Subworkflow – Add WRLC Retention

This subworkflow applies a WRLC retention commitment to a specified item by setting the retention-related fields in Alma for a given barcode and institution. 

 At a glance 

 

 

 Status: Inactive ( parent workflow is Active) 

 

 

 Applies consortium-wide?: Yes  

 

 

 Runs on: Alma Institution Zones via Network routing  

 

 

 Trigger: Executed by another workflow (subworkflow only; no independent trigger) 

 

 

 Primary outcome: Marks an item as committed to WRLC retention in Alma. 

 

 

 Who receives results: No direct output; results are returned to the calling workflow. 

 

 

 

 Why this exists 

 WRLC retention commitments are recorded at the item level in Alma using structured retention fields. When an item is designated for WRLC retention, those fields must be set consistently across institutions. 

 This subworkflow standardizes how retention commitments are applied, ensuring that parent workflows can add WRLC retention flags in a consistent and reusable way without duplicating logic. 

 

 What it does 

 

 

 Receives input from a parent workflow . 

 

 

 Preserves the incoming barcode and institution code for reporting. 

 

 

 Routes the API call to the correct Alma Institution Zone. 

 

 

 Retrieves the item by barcode. 

 

 

 Sets WRLC retention-related fields. 

 

 

 Writes the updated item back to Alma. 

 

 

 Returns the updated item data to the calling workflow. 

 

 

 

 Where it runs 

 

 

 Alma IZ(s): 

 

 

 Dynamically determined via _institutionCode passed from the parent workflow. 

 

 

 

 

 Systems touched: 

 

 

 Alma APIs (item retrieval and update) 

 

 

 Alma Network routing node 

 

 

 

 

 Reports / queries used: None 

 

 

 

 How it works 

 Logic overview 

 1. Trigger (Subworkflow Execution) 

 

 

 Starts via “When Executed by Another Workflow.” 

 

 

 Requires input fields: 

 

 

 Barcode 

 

 

 Institution Code 

 

 

 

 

 If these fields are missing, the workflow may fail or route incorrectly. 

 

 2. Preserve Input 

 The “Stash barcode” code node: 

 

 

 Copies: 

 

 

 Barcode 

 

 

 Institution Code 

 

 

 

 

 Stores them internally as: 

 

 

 _inputBarcode 

 

 

 _institutionCode 

 

 

 

 

 This ensures the calling workflow can reference the original input values for error handling or reporting. 

 

 3. Route to Correct Institution 

 The Alma Network node: 

 

 

 Uses _institutionCode to dynamically select the appropriate Institution Zone. 

 

 

 Does not target all network members. 

 

 

 ⚠️ If _institutionCode is incorrect or missing, the API call may fail or affect the wrong IZ. 

 

 4. Retrieve Item 

 

 

 Calls Alma API: 

 

 

 GET /almaws/v1/items 

 

 

 Uses the provided barcode. 

 

 

 

 

 Always outputs data (even on error), allowing the parent workflow to handle failures. 

 

 

 

 5. Apply WRLC Retention Fields 

 The “Add WRLC Retention Code” node updates: 

 

 

 item_data.committed_to_retain 

 

 

 Sets value = true 

 

 

 Sets desc = "Yes" 

 

 

 

 

 item_data.retention_reason 

 

 

 Sets value = WRLCRetentionDONOTDELETE 

 

 

 Sets desc = "WRLC Retention" 

 

 

 

 

 item_data.retention_note 

 

 

 Sets to empty string 

 

 

 

 

 ⚠️ Important behaviors: 

 

 

 This workflow does not validate whether the item is already marked as retained. 

 

 

 It forcibly sets the retention-related fields. 

 

 

 It assumes the Alma item structure includes: 

 

 

 item_data.committed_to_retain 

 

 

 item_data.retention_reason 

 

 

 

 

 If Alma’s API structure changes, this node may fail. 

 

 6. Update Item 

 

 

 Calls Alma API: 

 

 

 PUT /almaws/v1/bibs/{mms_id}/holdings/{holding_id}/items/{item_pid} 

 

 

 

 

 Writes the modified item back to Alma. 

 

 

 

 If results exist 

 

 

 The item is marked as committed to WRLC retention. 

 

 

 Retention reason is set to WRLCRetentionDONOTDELETE (WRLC Retention) . 

 

 

 Updated item JSON is returned to the parent workflow. 

 

 

 No independent notifications are sent. 

 

 

 If no results 

 

 

 If the barcode is invalid or retrieval fails: 

 

 

 The workflow still outputs data (due to continueRegularOutput ). 

 

 

 Error handling must be managed by the parent workflow. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Artifacts produced 

 

 

 Updated Alma item record with WRLC retention applied. 

 

 

 No sets, reports, spreadsheets, or email notifications.