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Secondary Resource Types

Summary : 

In August of 2022, Ex Libris introduced a new feature for Primo VE - secondary resource types. This feature allows records to have at least two resource types. The main resource type will continue to appear in the record view in Primo. The secondary resource type allows records to be found using filters and search pre-filters.


WRLC configured secondary resource types for records of government documents in the WRLC Network Zone. The secondary resource type of Government Document is applied to the following main resource types:

  • Audios

  • Books

  • Computer Files

  • Images

  • Journals

  • Maps

  • Video/Film


The mapping for government document uses the 008 code for government documents (position 28) with the following regular expression string:


^.{28}[acfilmos].*


Because this is configured in the Network Zone, it is only applicable to Network Zone records. If your institution would like to recreate these configurations for Institution Zone records, the settings would need to be configured in your Institution Zone.


Once saved, the secondary resource type is automatically added to new records. In order to apply the label to pre-existing records in the catalog, a Recalculate Local Resource Type job must be run on the pertinent records; this job re-indexes the records for Primo VE, thereby updating their labels.


Institution Zone Instructions :

Use the following instructions below if you wish to recreate the NZ settings in your own IZ

User Roles Needed :

  • Discovery - Administrator

  • Catalog Administrator OR Catalog Manager


Instructions :


  1. Configure secondary resource types

    1. Go to Configuration > Discovery > Search Configuration > Secondary Resource Type

    2. Follow the steps below (1.b.i - 1.b.ix) for each of the Main Resource Types listed in the summary section above:

      1. Select Add Secondary Resource Type

      2. Choose the Main Resource Types from the list in the summary above

      3. Choose the Secondary Resource Type of Government Documents

  1. Under Mapping from MARC Records, select Add Condition

  2. For the MARC Field and Subfield, type 008

  3. For the Value in MARC Field, copy and paste the regular expression : ^.{28}[acfilmos].*

  4. For Use Regular Expression, click the checkmark

  5. Select Add Condition

  1. Select Save at the top right-hand side of the screen to save the Secondary Resource Type rule

  2. Repeat these steps for each of the Main Resource Types listed in the Summary portion of this document.



  1. Create an indication rule to find Institution Zone records cataloged as government documents

    1. Go to the Metadata Editor

    2. In the upper left-hand corner, select Rules and then select Indication to view all Indication Rules

    3. Search for the Indication Rule titled Government Documents. Right-click on the name of the rule, then choose Duplicate

  1. A Duplicate Rule save page will appear. Click Save.

  2. The new indication rule is saved to the Institution Zone, and can be used on Institution Zone records.



  1. Filter all Institution Zone records by the Government Documents indication rule

    1. Perform an Advanced Search in Alma by clicking the magnifying glass icon in the top left-hand corner of the Alma homepage

    2. Select an All Titles search

    3. Choose the parameters Is Linked Equals No, then click Search

  1. Once the results are listed, select Save and Filter Query

  1. Type in a Set Name

  2. Select Save and Filter

  3. Choose the Indication Rule created earlier, then select Filter Set

  1. Select Confirm to filter the set


  1. Run the Recalculate local resource types job on the above filtered set

    1. Once the filtered set has been created, go to Admin > Run a Job

    2. Select the Recalculate Local Resource Types job from the Job List, then select Next

    3. Select the filtered set created earlier, then select Next

    4. Select Submit



Alma Resources :



Posted 09/19/2022 by Jackie Saavedra (WRLC Network Zone Manager)

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