Cataloging & Inventory Management Training Modules

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1: Introduction

350pxDates: June 21-25, 2021

Trainers: Self-guided [Slides]

Goals:

Familiarize yourself with the following topics in preparation for real-time training. At the minimum, learn where you can find information/answer for what should you encounter a question.

• Logging into Alma, Alma Basics
• Searching Alma (open-house video and documentation)
• Introduction to the Metadata Editor (pre-training video and documentation)
• Bring Repository Search Results Into Editors (documentation and exercise)
• Edit Fields (pre-training video and documentation)

2: Cataloging, Part 1

Date: Monday, June 28, 2021, 10 am

Trainers: Don Thornbury, Minjie Chen

Goals: 

• Alma indexes (documentation and practice)
• Searching by barcode, ISBN, title, inventory number, Voyager item ID (practice)
• Navigating search results with sort, facet (documentation)
• Getting record into MDE [BIB] from title or item search (practice)

Download the Worksheet as Word or PDF

Word:   PDF: 

0-33:30 Presentation

33:30-36:40 Demo

36:40-42:40 Hands-on exercise; Q & A

3: Cataloging, Part 2

Date: Tuesday, June 29, 2021, 10 am

Trainers: Sarah Hamerman

Goals:

• View, edit fields in MDE (documentation and practice)
• Shortcut keys
• Import and merge
• Responding to errors 
• Expanding records from a template
• Finishing a record (Saving; save & release function)
• Practice exercise: create a new record

4: Cataloging, part 3

Date: Tuesday, June 29, 2021 2 pm

Trainer: Jennifer Baxmeyer

Goals:

• Alma record structure versus Voyager
• Retrieving and editing holdings (including "Enhance from Bibliographic" to get call number)
  • Open inventory records from editors or repository search results
  • Documentation and practice 
• Changing locations (Library/Collection replacing Voyager location)
• Editing items (documentation)

5: Cataloging, part 4 (for original catalogers)

Date: Wednesday, June 30, 2021, 10 am

Trainers: Lia Contursi, Yang Wang

Goals: 

• Cataloging in OCLC Connexion
• Searching 
• Use templates
• Adding fields
• Adding parallel fields
• Checking authorities database
• Save online or local file
• Show tools and macros to facilitate addition of  3xx fields, text strings, creation of NARs
• Export from Alma to Workform
• Import/merge back into Alma (via Search Resources or Connexion Export F5)
• Authorities validation

6: Workflows

Date: Thursday, July 1, 2021, 10 am

Trainer: Jennifer Baxmeyer

Goals:

• Approvals
• Firm orders
• Gifts, standing orders, and other resources that either have no order record or an “umbrella” order record
• E-resources that are not part of packages
  

Moving Records Between Alma and Connexion: Flowchart

7: Transfers (ReCAP and other locations)

Trainers: Marie Wange-Connelly

8: Withdrawals

Trainers: Marie Wange-Connelly

9: Summary

Date: Friday, July 2, 2021, 10 am

Trainers: Minjie Chen, Jennifer Baxmeyer, Don Thornbury, Sarah Hamerman, Lia Contursi, Yang Wang, Marie Wange-Connelly

Goals: 

• Summary of training
• Review exercise
• Learning more
• Getting help
• Q&A

10: Cataloging for Branch Staff, ADAPT, etc.

Date: Tuesday, July 6, 2021, 10 am

Trainers: Don Thornbury

Goals: 

• Searching refresher
• Editing BIB, holdings, item
• Creating original BIB, holdings, item
  
• Responding to error messages

• Creating and managing templates

11: Cataloging Refresher for Selectors - *** POSTPONED ***

Date: Thursday, July 8, 2021, 10 am

Trainers: Rex Hatfield

12: Cataloging for Non-Roman Scripts (optional)

Date: Tuesday, July 6, 2021, 2 pm

Trainers: Lia Contursi

Goals: 

• Add parallel fields
• Unlink and flip fields
• Add diacritics
• Directional characters / Embedded text
• Search non-Roman scripts in Alma
• Traditional and Simplified Chinese characters

Materials in Non-Roman Languages

13: Advanced Searching (optional)

Date: Wednesday, July 7, 2021, 10 am

Trainers: Lia Contursi, Yang Wang

Goals: 

• About personal names
• Translations
• Collected works
• Content notes
• Wildcard
• Shelflisting

• Series authorities

• Subject headings

See Basic and Advanced Search

14: Cataloging in OCLC Connexion Client

Date: Thursday, July 29, 2021, 10 am

Trainers: Yang Wang, Lia Contursi

Goals: 

• Setup
• Original Cataloging
• Do’s and Don’ts

15: OCLC Data Sync - Common Validation Errors

Date: Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Trainers: Minjie Chen

Goals: 

• Understand the purpose of the OCLC data sync project
• Review common validation errors

See also

• Local Fields: 914 and 915
• OCLC Support > Data sync processing

Post-training feedback

Contact your trainers for questions and feedback or share via the form Alma Post-Training Feedback (Closed 07/13/2021. Please share your questions from the FAQ page.)

Exercises to practice in Alma sandbox

• Find a short bib record in Alma searching by ISBN or MMS#
• Search it in OCLC and find full record
• Import in Alma and merge with short bib
• Edit record:
  • add edition statement (if not in record)
  • add parallel field (if resource is in non-Roman script)
  • add 505 field (make up 3 chapters’ titles)
  • add 505 parallel field (if resource is in non-Roman script)
• Open holding record
• Check location
• Change location from Recap to Firestone or vice versa
• Save and make sure that the call number is copied in 852 field
• Save record and release
• Search the same record by title