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WRLC - Retention Copy Analysis Tool

At a glance

  • Status: Active
  • Environment / Tags: Analytics
  • Applies consortium-wide?: Yes (Inferred)
  • Runs on: Alma Network Zone (NZ) (Inferred)
  • Trigger: Manual web form—runs when a user submits a barcode
  • Primary outcome: Displays all copies of a title (same Network ID) along with retention and processing details
  • Who receives results: The user who submitted the form (interactive display in browser)

Why this exists

When evaluating retention commitments across the consortium, staff need to understand how many copies of a title exist and which institution is responsible for retaining them.

This workflow provides a quick way to analyze all copies tied to the same Network ID (i.e., the same bibliographic record or edition). It helps staff:

  • Identify which institution has committed to retain a title
  • Review retention decisions before making changes
  • Understand duplication across partner libraries
  • Support retention reassignment workflows

What it does

  • Presents a web form asking the user to enter a barcode
  • Uses the barcode to look up the associated item in Alma Analytics
  • Extracts the Network ID (shared bibliographic identifier) for that item
  • Uses the Network ID to retrieve all matching copies across the consortium
  • Pulls detailed data for each copy, including:
    • Title
    • Barcode
    • Process type (e.g., item status)
    • Retention commitment status
    • Retention reason
    • Call number
    • Fulfillment note
    • Institution name
  • Formats results into a table for easy review
  • Displays the results directly in the browser
  • Shows an error message if no valid Network ID is found

Where it runs

  • Alma IZ(s):
    • Network Zone (NZ)
  • Systems touched:
    • Alma Analytics (reporting system used to query library data)
    • n8n web form interface
  • Reports / queries used:
    • /shared/Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) Network/Reports/CannedReports
      • Retention Reassignment Form - Barcode Lookup
      • Retention Reassignment Form

How it works

Logic overview

  1. User submits a barcode via the form
  2. Workflow runs Barcode Lookup report to retrieve item data
  3. Extracts the Network ID from the result
  4. Runs a second Analytics query using that Network ID to find all related copies
  5. Branches based on whether the Network ID lookup succeeds

If results exist

  • All matching copies (same Network ID) are displayed in a table
  • Each row includes:
    • Title
    • Barcode
    • Process type
    • Retention commitment (Yes/No)
    • Retention reason
    • Call number
    • Fulfillment note
    • Owning institution
  • A total result count is shown at the top

If no results

  • If the Network ID cannot be found or is invalid:

    • User sees an error message:

      “Your item does not appear to have a valid network ID. You may need to do a more detailed search in Alma.”

  • If no matching copies are returned:
    • The table displays:
      “No results found.”

Artifacts produced

  • No files generated
  • Output is a dynamic HTML results page displayed immediately to the user
  • Includes a restart option to run another search

Inferences / verification notes

  • Consortium-wide scope: Inferred from use of Network Zone Analytics reports and inclusion of institution names in output.
  • Runs on Network Zone: Inferred from credential label “NZ Production - Alma APIs - Read Only” and report paths.
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