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Click on the tag (i.e. LDR, 008 etc.) and use Ctrl+F to expand it (or use the Metadata Editor menu: Edit>Open Editing Actions>Open Form Editor):

 

Most of the input boxes require you to select from a dropdown list, but there are some free-text boxes (e.g. Date) which require information to be entered directly.

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Click on the field immediately above where you want to add a new field.

Click on Edit>Add Editing Actions>Add Field (shortcut: F8).

A new empty field is created, with the cursor ready in the first box (i.e. the tag).

Deleting a field

 

Click on the field you want to delete.

Click on Edit>Remove Editing Actions>Remove Field (shortcut: Ctrl+F6).

The field is deleted and the cursor moves to the end of the following field.

Adding a subfield

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Click on the field in which you want to add a subfield, immediately before where you want the subfield.

Click on Edit>Add Editing Actions>Add Subfield (shortcut: F9) or simply type $$. (The first method is preferred for the sake of avoiding typos, especially a single $, which will corrupt data).

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Entering special characters

 

There is no native way to enter these into Alma, but one of the following techniques can be used:

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      • Firefox: Character Input. Allows entering of Unicode and alt-key characters. Press Insert key, then enter a character code: aXXX for an Alt Code, uXXXX or XXXX for a Unicode code, c for a copyright symbol. This is a revised version of the Unicode Input extension.
      • Chrome: A Chrome version of the Firefox Character Input extension should be forthcoming. The Unicode Input extension was : Character Input. Allows entering of Unicode and alt-key characters. Press Insert key, then enter a character code: aXXX for an Alt Code, uXXXX or XXXX for a Unicode code, c for a copyright symbol. This is a revised version of the Unicode Input Chrome extension, which has been removed.

See also Other Methods on Harvard's Wiki.

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You are then presented with a list of authorities derived from the Alma Community Zone.

Note the symols symbols on the left of the headings:

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Copying, Pasting, Sorting etc Fields

Copying and pasting text within a single field

Text within a single field can be copied, cut and pasted using the standard Windows shortcuts:

Copy: Ctrl+C

Cut: Ctrl+X

Paste: Ctrl+V

These can no longer be used to applied to fields as a whole. Instead, use Ctrl+Shift+C, Ctrl+Shift+X, and Ctrl+Shift+V respectively.

Copying and pasting a single field

Click on the field to be copied

Click on Edit>Copy Editing Actions>Copy Field (or Ctrl+Shift+C)

Click on the field before you want to paste (some fields appear to be sorted automatically; others are not)

Click on Edit>Paste Editing Actions>Paste Field (or Ctrl+Shift+V). The field is pasted and the cursor moves to the new field.

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Hold down Ctrl and click on all the other fields to be copied

Click on Edit>Copy Editing Actions>Copy Field (or Ctrl+Shift+C)

Click on the field below where you want the pasted field to appear (some fields appear to be sorted automatically; others are not)

Click on Edit>Paste Editing Actions>Paste Field (or Ctrl+Shift+V).

The fields are pasted and the cursor moves to the new field.

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Deleting multiple fields

 Click on the first field to be deleted.

Hold down Ctrl and click on all the other fields to be deleted.

Click on Edit>Remove Editing Actions>Remove Field (or Ctrl+F6).

Fields are deleted.

Sorting fields (and removing empty fields)

Click on Edit>Enhance Editing Actions>Enhance the Record (or Ctrl+Alt+E) -- A small window pops up.

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  1. The record is released for other cataloguers to edit. A record is automatically released for editing one hour after you last edited it anyway
  2. The record is removed from your list of records. There is no easy way to see what you have recently edited, so make sure you are sure you want to release any records.

Save Draft

 Click on File>Save Draft (or: Ctrl+Alt+S). (This function is the same as auto-save.)

Does:

  • Validate the record
  • Save the record on user's account

Does not:

  • Save the record on Alma for others to see
  • Release the record for others to edit
  • Make any changes visible on Primo

Save Record

 Click on File>Save (or: Ctrl+S)

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Click on the Save Record icon:


Does:

  • Validate the record
  • Save the record on user's account
  • Save the record on Alma for others to see
  • Make any changes visible on Primo

Does not:

  • Release the record for others to edit

When you try to save a record, Alma will sometimes ask if you want to view matched records in the catalogue before saving. These matches are unlikely to be exact in many cases, so just click No.

Save and Release Record

 Click on File>Save and Release Record (or: Ctrl+Alt+R)

Does:               

  • Validate the record
  • Save the record on user's account
  • Save the record on Alma for others to see
  • Release the record for others to edit
  • Make any changes visible on Primo

Does not:               

  • N/A

Release Record

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Click on File> Release Record (or: Alt+Shift+R)

Does:

  • Release the record for others to edit

Does not:

  • Validate the record
  • Save the record on user's account
  • Save the record on Alma for others to see
  • Make any changes visible on Primo

It is more likely that you will want to release all the records that you have open in the Metadata Editor by clicking on MARC21 Bibliographic in the list of records, and clicking on Release All Records from the drop-down:

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