may fall out of practice as we become more comfortable with the collection services in Alma |
| Cataloger's Initials and date (995) | Searches the 995 field in the bib record | Local practice is to add a 995 field to newly created or enriched records. In Sierra and Millennium this was done all in the $a subfield. In Alma we have seperated them into different subfields. $a type $c Initials $d date. This field was originally used to track when a record was cataloged, by whom, and when. It is now used for mainly statistical reports as Alma contains that information in its record version history. |
| Bookplate url and note (996) | Searches the 996 field | Items purchased using an endowment fund or gifted via a donor receive a bookplate with information about the fund or donor. The url to this information is included using the 996 field and displays in Discovery. |
| Permanent Call Number | Used to search by holding call number (852 in a holding record) | This is available for physical title searches and requires a second statements of permanent call number type to be included. |
Create Set
There are two types of sets, logical or itemized. An itemized set is created by selecting specific records and will always exist in the set regardless of any changes made to the records. A logical set is created by initiating a search and then saving the results to a set. The logical set reruns the search conditions each time the set is accessed, so a record can enter or leave a set at any time based on changes made to the record. Itemized sets records are called 'members' and logical set records are called 'results'.
Create Logical Set
- Create a search that returns the results you wish to turn into a set
- Select Save and Filter Query
Create Itemized Set
- Navigate to Admin > Manage Jobs and Set > Manage Sets
- Select Add Set
- Select Itemized
- Fill in General Information
- Set content type - select what part of a record is in the set (physical bibs, items, holdings, portfolios, etc) certain jobs will only run with certain set types.
- Set whether this list should be private or accessible by everyone in our institution
- Optional: Add Contents from File to Set
- Add Members to Set
You have the options of adding records to a set either via a file containing information (e.g. mmsid, oclc numb, etc.), or from an analytics report.
Members can be added during creation or added after the set has been created. Use the search bar to search for records then select which ones from each search you would like to add. Select done when you are done adding records.
Manage Sets
- Navigate to Admin > Manage Jobs and Set > Manage Sets
- Select from 'My Sets', 'Public Sets', and 'All Sets' tabs
- Select the '...' button next to your desired set
- Select an option
- Edit
- Members/Results
- Filter Sets
Edit the Set Details, including the set name, whether the set is private, etc.
View each record in the set. The term depends on whether it is an itemized or logical set.
Uses Indication Rules that can be created and edited in the Metadata Editor. Filters based on Normalization Rule conditions (e.g. exists, not exists, etc)
