Simpson Library Technical Services

Export a set of bib records from Alma as a .mrc file

You can create a .mrc file from a set of bibliographic records in Alma by performing the following steps:

1. Create a set of bib records in Alma
2. Go to Admin>Manage Jobs and Sets>Run a Job
3. Search by Name for the following job: Export Bibliographic Records
4. Click on the radio button next to the “Export Bibliographic Records” job
5. Click Next 
6. Click on the radio button next to the set you want to export
7. Click Next
8. Enter Task Parameters
   1. Physical format: Binary
   2. Output format: MARC21 Bibliographic
   3. Number of records in a file: One
   4. Export into folder: Private
      1. This allows the file to be downloaded from the job history
9. Click Next
10. Review job
11. Click Submit 

Download the .mrc file

1. Go to Admin>Manage Jobs and Sets>Monitor jobs
   1. Skip this step if you are already monitoring the job
2. Click on the History tab
3. Click Report from the ellipses for the job
4. Click on the “Link to Export Records” link
5. Click Download from the ellipses of the report
6. Open the downloaded .mrc using MarcEdit or similar software

Export a set of bib records from Alma as an XML file

1. Create a set in Alma
2. Go to Admin>Manage Jobs and Sets>Run a Job
3. Search by Name for the following job: Export Bibliographic Records
4. Click on the radio button next to the “Export Bibliographic Records” job
5. Click Next
6. Click on the radio button next to the set you want to export
7. Click Next
8. Enter Task Parameters
   1. Physical format: XML
   2. Output format: MARC21 Bibliographic
   3. Number of records in a file: One
   4. Export into folder: Private
      1. This allows the file to be downloaded from the job history.
9. Click Next
10. Review job
11. Click Submit
12. Download the .mrc file
13. Got to Admin>Manage Jobs and Sets>Monitor jobs
    1. Skip this step if you are already monitoring the job
14. Click on the History tab
15. Click Report from the ellipses for the job
16. Click on the “Link to Export Records” link
17. Click Download from the ellipses of the report
18. Open the downloaded file

Import a modified set of bib records from MarcEdit back to Alma

When all updates are complete, compile the file back to MARC.

1. Make sure that the encoding drop-down in the menu bar is set to UTF8. 
2. From the MARCedit menu choose File > Compile File to MARC or use the Compile Files icon. 
3. Choose a filename and a location to save it to.
4. Click Save.
5. This step of re-compiling the file will help ensure the encoding is correct. 

Export from Alma to MarcEdit and back again

You can export a set of bibliographic records from Alma directly to MarcEdit for modifications and then quickly update them back to Alma.  An SRU Integration Profile has been set up in Alma.

Configure MarcEdit to talk to Alma

1. Ask the Head of Technical Services or Gardner to retrieve the API key for MarcEdit Integration.
2. Open MarcEdit, and click on the configuration gear.
3. Open the ILS integration tab
4. Check the “Enable ILS Options” box
5. In the Profiles selection box, use the pull down menu to select Alma
6. In the Host Name: box, enter https://api-na.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/
7. Leave Username: blank.
8. In the Password: box, paste the Alma/MarcEdit API key.

9. Check “Ignore SSL Certificate Errors”

10. Check “Use Z39.50 Settings”

11.