Alma Electronic Resources Management and OCLC

Audience:  This page introduces OCLC products to CARLI Alma I-Share electronic resource library workers. Usually electronic resources library staff are alerted to problems with their Institution Zones (IZ) communicating with OCLC products due to WorldShare (ILL)requests for materials the library either cannot lend or no longer has access to.

Definitions

What are the various OCLC products related to Alma Electronic Resources management?

1. WorldCat- An online database of records cooperatively built from the bibliographic and ownership information of OCLC contributing libraries. WorldCat consists of three major components: a bibliographic catalog that includes everything available to library users, a collection manager/knowledge base (KB) that connects library users to electronic content, and a registry of library profiles that allows libraries to maintain information about their services.
2. WorldShare Collection Manager-  OCLC cataloging tool, collections controller and knowledge base (KB) that helps libraries streamline and automate the management of bibliographic records for their electronic and print collections in one place, while improving collection discovery and access.
3. WorldShare (ILL)- Service that enables OCLC libraries to borrow and lend materials quickly and securely. It facilitates creating, sending, managing, and tracking loan requests and document orders.
4. OCLC Data Syncs- An automated service in Collection Manager that allows synchronization of local holdings with WorldCat to make collections visible and available through OCLC services. The service adds original records to WorldCat, enhances and matches local library records with existing WorldCat records, manages local holdings data, creates or deletes holdings, and also updates local bibliographic data. 

NOTE: OCLC Data Syncs themselves only set the libraries holdings as yes or no. See section below "Does OCLC WorldCat and WorldShare ILL know what date range a library has access to for electronic titles? " for more details.

Definitions based on entries in OCLC Glossary.

Inter-relationships and Conceptual Map

How do the various OCLC products communicate and relate to CARLI I-Share Alma?

Note one-way relationships:
•    OCLC WorldCat can send bib records to Alma via an import.
•    WorldShare OCLC Collection Manager can send bib records & portfolios/holdings to Alma (if set up to do so.)
•    Alma sends changes in bib records & their holdings to WorldCat from Alma via OCLC Data Syncs
•    Report on how changes are processed goes from OCLC WorldCat to Alma via the OCLC Data Syncs.

Note two-way relationships:
•    Records can go to OCLC WorldCat from Collection Manager and vice versa.

Where does the ILL (InterLibrary Loan) part fit in? - OCLC WorldShare

Note: WorldShare ILL does not communicate with your Alma IZ.  WorldShare ILL uses WorldCat holdings details only to determine if you library may receive an ILL request.

CARLI I-Share OCLC Data Syncs are set up to run daily for physical materials and weekly for electronic resources.

Why do OCLC Data Syncs?

 A core value of librarianship is sharing resources and communicating what physical and electronic resources your library collects.

How to check OCLC Data Sync reports in your Alma IZ?

Go to "Admin" then "Monitor Jobs" - History. Search for "Publishing Platform Job Publish electronic holdings to OCLC".

Click on the "More Actions" or "..." menu and click on "Report". You'll then a report similar to:

You can also see reports from the job "Publishing Platform Job Publish electronic holdings to OCLC" by going to "Admin" then "Monitor Jobs" - Scheduled tab.

How to check Data Sync reports in OCLC and more details at CARLI on Data Syncs/Automatic Holdings Updates

For CARLI I-Share libraries what is sent to e-resource data syncs from the Alma IZ?

I-Share libraries have a preset definition for the e-resources set sent to WorldCat. Most have not changed the definition set up during the 2020  Alma migration. See your IZ's e-resources general publishing profile for the exact definition of the set. For more details see CARLI "Defining Electronic Title Sets for OCLC Data Sync".  Contact the CARLI Office to ask for more explanation of your library's definition of the set of electronic titles sent to the OCLC Data Sync.

What about e-resources bibliographic records with no OCLC number match? Are they processed at all by data syncs?

What processing happens depends on data sync settings and defined matching options. If a record is unmatched it will go to the OCLC staging area until the library takes action (or staging period expires.)  Check the Alma data sync reports regularly to know when to check the OCLC staging area.

Can we set the ILL availability for WorldShare ILL in Collection Manager?

Yes, CARLI recommends that libraries manage electronic collections directly in WorldShare Collection Manager. In each active WorldShare Collection Manager KB Collection there are settings for making eligible/ineligible for WorldShare/ILL. 

Library staff should select and activate KB collections in Collection Manager, then modify contents as needed, and set the ILL allowed parameter to No or Yes.

If the library has create a custom KB collection that may be populated from a data sync publishing job, then set the ILL allowed parameter to No or Yes.

Library staff set a collection eligible/yes for ILL or not eligible/no depending on
•    types of e-resources, for ex. Streaming videos or audio files (which by their nature are not loanable.)
•    licenses allowing or restricting ILL in part or entirely.

Does OCLC WorldCat and WorldShare ILL know what date range a library has access to for electronic titles? 

No, WorldCat has just the library's holding symbol attached to an e-title. There's no information from the Data Sync itself about what years or volumes a library can access.

Libraries may provide coverage ranges via:

1. The library may send date and volume ranges via an OCLC local holding records data loading process.
2. If the library manages KB collections in OCLC Collection Manager and the e-collection includes date ranges for e-serials collections from a particular vendor. Libraries may modify that manually (or with KBART file updates) should their subscribed coverage be different.

More Information at OCLC Documentation

Create a Local Holdings Records Collection

How do I synchronize holdings between Alma and WorldCat?

Information on Data Sync reports on bibliographic changes and WorldCat holdings.

What are configure institution settings for local holdings records collections?

Last edited May 30, 2024.