FAQs

Description templates are configured to standardize serial/continuous serial item description creation in Alma. Item descriptions are created based on ANSI NISO standards (Table 3.1) or on an institution's internal policy. 

Description Templates are applied in the order they are configured. The default Description Template will be applied if Description Templates are not configured and/or the item description does not meet the configured Description Template's criteria. Arrows can be used to move the configured Description Templates up and down.
 

One of the following roles is required to configure description templates in Alma:

• Repository Administrator
• Catalog Administrator
• General Administrator

To Configure Description Templates:

1. Standard
2. Months/season to display as text instead of numeric value

Standard:

1. Go to Configuration Menu>Resources>General>Description Templates
2. Click Add Rule
3. The Description Template Setup screen opens
   • Name: [Name the template]
   • Description: [Optional]
   • Click Add Parameter 
     • Name: [Select the enum or chron necessary)
     • Operator: [Select “is not empty’]
     • Click Add Parameter
   • Output Parameters: [Populate the parameters for the way the enum/chron should display]
     • Values are added in the prefixes and suffixes
     • Spaces can be added in the prefixes and suffixes to separate values
   • Click Save
   • Repeat steps 2-3 for each description template being configured
   • Use the arrows to change the order of the Description Templates as needed
     

Months/season to display as text instead of numeric value:

A description template must be configured for each month (or season) per enumeration and chronology for the month to display instead of the numeric equivalent (12 per description template). The Description Template rules can be duplicated to speed up the process.
 

1. Go to Configuration Menu>Resources>General>Description Templates
2. Click Add Rule
3. The Description Template Setup screen opens
   • Name: [Name the template]
   • Description: [Optional]
   • Click Add Parameter 
     • For all enum and chron except the value used for month or season display:
       • Name: [Select the enum or chron]
       • Operator: [Select “is not empty’]
       • Click Add Parameter
     • For the value being used for month or season display:
       • Name: [Select the enum or chron]
       • Operator: [Select “equals’]
       • Value: [Type numeric value of the month or season]
       • Click Add Parameter
     • Output Parameters: [Populate the parameters for the way the enum/chron should display]
       • Values are added in the prefixes and suffixes
       • Spaces can be added in the prefixes and suffixes to separate values
       • Do not add the enum or chron field for the month or season configured in the Input parameters
       • Type the month or season in the prefix prior to the enum or chron it will precede or the suffix for the enum or chron prior to it
   • Click Duplicate from description template that was just created to display the month or season
   • Edit the Name
   • Edit the enum or chron Input Parameter value for the month or season
   • Edit the prefix or suffix with the new month abbreviation or name of the season
   • Click Save
   • Repeat steps 4-8 until the description template has been configured for each month or season
   • Use the arrows to change the order of the Description Templates as needed
      

Text description for a month where the month to display as text when there is another level of enumeration:

Text description for a month where the month to display as text is the last enumeration field:

Ex Libris Documentation: How to make the enumeration level b numeric value appear as text in the item description