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Defining Electronic Title Sets for OCLC Data Sync

When I-Share libraries went live with Alma, CARLI staff created publishing profiles that share data with OCLC so that institution holdings are set in WorldCat. Alma determines what should data should be published based on the presence and lifecycle of inventory. As such, physical and electronic titles are published via separate processes. This page outlines options for optimizing the data that libraries may want to send for electronic titles.

See Automated Holdings Updates via OCLC Data Sync for additional information on the Alma publishing process and data sync reports.

Creating Logical Sets for Electronic Publishing

Publishing profiles run on logical sets defined by creating and saving search strategies. 

Basic Recommendations

CARLI recommends that basic electronic publishing profiles include records with OCLC record numbers and that have active inventory. This search profile creates conditions similar to Alma's profile for publishing physical inventory, in that records must have OCLC control numbers, and the management tag for publishing records is taken into account.

1. Create an advanced search on Electronic Titles. Search values should include:

  • Title: OCLC Control Number (035a) Is Not Empty
  • Electronic Portfolio Equals Available
  • Title: Tag Sync External Catalog Equals Publish Bibliographic Record

The Alma advanced search screen set to Search in: Electronic Titles, Zone: Institution. Search values are Title: OCLC Control Number (035a) Is not empty, AND Electronic Portfolio: Availability (Electronic Portfolio) Equals Available, AND Title: Tag Sync External Catalog Equals Publish Bibliographic Record

2. Click Search.

3. Before saving the query as a logical set, you may want to copy the text of the query for later reference.

Alma search results for electronic titles, with the text "Electronic Titles (1 - 20 of 1,799 ) where (OCLC Control Number (035a) Is Not Empty AND Availability (Electronic Portfolio) equals "Available" AND Tag Sync External Catalog equals "Publish Bibliographic records")" selected and highlighted, and a Copy function is visible. The facets sidebar is visible on the left showing options for filtering on Material Type, Resource Type, and Language. The first title found in the Institution tab is displayed. The Save and Filter Query button is in the top right corner.

4. Click Save and Filter Query.

5. In the Set Details screen, enter a Set Name; e.g., Electronic titles set for OCLC. If you select a set name that is already in use, Alma will prompt you to replace the existing set definition. CARLI recommends that you choose a different name for new electronic titles sets.

6. If you copied the search logic, you may paste that as the description or note.

7. Change the value for Private to No; publishing jobs require sets to be public.

8. Click Save.

The Alma Set Details screen with data filled in to create a logical set. Set name: Electronic titles set for OCLC. Description: Set for aggregating electronic titles for publishing to OCLC via Data Sync. Note: Electronic Titles where (OCLC Control Number (035a) Is Not Empty AND Availability (Electronic Portfolio) equals "Available" AND Tag Sync External Catalog equals "Publish Bibliographic records"). Set content type: Electronic titles. Private: No. Status Active. The Save button in the top right corner is highlighted.

Additional Options

Open access titles. Alma identifies open access titles via data in the MARC bibliographic record. The title level index "Open Access" checks bibliographic records for a MARC 506 tag containing the words "unrestricted online access."

506 0_ $f Unrestricted online access $2 star

If your library activates open access resources in your institution zone, and you don't plan to set WorldCat holdings for these titles, then you will want to exclude these titles from the set. Use Title: Open Access Equals No in your search strategy for the electronic titles set.

The Alma advanced search screen set to Search in: Electronic Titles, Zone: Institution. Search values are Title: OCLC Control Number (035a) Is not empty, AND Electronic Portfolio: Availability (Electronic Portfolio) Equals Available, AND Title: Tag Sync External Catalog Equals Publish Bibliographic Record, AND Title: Open Access Equals No.

Free electronic collections. To exclude titles that are part of freely available electronic collections, add a search row with Electronic Collection: Free (Electronic Collection) Equals Not Free.

Suppressed bibliographic records. To exclude bibliographic records that are suppressed from discovery, add a search row with Title: Tag Suppressed (Title) Equals No.

Modifying the Electronic Publishing Profile

CARLI staff created a profile, "Publish electronic holdings to OCLC," at go live. This profile may be modified to use the set that you created above. In order to modify publishing profiles, you must have one of the following roles:

  • Catalog Administrator
  • Repository Administrator
  • General System Administrator

You may contact CARLI staff for assistance if you do not have these roles.

1. Go to Resources > Publishing > Publishing Profiles.

2. Locate the profile, Publish electronic holdings to OCLC. Click the actions menu [...] button, then select Edit.

The Alma Publishing Profiles screen, showing the Institution list; other tabs for Network and Community are visible. The list shows that it is filtered on Name: electronic holdings to a single result. The row has a column of Active with a toggle to the active position. Name column displays Publish electronic holdings to OCLC. Description column shows "Through this profile, your library's Alma electronic material holdings identified through a logical set are synchronized in WorldCat via your Bib Data Sync collection." Modification Date lists 09/24/2021. The actions menu button, with ... as the icon is in the clicked position, showing a menu with options Edit, History, Run, Republish, Contribute, Delete, Duplicate.

3. The publishing profile screen contains several sections of details. The third section, Content, identifies the set or sets that are published. To replace the existing set in the profile, click the X to the right of the set name. After this resets the field, click on the text "Select from a list" or click the button to the right of the text.

The Alma publishing profile screen, content section displaying Set name, with * indicating a required value, and text "Select from a list." Clicking on the text or clicking on the list button to the right will open a window with a list of record sets. Other content section test includes Additional set name followed by text "Select from a list;" Filter out the data using followed by an empty field; Publish on: Bibliographic level; Output format: MARC21 Bibliographic.

4. Alma will open a Select Set window. Locate the set you created above and click the row for that set.

5. Alma will refresh the content section with the new set name.

The Alma publishing profile screen, content section, showing set name Electronic titles set for OCLC.

6. Click Save.

Alternatives for Setting Holdings for Electronic Resources

Both OCLC and Ex Libris recommend using WorldCat Collection Manager as a way to manage settings for electronic collections in bulk.

  • OCLC's knowledge base is updated regularly by many of the same vendors that provide data for Alma's Community Zone central knowledge base.
  • Not all Community Zone records will contain OCLC record numbers.
  • For electronic serials, the OCLC knowledge base also includes publication date ranges, which may be useful in accepting or turning away incoming ILL requests, whereas setting holdings via data sync only marks a title as present in your holdings.

Consider using the electronic publishing profile as a supplement to what you do in Collection Manager.