Local Fields in Alma & Primo VE

Background and Purpose

Procedures for adding local fields (now called Local Extensions) in Alma.

Local fields/notes or Local Extensions are MARC fields that are added by CSU libraries at the institutional level in the Metadata Editor.  These Local Extensions, if added correctly, are retained and protected from the daily Alma bibliographic record overlay in the NZ.  The list of CSU Libraries' Local Extensions is to provide all campuses with information on the use of each Local Extension per campus and to help campuses identify which MARC fields to use which will not interfere or conflict with MARC fields employed by Alma/Ex Libris, OCLC, and/or in bibliographic records in the NZ.

Procedures

Two methods for adding local extensions in Alma:

First Method:  Adding Local Extensions using the Metadata Editor (MDE)

1. Click Edit on a bibliographic record result or Push Selected records to the MDE. 
2. Within the MDE, navigate to the Editing Actions > Add Local Extension (Ctrl+L) command.  After selecting this command, Alma creates a field with a gray institution icon to the left of the MARC field number and an invisible subfield $9 containing the string "local" (all lower case).
   1. This subfield $9 is used by Alma to mark fields as local, i.e., they are stored in an institution's Institution Zone and are not lost when the master bib record in the NZ is overlaid. Although this subfield $9 is not displayed in Alma, it is present in local fields when bib records are exported.

Second Method:  Adding Local Extensions using Normalization Rules

Use a normalization rule to add a local extension one-at-a-time in the MDE or to batch-add a local extension to a set of bibliographic records. The normalization rule MUST include the addSubfield command as shown in the example below:

then

  addField "590.a.Gift of John Doe."

  addSubField "590.9.local" if (not exists "590.9.local")

end

Note: Using "local" or "LOCAL" in a subfield $9 both work in Alma when creating normalization rules. However, be consistent!  Be sure to test for the presence of either string before adding a new subfield $9.  Alma Analytics will consider local or Local or LOCAL as different instances.

How NOT to Add Local Extensions

• Do NOT navigate to Editing Actions > Add Local Extension (Ctrl+L) command and then add the "$$9local" subfield in the field afterward. The field will end up as a normal field in the NZ and will be lost when the NZ bib record is overlaid.
• Do NOT add the "$9 local" subfield in OCLC Connexion before exporting the bib record into Alma.  This field will end up as a normal field and will be lost when the NZ bib record is overlaid.

Local Extensions for IZ-only records

• Please see Display of Local Fields from IZ Records in Primo for additional metadata required for local fields in IZ-only records.

Reserved MARC Fields

• 949 is reserved for the RapidILL publishing profile.
• 988 is reserved for the nodedupe normalization rule.
• 994 and 995 are reserved for system notes.
• 999 is reserved for CR_Restricted course reserve records.
• Network-Reserved Fields:
  • Fields 976-979 and 982-987 are reserved for future use as Network-wide notes.  Any use of these local note extensions will be added to this table after the use is approved by the appropriate committees within ULMS Governance.
• OCLC Reserved Fields:

  • Fields 950, 951, 987, 989 are reserved for OCLC use per information contained in OCLC's Bibliographic Formats and Standards and are not to be used for Network or local use in Alma or Primo VE.

• See the MARC Fields Excluded from Alma page for other restricted MARC fields.

Table – Local Fields in Alma & Primo VE

Last Updated:  May 23, 2022

This table represents the Local Extensions used at the CSU Libraries except for Los Angeles, Moss Landing, and San Marcos.

For more specific definitions of each extensions' use per campus, please check the CSU Local Fields spreadsheet.

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