Streamlining the Library System: Preparing for the Next-generation
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Objectives: This presentation examines challenges the only health sciences library system faced during the migration of a state-wide consortium from Ex Libris Voyager to Alma. Alma is a cloud-based system constructed for print, OER, and digital collections that will allow the institution to grow beyond Voyager, which is nearing the end of its lifecycle. Methods: A library team of Access Services and Content Management librarians and staff was formed to manage the data cleanup and implementation process. Members of this team were also involved in consortium committees which communicated problems and solutions between the 29 consortium institutions. Ex Libris provided the library with 59 data cleanup tasks and accompanying SQL report queries to systematically evaluate the library’s current integrated library system. The implementation team met weekly to review reports and determine best practices for the data to migrate correctly over to Alma. Data cleanup reports indicated that several groups of data were inconsistent with the libraries best practices within patron records and cataloging records including item holdings. Report findings identified instances of human error, opportunities for improved organization, and methods of preservation for NLM classification cataloging records. Results: Of the 59 data cleanup tasks, 39 were determined to be applicable to the health sciences library. Best practices established include reducing the number of patron groups, item locations, and item types. Some cleanup tasks required little work as others were more time consuming. The library identified over 500 patron records that were duplicate or inactive for three or more years and were deleted from the current system. Over 700 cataloging records with mismatched locations and holding records with missing items were identified and corrected. Two solutions were also identified to insure the health sciences NLM classification subject headings would migrate over to the Alma environment. Conclusion: The Alma ILS is built to accommodate physical and electronic records and manage patron records externally. The data cleanup tasks most significantly prepared library data to migrate successfully into a new organization and cataloging model, but also established new best practices for Alma and eliminated messy and outdated records. Preparing to migrate from one integrated library system to another, the library reviewed numerous patron records and cataloging records cleaning them up so unnecessary data would not transfer. Upon completing these tasks, the library is equipped to move to the next step of validating content in the new system.