Bibliographic records can be sourced from the Community Zone (CZ), Network Zone (NZ), or the Institutional Zone (IZ).  Similarly, portfolios may be created locally in the IZ or linked from the CZ. This leads to several options for managing your e-resource collections:

• CZ Portfolio + CZ bib
  • Bibliographic and portfolio records both come from the Community Zone.
  • Bibliographic and portfolio data is updated by Ex Libris as they receive data updates directly from the content provider.  No local action is needed to receive the updates.
  • Problems with bibliographic and/or portfolio data can be reported to Ex Libris via a “content” type support ticket.
  • Content providers with “Autoholdings” programs utilize this option to provide comprehensive access to available content.
  • Ex Libris: Working with Community Zone Electronic Resources

• CZ Portfolio + IZ or NZ-sourced bib
  • Using an import profile, bibliographic records can be imported to the IZ/NZ, and the portfolio from an activated CZ collection can be added to them.
  • Another option is to link an existing local (IZ/NZ) collection of portfolios to a CZ collection.  This effectively converts these portfolios to the corresponding CZ portfolios.  Users can choose whether to adopt the CZ bibliographic data or keep the IZ/NZ record during the linking process.
  • Additionally, individual CZ portfolios in an activated collection can be relinked to an IZ/NZ bib.
  • Any portfolio updates from the provider sent to Ex Libris will be inherited by the CZ portfolio.
  • Bibliographic record data will not be updated via the CZ, but through IZ or NZ updating procedures.
  • Ex Libris: Linking a local electronic collection to the Community Zone
  • Ex Libris: Managing Import Profiles: Inventory tab
  • Alliance: Best practices for import profile configuration

• IZ Portfolio + CZ bib
  • IZ portfolios can be relinked to CZ bibs.  There are currently no import or batch processes to achieve this for a batch of local portfolios.
  • If the records for this title are updated in the CZ, the bib linked to the CZ will be updated, but the local portfolio will NOT be updated.
  • Ex Libris: Relinking a portfolio to a different record

• IZ Portfolio + IZ or NZ bib
  • Using an import profile, bibliographic records can be imported to the IZ/NZ, and portfolios can be created using data embedded in specified fields of the bib record (e.g., the 856 will generate an access link).
  • IZ/NZ portfolios can also be created manually, by ordering from the IZ/NZ bib record.
  • Portfolios created in this way should be added to a local electronic collection, as described in this Alliance best practice document.
  • Bib records with an OCN that are linked to the NZ will be updated whenever the record is “touched” in WorldCat. Bib records not linked to the NZ will not be updated automatically unless the local institution has set up an import profile and/or a WorldShare collection to achieve this.
  • Portfolios will only be updated if the institution either:
    • uses an import profile and/or a WorldShare collection to update the bibs/portfolios on a regular basis
    • Uses the “Change Portfolio Information” job to conduct updates, or
    • Manually updates the portfolios.
  • Ex Libris: Managing Electronic Resources
  • Alliance: Non-serial E-Resources in Alma: Best Practices for Local Collections

CZ Advantages

• Maintenance efficiencies for large and frequently changing collections
• Aggregator collections: added and deleted titles managed automatically
• Selective collections: easy ordering and activation of new titles in active CZ collection
• Automatic updating of URLs in portfolios if URL changes in the collection
• Weekly list of collection updates from ExLibris that can be used to update any outside systems, like OCLC holdings and A-Z lists.

CZ Limitations

• Metadata quality in CZ bibliographic records varies widely – records range from full bibs to bibs with only title and ISBN
• CZ collections may be inconsistent with collections offered through other companies or libraries
• There can be a delay in adding new titles to CZ collections
• Not all collections are in the CZ
• Limited control over changes or enhancements to CZ metadata

IZ/NZ Advantages

• Generally better bibliographic metadata quality, particularly for records obtained from WorldCat.
• If linked to NZ, records with OCLC numbers are updated regularly.
• Records can be updated on-demand in WorldCat, and Alma import profiles can be used to achieve some efficiency in batch updates to both bib and portfolio information.
• Local control over collection contents

IZ/NZ Limitations

• Updates to portfolios and IZ-only records must either be scheduled to run automatically on a periodic basis or staff must run them manually to get data updates in place. This means local collections are not as efficient in terms of update receipt as CZ collections.
• Any portfolios that need to be deleted from the local collection must be deleted using a manually-triggered job.
• Ordering from local collection is not as efficient as CZ collection ordering.
• Cannot use for vendors’ autoholdings services.

Note: Using an IZ portfolio with a CZ bib is not recommended, as it results in less metadata control and the lack of portfolio updates.

CZ portfolio, IZ/NZ bib advantages

• Maintenance efficiencies for large and frequently changing collections via automatically updated portfolios (e.g. URL updates)
• Aggregator collections: added and deleted titles managed automatically
• Selective collections: easy ordering and activation of new titles in active CZ collection
• Weekly list of CZ collection updates from ExLibris that can be used to update any outside systems, like OCLC holdings and A-Z lists.
• Generally better bibliographic metadata quality, particularly for records obtained from WorldCat.
• If linked to NZ, bib records with OCLC numbers are updated regularly.
• Bib records can be updated on-demand in WorldCat and exported to the IZ/NZ.

CZ portfolio, IZ/NZ bib limitations

• CZ collections may be inconsistent with collections offered through content providers.
• Potential delays in adding new title portfolios to CZ collections
• Not all collections are present in the CZ.
• Titles removed from the CZ collection will leave behind empty bib records in the IZ/NZ.
• Updates to IZ-only records must either be scheduled to run automatically on a periodic basis or staff must run them manually to get data updates in place.

Members should use the following questions, in the context of the pros and cons above, as decision points to find solutions that meet their institution’s needs and policies:

• What size is the collection and how often does it change? (e.g. daily or weekly coverage changes)?
• Is the completeness/currency of the CZ collection acceptable?
• Is the metadata quality of the CZ bibs acceptable to your library?
  • Note: Alliance allows exceptions to the Floor Standard for CZ bibs.
  • If the quality is not acceptable, would it be manageable to individually link CZ portfolios in a CZ electronic collection to NZ bibs using the Locate and Link function from within the CZ portfolio?
    • NOTE: If only a few of the records in the collection are not acceptable, this could be an alternative. Each institution should create its own workflow for monitoring these records when considering this option.  

This is not recommended, because it makes record management very complex for the collection. In some cases where isolated CZ bibs in the collection are of unacceptable quality, members may choose to unlink the CZ portfolio from the CZ bib and use an IZ/NZ bib record instead.  However, this can create significant complexities in keeping up with updates for that title.  If many CZ bib records in the collection are of unacceptable quality, it may be better to use IZ/NZ records for the entire collection.

No. To avoid local duplication, it is important that a library does not turn on the same titles in the same collection both in the CZ AND by using a local collection with NZ bibs and local portfolios. Doing so will cause duplicate records in your local instance of Primo.

Yes.  It is possible to switch from one solution to another.  Keep in mind that doing so will (in some cases) require setting up/activating portfolios all over again, and Analytics may not collate the usage data from the CZ and local collections after you’ve switched.

To switch from using a local collection to using a CZ collection:

• Following these instructions from Ex Libris, link your local collection to the desired Community Zone collection.
• Verify that users can access the resources via the CZ collection in Primo’s “View it” section for the collection titles.
• Gather the local collection portfolios into a set.
• Run the “Delete Portfolios” job on the set of local collection portfolios.  When prompted, tell Alma to delete any bib records without inventory/holdings.
• Once the portfolios are deleted, delete the local collection record unless required for historical information.

To switch from using a CZ collection to using a local collection:

• Create a set of the portfolios in the CZ collection.
• Create a local electronic collection to hold the portfolios.
• Following these instructions from Ex Libris, move the CZ portfolios to the local electronic collection you just established.
• Note that a CZ-activated portfolio that moves from one collection to another will be unlinked from Community Zone and become a local portfolio. Thus, it will no longer receive automatic updates from the CZ..
• Verify that users can access the resources via the local collection in Primo’s “View it” section for the collection titles.
• Deactivate/delete the CZ collection once all portfolios have been successfully relocated.

Yes.  For single titles, you can do this by relinking individual CZ portfolios to preferred bib records in the IZ/NZ. 

For batches of records or full collections, you can also use an Alma import profile to load local bibliographic records and attach the matching CZ portfolio as inventory.  The import option requires that you activate the CZ collection first, then import your desired bibliographic records with the “Use Community Zone Portfolios” option selected on the inventory tab of the import profile configuration.Another approach is to link an existing local collection to the Community Zone.  The Linking to the Community Zone option requires that your local collection has portfolios.  To keep using your local bib records, choose the “No” option for the “Use the community bibliographic records” setting.