These policies describe decisions, workflows, and configurations that occur in the SUNY Alma Network Zone. They provide context on what is happening in the system or how a process works.
The SMSP reviewed and renumbered these policies in 2025. The older policy versions can be found in the SUNY Digital Repository.
Brief level rules in the NZ and the IZ should be synchronized to be the same.
Brief level (i.e., encoding level) rules may be set at both the IZ and NZ level. SUNY requires that institutions synchronize their IZ brief level rules with the NZ brief level rules. Brief level rules are applied from the Network Zone (NZ) to Institutional Zone Records when they are linked to the NZ. However, bibliographic records that are directly imported into an IZ via an import profile where “Use Network Zone = No” is set, will not benefit from the NZ brief level rules. Brief level rules should be set in the IZ, which match the NZ settings.
Instructions are provided below on how to update an Institution's IZ only brief level rules to be in accordance with the NZ:
| Alma brief level | LDR 17 position 1 | Alma brief level display | Definition |
| 10 | (blank), 1 | 10 - Full | Bibliographic records that meet full cataloging standards |
| 7 | 4 | 07 - Exceeds Minimal | Bibliographic records that do not meet full cataloging standards, but exceed minimal-level cataloging standards |
| 4 | 7, 8, M | 04 - Minimal | Bibliographic records that meet minimal-level cataloging standards |
| 1 | 2, 3, 5 | 01 - Brief | Bibliographic records that do not meet minimum-level cataloging standards |
SUNY institutions are required to adhere to NZ brief level rules to maintain consistency between IZ-only records and NZ-linked records.
To apply brief level rules to IZ only records:
Date of last review: April 2025
Date of next review: September 2027
Date created: April 2025
Three daily OCLC bibliographic record loads are managed in the Network Zone (NZ) by SUNY Library Services. These record loads are based on a collection in WorldShare Collection Manager and are managed in Alma through the use of three import profiles.
There are three daily Alma processes that import OCLC WorldCat bibliographic records into the SUNY NZ. The three NZ OCLC import profiles are for new, merged, and updated WorldCat records. New records that are imported into the NZ are records that are recently “held” by a SUNY library in WorldCat for the first time. Merged records are those that have been involved in a record merge in WorldCat, while updated records are imported when there have been recent changes to the WorldCat record based upon MARC fields that have been defined by SUNY. These record loads are based on the contents of the SUNY LSP Collection, managed by SUNY Library Services in their WorldShare Collection Manager account. The SUNY LSP Collection contains the combined WorldCat bibliographic records of all participating SUNY campuses.
Multi-matches from the daily OCLC bibliographic record loads must be manually managed by SUNY Library Services. Multi-matches can occur when new, merged, and updated WorldCat records are imported into the SUNY Network Zone from the daily OCLC loads and two or more records have the same OCLC number or contain an OCLC number that is no longer valid. SUNY Library Services evaluates these records, merging them when appropriate and reporting them to OCLC when not.
Daily updated bibliographic record loads mean that campuses using the NZ always have the most recent records. SUNY Library Services manages the NZ environment and therefore, manages the daily import record processes into the NZ.
Date of last review: April 2025
Date of next review: September 2028
Date created: April 2025
All SUNY libraries will use the "SUNY – Overlay All But Local Fields" merge rule in any import profile that brings in MARC records into the Network Zone (NZ).
A merge rule provides instructions on how two different bibliographic records should be merged. The “SUNY – Overlay All But Local Fields” merge rule is being used in the OCLC import profiles in the NZ for new, updated, and merged OCLC WorldCat records. This rule is based on the Orbis Cascade OCA Bib Overlay (Keep ALL 035s) merge rule and retains all obsolete 035 fields as well as local fields stored in the 59X and 69X fields.
All SUNY libraries will use the “SUNY – Overlay All But Local Fields” merge rules in any import profiles that imports MARC records into the NZ. The merge rule is available for all SUNY libraries to use in the shared folder.
The rule contains:
rule " Bib Overlay (Keep 035s)"The use of this merge rule in import profiles for NZ records will prevent local fields from loss and retain obsolete 035s. This will result in consistent and expected behavior for NZ record practices.
Date of last review: April 2025
Date of next review: September 2028
Date created: April 2025
All SUNY libraries should use the "SUNY NZ OCLC Import” normalization rule when importing records into the Network Zone (NZ). This rule appears in the Metadata Editor with the Drools file key: “SUNY OCLC Import Normalization Rule.”
This policy standardizes which MARC fields are not imported into the NZ. The normalization rule recommended for use in records that will reside in the NZ is the “SUNY NZ OCLC Import” normalization rule. This rule appears in the Metadata Editor using the Drools file key “SUNY OCLC Import Normalization Rule.” The rule removes or changes the following MARC fields from bibliographic records being imported into the NZ:
| MARC field | Indicator 1 | Indicator 2 | Field description |
| 015 | Any | Any | National bibliography number |
| 016 | Any | Any | National bibliography agency control number |
| 017 | Any | Any | Copyright or Legal deposit number |
| 025 | Any | Any | Overseas acquisition number |
| 029 | Any | Any | Other system control number (OCLC) |
| 070 | Any | Any | National Agricultural Library call number |
| 071 | Any | Any | National Agricultural Library copy statement |
| 072 | Any | Any | Subject category code |
| 080 | Any | Any | Universal Decimal Classification number |
| 084 | Any | Any | Other classification number |
| 092 | Any | Any | Local call number |
| 096 | Any | Any | Local call number |
| 098 | Any | Any | Local call number |
| 242 | Any | Any | Translation of title by cataloging agency |
| 257 | Any | Any | Country of producing entity |
| 263 | Any | Any | Projected publication date |
| 265 | Any | Any | Source for acquisition/subscription address [obsolete] |
| 583 | Any | Any | Action note |
| 6xx | 7 | Foreign language subject headings (see MSP-NZ-7 for full list) | |
| 650 | 7 | Selected subject headings from 'Change the Subject' | |
| 653 | Any | Any | Index term - Uncontrolled |
| 654 | Any | Any | Subject added entry - Faceted topical terms |
| 850 | Any | Any | Holding institution |
| 851 | Any | Any | Physical location (OCLC) |
| 852 | Any | Any | Location |
| 856 | Any | Any | Electronic location and access |
| 886 | Any | Any | Foreign MARC information field |
| 938 | Any | Any | Vendor specific ordering data (OCLC) |
The use of this normalization rule in import profiles for NZ records will result in consistent and expected behavior for NZ record practices.
Date of last review: April 2025
Date of next review: September 2026
Date created: April 2025
SUNY is running the Alma ‘Link BIB Headings’ authority control job in the NZ and all campus IZs, as well as relying on daily OCLC record loads for authority control maintenance.
In addition, SUNY relies on daily OCLC bibliographic record loads with updated headings. As libraries continue to do all their original and adjusted cataloging in OCLC, this remains a major source of authority control maintenance.
When Alma was implemented in SUNY in 2019, the decision was made to strictly rely on OCLC for authority control and to not run any authority control jobs in Alma. This was due to findings by SUNY and other consortia that Alma’s authority control jobs did more harm than good and that the daily OCLC jobs would be sufficient for keeping headings up to date. In the successive years, the Alma authority control jobs have improved and there is also a need to run the jobs to enable linked data functionality in other aspects of the system. SUNY revised this decision to not run the authority control jobs in late 2024 and decided to turn on the Link BIB Headings job in Alma.
Date of last review: April 2025
Date of next review: September 2025
Date created: April 2025
This policy outlines the single instance when Dedup/FRBR is suppressed in all Network Zone records and provides guidance on suppressing other records.
Alma/Primo includes the functionality to perform two different actions, Dedup and FRBR, to deduplicate bibliographic records in display. These actions happen by default but can be suppressed in certain situations when the preference is to keep records distinct. SUNY has decided to suppress Dedup/FRBR in the following situations:
Campuses who wish to implement Dedup/FRBR for groups of records in their IZ should follow the instructions in the FAQ and remember to contact SUNY Library Services to also suppress Dedup/FRBR on Network Zone records, if necessary.
Dedup and FRBR often work well to reduce the number of separate records that display in discovery for a resource. However, there are occasions when the functionality prevents certain records from displaying properly. These records can be identified and Dedup/FRBR can be suppressed so that the records can be made discoverable.
Date of last review: April 2025
Date of next review: September 2025
Date created: April 2025
Certain foreign language and ‘source not specified’ subject headings will be removed from physical MARC records upon import using the "SUNY NZ OCLC Import” normalization rule.
The following foreign language and ‘source not specified’ subject headings that appear in MARC 6XX _7 $$2 fields will be removed from physical MARC records upon import into the Network Zone and institution zones using the "SUNY NZ OCLC Import" normalization rule. While these headings can be suppressed using display normalization rules, SUNY has chosen to omit these headings from inclusion in physical MARC records. This will prevent these headings from appearing in Primo VE subject facet results. In addition to the source codes specified below, any subject headings with second indicator 4 (source not specified) and 6 (répertoire de vedettes-matière) will also be omitted.
In accordance with MSP-NZ-4, when creating import profiles for physical records to be shared with the Network Zone, campuses should use the "SUNY NZ OCLC Import” normalization rule to restrict the types of subject headings allowed in MARC records.
Subject headings omitted from import based on the $$2 source code, using the “SUNY NZ OCLC Import” normalization rule:
Subject headings included in import based on the $$2 source code, using the “SUNY NZ OCLC Import” normalization rule:
Genre headings omitted from import based on the 655 $$2 source code, using the “SUNY NZ OCLC Import” normalization rule:
Genre headings included in import based on the 655 $$2 source code, using the “SUNY NZ OCLC Import” normalization rule:
The removal of foreign language and ‘source not specified’ subject headings will reduce the length of bibliographic records, make them easier to manage in Alma, and improve the accuracy of subject heading searches. It will also prevent these headings from displaying in Primo VE full record views and subject facets results. The use of this normalization rule for Network Zone and campus import profiles will produce records with more consistent headings.
Date of last review: April 2025
Date of next review: September 2026
Date created: April 2025
Non-Romanized titles in MARC records will be imported into Alma with the Romanized titles in the 245 and the non-Romanized titles in the linked 880.
SUNY has configured the Alma Network Zone to show Romanized titles in the 245 and linking non-Romanized titles in the 880, as most SUNY users work primarily with Romanized scripts. Campuses should not “flip fields,” in the MDE or use a normalization task to move the non-Romanized title to the 245.
Campuses can also make changes to how this displays in discovery by following the “How do I hide the vernacular title display in Primo VE” FAQ.
Keeping Romanized titles in the 245 and non-Romanized titles in the linked 880 will present a consistent view to records and allow the Romanized title to appear first in the brief records of search results. It is also in keeping with the expectation that most users work primarily with Romanized scripts.
Date of last review: April 2025
Date of next review: September 2027
Date created: April 2025