Cataloging statistics in Alma Analytics–Annual maintenance

Alma does not feature tools to collect cataloging statistics automatically. At the point of ILS migration in 2018, Vanderbilt University Libraries opted to continue the historical practice of entering cataloging data in any bibliographic record using the 951. This method ensured not just staff comfort using the system, but also a means to access historical data accordingly. The 951 field was specified to have the following structure:

951 _ _ $$a [cataloging code];[cataloger initials];[date in the form MMYYYY].
Example: oc;pw;052025 ⇒ (Translation: Original cataloging by Pete Wilson in May 2025)

The Alma Analytics Cataloging & Metadata Dashboard must be updated annually to feature a new Cataloging Statistics tab for the next fiscal year (FY). This typically occurs during the final days of June to be ready for the beginning of July. The following instructions outline the various steps required to perform this update:

Create new analysis files
1. Cataloging statistics analysis files are located in the directory /Shared Folders/Vanderbilt University 01VAN_Inst/Dashboards/Cataloging & Metadata. Two new analyses must be created every year:
  1. Cataloging stats—YYYY Fiscal Year—Dashboard View
  2. Recataloging stats—YYYY Fiscal Year—Dashboard View
2. Typically, one can open the most recent version of one of these, and immediately SAVE AS with a new filename before any actual edits are made to the data. One does not want to overwrite the past year’s data.
3. Edit the Title to reflect the desired fiscal year.
4. Click on the Criteria tab and make edits to the following data:
  1. Filters area
    1. All years in the code here have to be updated to reflect the desired fiscal year (e.g., 072025 must be changed to 072026 and 052026 must be changed to 052027). There are 24 such changes that must be made.
  2. Year-Month
    1. Under Bibliographic Details, click on the gear icon next to “Year-Month”, then Edit formula.
    2. Click on the Bins tab.
    3. Each one of these “bins” must be updated to reflect the desired fiscal year in the coding, and the display must be updated as well. There are 24 such changes that must be made.
  3. Cataloger
    1. Click on the gear icon next to “Cataloger”, then Edit formula
    2. Click on the Bins tab
    3. This list must be updated annually to reflect the current staff at the beginning of the next fiscal year and their cataloging abbreviations.
  4. Cataloging Department
    1. Click on the gear icon next to “Cataloging Department”, then Edit formula
    2. Click on the Bins tab
    3. This list must be updated annually to align current staff and their cataloging abbreviations with which department they work in. Mind that staff working in the same department have the labels uniformly applied. This list is typically the following:
      1. Baker (Acquisitions)
      2. Baker (Cataloging)
      3. Baker (E-Resources)
      4. Biomedical Library
      5. Central Library
      6. Central (LTAS)
      7. Divinity Library
      8. Law Library
      9. Music Library
      10. Special Collections
    4. Note: Although data for Cataloger and MMS ID are accounted for in these analyses, they are not set to automatically display in the dashboard unless a user specifically sets them to do so. This is mainly to reduce the size of the display to the most essential information.
    5. Save file.
    6. These changes must be made in files for both Cataloging and Recataloging.
Update Cataloging & Metadata dashboard
1. On the Cataloging & Metadata dashboard, click on the gear icon on the upper right and Edit Dashboard.
2. Click nearby icon to Add Subpage, and name it for the next fiscal year. This new page should appear by default at the end of the menu of fiscal years.
3. Click on the gear icon, and select Dashboard Properties.
4. Scroll down to the new subpage, select it, and click the navigation arrows to the right to move it to its desired position in the lineup.
5. Back on the currently blank page, create two columns by clicking Column on the left-hand menu and dropping them next to one another.
6. Using the same method, drop a Section in each column.
7. To populate the Sections with the new analyses, locate them through the Catalog directory on the left-hand side of the screen, navigating to Shared Folders/Vanderbilt University 01VAN_Inst/Dashboards/Cataloging & Metadata. Select the appropriate analyses and drop them into the two sections on the subpage.
8. Save.
On the second workday of July, consult this new dashboard page to ensure that new data is being added appropriately.