How to clear items stuck in Technical - Migration

1. In Alma Analytics, create a report of all physical items with process Technical - Migration.

Category: Physical Items

    • Physical Item Details: Process Type => Filter to equal to / is in Technical - Migration

    • Physical Item Details: Internal Note 3

    • Physical Item Details: Barcode

    • Physical Item Details: Description

    • Location: Library Name

    • Location: Location Code

    • Holding Details: Permanent Call Number

    • Bibliographic Details: Title

    • Filter by Physical Item Details: Lifecycle = Active or None [do not select deleted]

Organize the results and export to Excel. Sort the Excel file by Internal Note 3.

2. Work in batches to withdraw obviously no-longer-existing items from Alma.

Work in batches, and for each batch, copy the barcodes of the the items into a new, blank Excel file. Put the word "Barcode" in cell A:1 and below that, in column A, paste all the barcodes for the batch.

Batches:

  • Internal Note 3 = "Status: y - R-Lost"

  • Internal Note 3 = "Status: $ - lost and paid"

  • Internal Note 3 = "Status: m - missing"

  • Internal Note 3 = "Status: n - billed"

3. Withdraw each batch from Alma.

Admin => Manage Sets

Add set => Itemized

Set name: Technical Migration - Items to Withdraw

Description: Technical Migration - Items to Withdraw

Set content type: Physical items

Add contents to file to set: From File [select Technical Migration - to Withdraw.xlsx file from your computer]

Save

View the set to see if it has the correct number of members (same as the number of barcodes on your spreadsheet.)

Run a job to withdraw the items in this set.

Admin => Run a Job

Select job "Withdraw items"

Next

Select set "Technical Migration - Items to Withdraw"

Next

Delete holdings; delete bibliographic records that have no other holdings

Keep checkboxes unchecked.

Next

Submit

Confirm

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When job completes, go to History tab, find job, and view the report.

Spot check a few barcodes in Alma to make sure they're gone.

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Note: In the process above, 3,542 physical items were withdrawn in May 2019.

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The remaining titles with Process Type Technical - Migration do not have former statuses in the Internal Note 3 field that indicate clearly that they no longer exist, thus they must be investigated. The remaining titles have the following entries in Internal Note 3:

  • Internal Note 3 = "Status: ! - hold shelf"

    • Internal Note 3 = "Status: ( - IR paged"

    • Internal Note 3 = "Status: @ - INRhode loan"

    • Internal Note 3 = "Status: 4 - ILL Request"

    • Internal Note 3 = "Status: 5 - damaged shelf"

    • Internal Note 3 = "Status: a - review area"

    • Internal Note 3 = "Status: c - claims returned"

    • Internal Note 3 = "Status: i - in process"

    • Internal Note 3 = "Status: r - repair/binder"

    • Internal Note 3 = "Status: s - on search"

    • Internal Note 3 = "Status: t - in transit"

    • Internal Note 3 = "Status: z - claims returned"

    • Internal Note 3 = <empty>

4. Do an advanced repository search for physical items in transit.

Physical Items where (Process type equals "Technical - Migration").

Save the results into a set. Name the set, for example, "Items IN TECHNICAL-MIGRATION."

Note: On 5/1/2019, there are 1,177 items in this set.

5. Download the set to Excel.

Go to Manage Sets, view the results of the set you created, and export to Excel (all fields).

Name your Excel file with the date, e.g. "All_items_in_Technical-Migration_20190501.xlsx."

6. Manage the Excel file.

Open the Excel file and do the following:

    • Highlight the barcode column and re-format it as Text so Excel doesn't change the numbers

    • Hide all columns except for:

      • title

      • Barcode

      • Library

      • Process type

      • Permanent Location

      • Call Number

      • Call Number Type

      • Material Type

      • Description

      • MMS ID

    • Sort the file by "Library" then "Permanent Location" then "Call Number".

To the right of the barcode field, insert a new column with header "On shelf? Y/N".

NOTE: WHEN BEGINNING THIS PROJECT, START HERE. ABOVE PART HAS BEEN DONE.

6. Check the stacks for the items.

Bring a laptop to the stacks and search for the items on the spreadsheet.

If the item is on the shelf, enter Y in the On shelf? Y/N column.

If the item is not on the shelf, enter N in the On shelf? Y/N column.

7. Create two new spreadsheets based on results of shelf search.

For items NOT on the shelf, copy their barcodes into a new spreadsheet titled "Technical Migration - to Withdraw.xlsx" and gray out the line on the original spreadsheet. The spreadsheet should have one column, with the word "Barcode" in cell A:1.

For items that ARE on the shelf, copy their barcodes into a new spreadsheet titled "Technical Migration - to Restore.xlsx" and gray out the line on the original spreadsheet.

8. Update Alma.

For the items NOT on the shelf, withdraw them.

Admin => Manage Sets

Add set => Itemized

Set name: Technical Migration - Items to Withdraw

Description: Items to withdraw because not on shelf.

Set content type: Physical items

Add contents to file to set: From File [select Technical Migration - to Withdraw.xlsx file from your computer]

Save

View the set to see if it has the correct number of members (same as the number of barcodes on your spreadsheet.)

Run a job to withdraw the items in this set.

Admin => Run a Job

Select job "Withdraw items"

Next

Select set "Technical Migration - Items to Withdraw"

Next

Delete holdings; delete bibliographic records that have no other holdings

Keep checkboxes unchecked.

Next

Submit

Confirm

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When job completes, go to History tab, find job, and view the report.

Spot check a few barcodes in Alma to make sure they're gone.

For the items that WERE the shelf, restore them from Technical - Migration.

Admin => Manage Sets

Add set => Itemized

Set name: Technical Migration - Items to Restore

Description: Items to clear from Technical Migration by setting to Missing then removing Missing status.

Set content type: Physical items

Add contents to file to set: From File [select Technical Migration - to Restore.xlsx file from your computer]

Save

View the set to see if it has the correct number of members (same as the number of barcodes on your spreadsheet.)

Run a job to change the items in this set to status Missing.

Admin => Run a Job

Select job "Change physical items"

Next

Select set "Technical Migration - Items to Restore"

Next

Put a check next to "Missing status" line, use drop-down to select "Missing" unconditionally.

Next

Submit

Confirm

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When job completes, go to history tab, find job, and view the report.

Spot check a few barcodes in Alma to make sure the item status is now Missing.

Next, repeat the process, but this time we will remove the missing status:

Admin => Run a Job

Select job "Change physical items"

Next

Select set "Technical Migration - Items to Restore"

Next

Put a check next to "Missing status" line, use drop-down to select <blank> unconditionally [i.e. remove "Missing" status].

Next

Submit

Confirm

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When job completes, go to history tab, find job, and view the report.

Spot check a few barcodes in Alma to make sure the item status is now Item in place.