Policy: Deleting bare Network Zone Records from an IZ

Justification

This policy is to ensure operators working in an Institution Zone do not delete Network Zone records that appear bare, but in fact, may be linked to titles in a local IZ.

Policy

In Alma, any operator with the Cataloger Extended role may delete an NZ bibliographic record that has no inventory or orders attached to it, including those bibs that are linked to a local IZ. We are therefore requiring that operators NOT delete Network-linked records for several reasons:

  1. A bibliographic record may appear as bare in the NZ but is there because it is linked to a bound-with record in an Alliance IZ.
  2. A bibliographic record may appear as bare in the NZ but is there because it is a brief approval record that has not yet had inventory attached by the ordering institution.
  3. Bibliographic records that appear as bare in the NZ may still have holdings attached in OCLC. If the OCLC record is updated (but the OCLC holdings aren’t removed), then the record will come back down into the NZ again.

Procedure

Single records can be unlinked from the Network Zone by opening the record in the Metadata Editor and selecting the Record Actions > Copy to Catalog option. Once the record displays the “house” icon, it can be deleted from the IZ.

  • Note: Operators should exercise caution when clicking on “Copy to catalog”, as the “Delete Record” command is directly below “Copy to catalog”. Please ensure you do not select “Delete record” by mistake.

Batches of records can be removed from the IZ using the “Delete Bibliographic Records” job. Alma will unlink the records from the NZ before deleting them from the IZ.

When deleting inventory in Alma (single records or batch jobs) and a prompt appears asking how empty holdings and bibliographic records should be handled, it is safe to select the “Delete bibliographic record” option. Alma will unlink the bibliographic record from the NZ before deleting it from the IZ.

Background

Software: Alma

Status: Approved

Written by: Technical Services Working Group

Approved by: Technical Services Working Group on 8/5/2016

Nature of last update: Updated policy, added procedure section