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OCLC Multi Match List Page

Automatically generates a daily Excel report of all OCLC multi-match bibliographic records from the previous day’s NZ import jobs.

At a glance

  • Status: Active

  • Environment / Tags: Network Zone

  • Applies consortium-wide?: Yes (The workflow operates in the Alma Network Zone and reports on Network Zone import jobs.)

  • Runs on: Alma Network Zone (NZ)

  • Trigger: Scheduled — runs daily at 10:30 PM

  • Primary outcome: Generates a spreadsheet listing all OCLC multi-match bibliographic records from the previous day’s import jobs.

  • Who receives results: No direct notification; results are written to a shared Excel workbook.

Why this exists

When OCLC import jobs encounter multi-matches, Alma cannot automatically determine which existing record should be updated. These records require review.

This workflow creates a structured, review-ready spreadsheet listing all multi-match records from the previous day’s OCLC import jobs, including:

  • OCLC number

  • Network ID

  • Institution holdings

  • Import profile type

  • Title

This supports consortium-level quality control and faster resolution of ambiguous matches.

What it does

  • Runs nightly.

  • Identifies specific OCLC import jobs by job ID.

  • Retrieves completed job instances from the previous day.

  • Excludes FTP-related job variants.

  • Retrieves all multi-match records from those jobs.

  • Splits comma-separated Network IDs into one row per record.

  • Retrieves full NZ bib records for each match.

  • Parses MARC XML to extract:

    • First 035$a OCLC number

    • All AVA fields (institution holdings)

  • Produces one row per holding per bib.

  • Removes duplicate institution holdings.

  • Creates a new dated worksheet in Excel.

  • Appends formatted rows to a structured table.

Where it runs

  • Alma IZ(s):

    • Alma Network Zone

  • Systems touched:

    • Alma APIs (read-only for job data and matches; read/write for bib retrieval)

    • Microsoft Excel (Office 365)

  • Reports / queries used: None (operates directly on Alma job APIs)

How it works

Logic overview

1. Schedule & Date Setup

  • Runs daily at 10:30 PM.

  • Calculates yesterday’s date.

  • Uses that date to retrieve completed job instances.

2. Identify Relevant Import Jobs

  • Uses a hard-coded list of OCLC import job IDs.

  • Retrieves job instances submitted yesterday.

  • Keeps only those with status COMPLETED_SUCCESS.

  • Filters out instances whose name contains “w/FTP:”.

⚠️ If import profile IDs change, this workflow must be updated.

3. Retrieve Multi-Match Records

  • Calls Alma’s job matches endpoint with population = MULTI_MATCHES.

  • Extracts:

    • Incoming record ID

    • MMS Ids (comma-separated list)

    • Job name (used to determine import type)

    • Submission date

  • Determines Import Type (Deleted, Merged, New, Updated) using pattern matching on job name.

⚠️ If naming conventions change, import type detection may break.

4. Separate Network IDs

  • Splits comma-separated MMS IDs into one row per Network ID.

  • This is required for downstream bib-level processing.

5. Retrieve and Parse Bib Records

For each Network ID:

  • Retrieves the full NZ bib record.

  • Parses MARC XML using regex to extract:

    • First 035$a beginning with (OCoLC)

    • All AVA fields:

      • subfield 0 → MMS Id (institution-level)

      • subfield a → Institution code

Returns one row per AVA field (institution holding).

⚠️ Assumptions:

  • MARC structure remains consistent.

  • Only the first (OCoLC) number is used.

  • Regex-based MARC parsing may fail if XML structure changes.

6. Normalize and Deduplicate

  • Merges import metadata with parsed MARC data.

  • Removes duplicate rows based on MMS Id (institution holding).

  • Prepares structured fields for Excel.

7. Excel Output

For each run:

  1. Creates a new worksheet named with yesterday’s date (yyyy-MM-dd).

  2. Waits 15 seconds (ensures Excel sheet creation completes).

  3. Appends a header row.

  4. Creates a table.

  5. Appends all processed rows.

Columns written:

  • Network Id

  • OCLC Number in Alma

  • Incoming Record Id

  • Title

  • MMS Id

  • Institution

  • Import Profile

  • Import Date

Network IDs and MMS IDs are written as text to prevent numeric reformatting.

If results exist

  • A new worksheet is created for the date.

  • Each multi-match record appears as one row per institution holding.

  • Spreadsheet becomes a permanent audit record for review.

If no results

  • A new worksheet is still created.

  • Only the header row is present.

  • No data rows are appended.

Artifacts produced

  • Excel workbook:
    OCLC Multi Match List

  • One worksheet per day.

  • Structured table with normalized fields.

No emails or additional reports are generated.

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