Withdrawals (Policy)

Background

The following document serves as the operational policy governing the withdrawal of items and titles in Alma. CSU Libraries are required to follow the procedures as outlined for withdrawals. 

These procedures include instructions, based on input from the Analytics & Reporting Working Group, for distinguishing between withdrawals and deletions by coding withdrawals at the item level. If libraries need to make the distinction at the bibliographic/title level, consider recording a code in a bibliographic 9XX local field. The bibliographic record would need to be saved before deleting.

Libraries should ensure to (1) delete withdrawn items fully and (2) record a withdrawal code in a field that is reportable in Analytics, as described in the steps below. Libraries can generate a report in Analytics by using this field, the modification date, and filtering the modification date for the fiscal year.

Scope

Policy outlines procedures CSU libraries are required to follow for withdrawal of physical items. 

Procedures

WITHDRAWALS - INDIVIDUAL ITEM

1. Set search index to All titles|Keywords and scan the item’s barcode into the search box
2. Verify that the result matches the item in hand.
3. Click on the Physical inventory link and then click the items link OR click the ellipsis button and choose Items from the dropdown list.
4. On the next screen, find the row with the item’s barcode.
5. If your campus needs to make a distinction between deletions and withdrawals, and you need to record withdrawals at the item level:
   1. Click on the ellipsis button for your item and select Edit.
   2. Click on the Notes tab.
   3. In one of the Statistics Notes fields (selected by your institution), record wdn.
   4. Click on Save.

                                Alternative:

Use Inventory number, or any other field that is reportable in Analytics, to record wdn.

6. Click on the ellipsis button for your item again and select Withdraw.
7. In the confirmation box, click Confirm.  If you’re not deleting the last item for the holdings record, you’re done. Otherwise, continue with steps 8-13.  For serials: If not withdrawing all volumes in a serial title, the holdings record will need to be updated.
8. If you are deleting the last item for the holdings record, select the Delete the holdings record and click Go.
9. If there are other holdings records with inventory associated with the bibliographic record, you’re done. Otherwise, continue with steps 10-15.
10. Click on the title to get to the MARC record view.
11. Copy the OCLC number and remove the holdings from WorldCat. (This step is only applicable to those libraries that have not yet implemented Publishing to OCLC functionality.)
12. Click on the Edit button.
13. Click on File and select Copy to catalog.
14. Go to File and select Delete Record or type CTRL+D.
15. Click on the Yes button.

WITHDRAWALS - SETS OF ITEMS (BATCH)

Create an itemized set of physical items

1. Open an Excel spreadsheet, type Barcode in the first row of the first column. Alternatively, use a basic text editor and type Barcode on the first line.
2. Scan in barcodes, ensuring each barcode is populated in a separate row, or line.
3. Go to Admin-> Manage Jobs and Sets->Manage Sets.
4. Click on the Add Sets button, choose Itemized as the set type.
5. Name the set, set content type as Physical items.
6. Use Add Contents from File to Set to upload the saved file of barcodes, then click Save.

Alma will run the job to create the set. 

If your library has not yet implemented Publishing to OCLC functionality: In My Sets, locate the itemized set you created in the steps above, and from the ellipsis button dropdown, choose Create titles set, rename the set and click on Submit. Click on Confirm.

Run a job to record statistics note (if applicable)

 If your campus needs to make a distinction between deletions and withdrawals, and you need to record withdrawals at the item level:

1. Go to Admin -> Manage Jobs and Sets ->Run a Job.
2. For Type, select Information Update.
3. Select Change physical items, and click on Next.
4. Find and select your itemized physical items set, and click on Next.
5. In the Change other fields section, scroll down to near the bottom and find the statistics note your institution is using to record withdrawals.
6. Check the box to the left of the statistics note field.
7. In the statistics note box type wdn.
8. Click on Next.
9. Review the job settings and click on Submit.

Withdraw the items.

 Go to Admin-> Manage Jobs and Sets-> Run a Job.

1. For Type, select Withdraw.
2. Select Withdraw items and click on Next.
3. Find and select your itemized physical items set, and click on Next.
4. Select the option to Delete holdings; suppress bibliographic records that have no other holdings from publishing and click on Next.
5. Review and confirm the job details. Click on Submit

Alma will withdraw the items, delete holdings without items, and suppress bibliographic records that have no other holdings for your institution.

Delete holdings in OCLC

This section is applicable only to libraries who have not yet implemented Publishing to OCLC functionality.

1. In Alma, return to the All titles set created from your physical items set.
2. On the row for your All titles set, click on the Actions button, then select Members.
3. Click on Tools, then select Excel to create a spreadsheet.
4. Sort the Availability column to gather the rows that have no value for that column.
5. For the rows that have no value in the Availability column, copy the values of the Record Number column into a text editor.
6. Use a Find and Replace tool to strip out extraneous data, e.g. ocm, ocn, -01cals_network, so that you’re left with only the OCLC number value.
7. Copy the OCLC numbers or simply save your text file.
8. In Connexion Client, go to Batch> Holdings by OCLC Number.
9. Paste the column of OCLC numbers into the window. (Or, import the text file of OCLC record numbers.)
10. Select Delete Holdings, and click OK.

Delete bibliographic records in Alma

 Go to Admin -> Manage Jobs and Sets -> Run a Job.

1. For type, select Withdraw.
2. Select Delete Bibliographic records and click Next.
3. Find your all titles set, select it, and click Next.
4. To protect bibliographic records with inventory, DO NOT select the task parameter Delete all associated inventory resources. Click on Next.
5. Review and confirm the job details. Click on Submit

Delete the physical Items set and the all titles set you created.

Documentation (Ex Libris) - Deleting Physical Items (Withdrawals) This link will take you to an external website in a new tab.