Understanding Validation Alerts
When you import or edit a record, Alma validates the record, checking for valid MARC-21 fields, subfields, indicators, and empty or duplicate fields, flagging duplicate records, and so forth. If an issue is found, it is presented as an alert, appearing in the Alerts area at the bottom of the Main Pane.
- Text in a yellow/orange bar is a warning. The record can be saved in this state. Most validation issues appear as "warnings" and correcting them is optional.
NOTE: For copy cataloging, PUL policy is that yellow warnings should be ignored.
- Text in a red bar is a critical error. In order to save the record, an error must be corrected.
- Clicking on the text of the alert box will take your cursor to the field in the Main Pane with the problem
For advanced information on validation tasks, see Ex Libris > Editing Validation Processes.
Administrative documentation
Recommendations (Approved by Jennifer Baxmeyer, 5/17/21)
Retain the following Errors in Alma’s default settings:
- Field * must be empty [Do not configure any fields that must be empty.]
- Mandatory field 245 is empty
- Mandatory field 245 is missing
- Mandatory field LDR is missing
- Multiple occurrences were found for non repeatable field 100
- Multiple occurrences were found for non repeatable field 110
- Multiple occurrences were found for non repeatable field 111
- Multiple occurrences were found for non repeatable field 245
Upgrade the following from warnings to errors:
- Multiple occurrences are found for field 130
- Fields 100, 110, 111, 130 are missing $a
- Field 245 is missing $a; or 245 $a, $b, $c are repeated
- 600, 610, 611, 630, 650, 651 fields are missing $a
- $a is missing in fields 700, 710
Other recommendations:
Solution: Editing Validation Processes and Validation Exception Profiles
Validation settings are configurable in Alma in the Cataloging Configuration menu, accessible by users with the Cataloging Administrator role. These settings are discussed in ExLibris' Editing Validation Processes documentation, linked here.
- Validation tasks for MARC Bibliographic Records can be added or removed using the Validation Processes tab.
- Validation Exception Profiles determine the severity of a validation error. Admins can add/edit a Validation Severity Profile to determine whether something is a ‘warning’ (yellow) or an ‘error’ (red).
- Systems staff (Peter Green and Regine Heberlein) will configure the validation settings to reflect the recommendations of the task group (as approved by the Wranglers group and Jennifer Baxmeyer, above)
See also