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OPAL Alma/ExLibris Migration

Resources and information to help OPAL libraries with the ILS migration to Alma

Cleanup Within Alma:

  • Course records - some don't match what is in Alma.
  • Remove old/unused locations.
  • Remove duplicate note fields, names/addresses from user records.
  • E-resource activation and portfolios without URLs.
  • Create ITYPE/Item Policy Exceptions (Configuration).
  • Adjust acquisitions relationships (which library can acquire or receive for another) if not correctly configured by ExLibris.
  • EBSCO ebooks appear with Purchase Type "Print Book - One Time" because the purchase type value in Alma is mapped from the order records ORD TYPE field in Sierra. Unfortunately, the two fields are used differently: the ORD TYPE field designates whether it's a firm order, gift, subscription, which is not an exact match for the  PO line type.  
  • Re-link boundwith volumes.
  • 590s from other institutions.
  • Update missing and lost items in technical-migration status.
  • Check acquisitions fund codes and balances. Invoices were not migrated. Funds will be redone for cutover.

  • Some of the items in Sierra that had status BILLED came over with the “loan” process; others came with the “lost” process.  You can find these by searching for physical items where the Internal note 1 field has “Status: BILLED”. 

  • Remove prefix/suffix in user identifiers (OhioNet and libraries).
     

Long-Term Alma Cleanup

  • Incorrect resource and material types (often coded as books but are not).
  • Migrated to lower quality NZ record due to migration order - address in tandem with OhioLINK
  • Validation errors

 

Cleanup Within Sierra:

  • Remove expired patrons
  • Patrons having multiple email addresses

 

 

We are working with ExLibris and Innovative to address the following issues:

  • Capture complete checkout data since inter-OPAL checkouts are not migrated (see below).
  • There is no assignable service unit for Fulfillment Services for many of the OPAL libraries.
  • Determine whether order, course, and item record numbers can be migrated.
  • Exclude OhioLINK and OPAL consortium (EBSCO Academic collection) records for final extraction.
  • Missing inventory - items that should have been extracted from Sierra but were not included in the data Innovative provided ExLibris.

  • Titles with no items or no holdings that should have migrated.

  • In Alma, for order records the invoice status was set to No invoice for all POLs with order payments instead of FULLY_INVOICED or PARTIALLY_INVOICED. ExLibris is addressing for cutover.

  • Will map most order STATUS values to "open".

  • Map email addresses as identifiers.

  • ExLIbris is working with Innovative to see what can be done about their call number item record default to Dewey. This primarily impacted serials, which are generally LC or no call number. 

 

With OhioLINK:

  • Multimatch and 035s

  • Suppression - Network zone record is suppressed and your records matched to it. 
     

OhioNet will extract the following information from Sierra which can't be migrated into Alma, but we will retain locally:

  • 945 item fields for new OPAL libraries.
  • INN-Reach checkouts and fines from Sierra
  • Invoices/payment details for libraries

General

  • Bibs with 003 !=OCoLC issue have been cleaned up in Sierra. Let us know if you discover additional affected bibs.
  • OPAL institution/library name should be included in "Library Name" in the Configuration Form for the facet limiters.
     

Acquisitions

  • As a default, acquisitions migrates for current fiscal year at institution level unless you specified a library.

  • If you want summary funds need to specify the column names on the Field Mapping Form (on the Funds tab).
     

Call Numbers

  • Incorrect item call numbers - may need to set subfield indicators in Item Call Number (AltCallNo) of the Migration form to "no" to avoid generating incorrect call number records and extra $h.
  • Will revisit call number settings in Migration form and remove "PROBLEM" from default message for items not having a call number.
     

Courses

  • Need course end date, names and codes to make sure they migrate.

 

ILL

 

Orders

  • Orders will be wiped out and replaced during final data extraction.

  • On Order Process status won't appear in Primo VE unless there's inventory because it's an item status. Migrated order data won't have links to the items so they won't appear. Once you start creating purchase orders in Alma directly, they will appear as On Order (unless you hide the process status).

Data and Configuration Elements Retained at Cutover:

 

These four data categories will not be re-migrated and are retained like standard configuration:

  • Libraries
  • Locations
  • Vendors, Vendor Interfaces
  • Resource sharing partners

"For these core data areas, it is mandatory that any change done to a library, location, vendor / vendor interfaces, or Resource sharing partners after the test load (at the inception of the Alma implementation process) that are needed in Alma after cutover be done in both the source system and in Alma throughout the implementation period." [from Basecamp]. See the posting for additional details.