Search Results: A Dissected View
- Minjie Chen
Elements in search results view
The default elements shown on a search results page vary by Search type. Below is the result of a Physical titles search.
As is everything with Alma, its interface may change in big and small ways in each of its monthly release of new developments. The screenshot below was taken in May 2021 to help beginners understand the basic elements and layout of search results. Please consult as the basis for understanding the current interface.
1 Facets
Filter search results by facets
2 Search type
The search type you have chosen
3 Search criteria
Your search text and criteria
4 Action button
If any of the check boxes (8 or 14) are selected, records can be pushed to the Metadata Editor
5 Action button
Save your search results as a logical set based on your query criteria
6 Search zone - Institution (Alt +1)
The tab of Institution zone, displaying results from Princeton's repository
7 Search zone - Community (Alt +2)
The tab of Community zone, displaying results from other Alma institutions
8 Select All
Checkbox for selecting all results of this query
9 Sort
Customize the default sorting order for the results of this search type
10 How many selected
Indicates how many results you have selected
11 Expand
Selects expanded view or compact view. For example, the latter does not display the list of physical holdings and electronic portfolio
12 Export list
Click 
to download the search results in an Excel file
If you intend to download the entire list, you don't need to make any selection. The Excel file will include all results, not just those 20~50 items displaying on the first page.
13 Managing column display
The Gear button 
, for managing column display. Click to customize the snapshot view of the search results (16)
14 Select
Checkbox for selecting individual records
15 Title / Statement of responsibility
Click to open the record in Record View (read-only)
16 Snapshot
A snapshot of the record, displaying a set of fields pre-selected by Alma. You can use the Gear button (13) to customize which fields to display and in what order.
17 Action buttons
Two action buttons. You can use the Gear button (13) to customize which action items will appear here and in what order.
18 More actions
Click the ellipsis to see more action items. You can use the Gear button (13) to customize which action items will appear here and in what order
19 Individual holdings record
Click to open individual holdings records in Record View (read-only)
20 All holdings
Click the hyperlinked Holdings, which opens the List of Holdings, where you can select individual holdings records for editing
- either by clicking the action item Edit under the ellipsis
- or by pushing one or more selected holdings to the MDE
In comparison, clicking on the hyperlinked ID column opens the holdings in Record View (read-only)
The ID column refers to the MMS ID of holdings record, or Holdings PID as it is referred to in the search index should you need to retrieve a holdings record by its record ID.
If there are fields you need or need not to see for your particular job tasks, you may click on the gear icon in the upper-right corner above the List of Holdings to select and delect columns, thus optimizing the usage of your screen real estate.
Another choice under the ellipsis you may use is View items, which -
- displays the existing item(s) attached to the particular holdings record
- allows you to add an additional item to the holdings record via Add item
21 All items
Click to open the List of Items, where you can open individual item records for editing
- either by clicking the hyperlinked Barcode
- or by clicking the action item Edit under the ellipsis
Likewise, columns can be selected or deselected for display in the List of Items via the gear icon. The screenshot above shows the column Copy ID, which is not in the default setting and has been turned on by an individual user.
22 Other details
Other details include loan history and hyperlinks to records that are linked to the entry by 7xx and 8xx fields (e.g., 774 links a larger bibliographic unit to its constituent units for bound-with situations)
About Copy ID
The Copy ID column in the List of Holdings (20) takes data from 852 $t of holdings records.
In comparison, if you have customized the Physical items search results to display Copy ID, it takes data from the Copy ID field of item records.
| Physical items search result | Data source: item record |
|---|---|
|
Copy ID 0, which you will encounter in some records having been migrated from Voyager, will not be valid in Alma and must be made consistent with the number or range indicated in 852 $t because of Alma's bib-inventory record structure. |
Variations by search types
Each entry in the search results presents a snapshot view of the record you have retrieved. The snapshot view all begins with a hyperlinked title and statement of responsibility, but otherwise varies by the search type you have chosen. The elements are pre-selected by the system, but you can customize (icon no. 13) to suit your job tasks.
| Search type | All titles | Physical titles | Physical items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Results | bib records and, if applicable, physical inventory/electronic portfolio | bib records and physical inventory | item records |
Displayed elements and sources | From bib records
etc. | Similar to All titles | From bib records
From holdings records
From item records
etc. |
For example, if PUL has three copies of a book (ISBN 9781108420723) -
Physical items search
- ISBN retrieves three item records
- If you search by scanning in the barcode (32101106381369) of one of the copies, you retrieve one item record
Physical titles search
- ISBN will retrieve one bib record, which also displays its attached holdings and items.
All titles search
- Because PUL has the title in both print and electronic format, ISBN will retrieve two bib records, one having physical inventory and the other not.
Source
Ex Libris Knowledge Center > Repository Search Results
Ex Libris Knowledge Center > Working with the List of Holdings
Ex Libris Knowledge Center > Working with the List of Items