Let's start with exercises that search standard IDs and values from one single field, before moving onto more complext search strategies.

Resources you need

1. MARC 21 Search Indexes: Look up search indexes and their corresponding MARC tags. Ctrl + F is your friend when you try to locate a specific field tag or field name on this (very long) webpage.

2. Basic and Advanced Search: Explains the interface of the Alma search bar.

If you are searching for Princeton’s holdings, make sure the little house icon is selected as the Search Zone.
Unlike Blacklight, the Alma search bar does not accept blank searches, and requires an input in the blank box to retrieve any records.

How do you construct searches using the following data points?

In addition to searching by the precise fields, certain fields such as ISBN and Barcode are also indexed as general keywords, thus findable if you select Keywords under the correct search type.

1) ISBN

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ISBN is stored in the field 020 of bib records. Select the search index ISBN

You may also try the search type Physical titles or Physical items. Whether or not a result will be retrieved depends on whether or not the target records have holdings/item records attached.

2) MMS ID of bib record

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The bib ID of Alma records, called MMS ID, is stored in the field 001 of bib records. Select the search index MMS ID

Here are some random MMS IDs for you to test out:

9984885893506421

9971382813506421

If you have a list of Voyager bibIDs, you may download this converter to transform them into their current Alma MMS IDs and use for searching

3) Voyager bib ID

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The legacy bib ID from Voyager is stored in the field 035 in bib records.

In the Basic Search, select the search index Other System Number

In the Advanced Search, select the search index Originating System ID

4) Barcode

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Barcode is stored in item records.

If you select the search type Physical items, Alma retrieves the single item record that has the barcode.

If you select the search type Physical titles, the result will be at the title level - showing the bib and all its attached inventory. By the search type Physical titles you instruct Alma to retrieve the title that has any of its attached item barcodes matching your search string.

5) Holdings record ID

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Holdings record ID is the MMS ID of a holdings record. It starts with 22.

Select the search index Holdings PID - PID being the Alma terminology for the system number of an inventory entity.

Unlike in Voyager, in Alma you cannot immediately retrieve a single holdings record even by its record ID. Search results are given either at the title level (All titles & Physical titles searches) or at the item level (Physical items search)

6) Item record ID

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Item record ID is the MMS ID of an item record. It starts with 23.

Select the search index Item PID. See 5) above for explanation about PID.

7) 902a

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To search by the ID of the cataloger, select the search index Cat Processing

(Legacy bib records having migrated from Voyager)

(Bib records edited in Alma)

8) OCLC control number

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OCLC control number is stored in the bib field 035. Select the search index OCLC Control Number (035a+z)

9) Physical location

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Physical location information is stored in holdings field 852 (subfield c).

In the Basic Search, 1) select the search index Location 2) type in the location code from 852$c, which you can look up here

In the Advanced Search, 1) select the search index Permanent physical location 2) type in either the codes or the names of the locations

If you are interested in location information at the Library level, select the search index Library and select any of the sixteen libraries of PUL. The data is retrieved from 852 $b.

See also: Understand Search Indexes > 5. Permanent Physical Location

10) LC call number

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Call number, regardless of which classification scheme is applied, is stored in holdings field 852. Select the search index Permanent call number

1. Permanent call number is not available for an All titles search, which searches data in bib records only. You must choose Physical titles or Physical items.

2. You may have noticed a search index called LC Call Number under All titles search. The field indexes data from bib 050$a and does not cover $b (the cutter number part). It can be used to search for classification number, but not the complete call number string.

3. Do not use quotation marks around the LC call number; if in the Advanced Search, do not select Contains phrase

11) Special Collections AbID (non-LC call number)

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Same as above.

You can include Call number prefix from 852$k if the call number is too short and retrieves too many false results, e.g.,

Alternatively, use the Advanced Search for more strict search criteria, Contains exact phrase starting with

In the Advanced Search by Permanent call number, you must specify the Permanent call number type, lacking which prompts the following alert:

Special Collections material may lack barcoded item records. Avoid searching for call number at the item record level – choosing Physical items or Item call number in dropdown menus may yield zero hits if the target is an item-less record. (See also: Basic and Advanced Search > Item-less records)

12) Voyager item ID

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The item IDs for In-Process Items Only have been migrated to the Inventory number field in the item record. Once an item has been fully cataloged and processed, the inventory number is cleared and the item is no longer retrievable by Voyager Item ID.

Note:

Firestone Special Collections in-process items also have the Voyager Item ID as a temporary call number. For these items only, you may find the Item ID by a Physical Titles > Permanent Call Number search.

13) A title search that excludes series titles

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In the Advanced Search, select the search index Series and the search operator Not Contains Phrase

The search index Series retrieves data from 4XX and 800-830, among other MARC fields.

14) Search variant spellings such as labor/labour and color/colour

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In the Advanced Search, select the Boolean operator OR

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