Cataloging and Physical Inventory Roles

Alma provides a large set of user roles related to the Cataloging and Physical Inventory Managment area. Several are required for day-to-day work, while others have less frequent application. This page highlights the roles that may be selected and how they may be prioritized. We encourage you to review Ex Libris' document on Managing User Roles to gain more understanding on each role.

In general, "Catalog" roles cover the use of the metadata editor and the ability to add, edit, and delete MARC records. Physical Inventory roles are required to create, edit, and delete holdings records and item records. Some acquisitions roles have overlapping privileges with physical inventory roles, so it is possible that a staff member with only acquisitions roles will have created inventory records.

Catalog roles are applied exclusively at the institution level, so users will have the ability to edit any MARC records of the institution and of the network. Cataloging levels may be applied to records to limit some editing efforts.

Physical inventory roles may be applied at the institution level or the library level. For single library institutions and multiple library institutions with a central cataloging unit, choose to scope these roles to the institution. Multiple library institutions may choose to scope these roles to a specific library if a selected user only will work with items for that library's locations.

Finally, physical inventory roles should be assigned to any library staff who may modify the location or data of item records. E.g., if circulation staff may change the barcode of an item, they should be assigned the Physical Inventory Operator role.

Roles

Typical Full Time Cataloging Staff

  1. Physical Inventory Operator -- required to create and update holding and item records
  2. Physical Inventory Operator Extended -- required for deleting item and holding records.
  3. Catalog Manager or Cataloger
    • Assign Catalog Manager if the user should be allowed to run jobs on sets, or to perform imports from files and/or resolve issues with imports
  4. Cataloger Extended -- required for deleting bibliographic and/or authority records in the metadata editor

Typical student or Non-Cataloging Staff

Physical Inventory Operator or Physical Inventory Operator Limited 

  • Use the limited role if user may modify item record data only.
  • Use the standard role if the user may modify item record data and may also relink inventory to different bib records.

Periodic Roles

  1. Repository Manager -- Required to review deleted repository and restore deleted records to the IZ
  2. Vendor Account Manager -- add twice, once scoped to the institution, once scoped to a library

Administrative Roles

  1. Catalog Administrator
  2. Repository Administrator

Cataloging Levels

Coming soon.