diff --git a/lib/elastic-search/index-schema.js b/lib/elastic-search/index-schema.js
index 3041b51..e162b16 100644
--- a/lib/elastic-search/index-schema.js
+++ b/lib/elastic-search/index-schema.js
@@ -288,6 +288,10 @@ exports.schema = () => ({
       accessMessage: propertyTemplates.entity,
       accessMessage_packed: propertyTemplates.packed,
       aeonUrl: propertyTemplates.exactString,
+      buildingLocationId: {
+        type: 'keyword',
+        eager_global_ordinals: true
+      },
       catalogItemType: propertyTemplates.entity,
       catalogItemType_packed: propertyTemplates.packed,
       collectionId: {
diff --git a/lib/es-models/bib.js b/lib/es-models/bib.js
index 8a94505..ef485d3 100644
--- a/lib/es-models/bib.js
+++ b/lib/es-models/bib.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class EsBib extends EsBase {
   }
 
   /**
-  * Set of distinct research center location ids, e.g. ['rc', 'ma']
+  * Set of distinct research center location ids from bib's items, e.g. ['rc', 'ma']
   */
   buildingLocationIds () {
     if (this.bib.isPartnerRecord()) {
@@ -56,14 +56,9 @@ class EsBib extends EsBase {
       const items = this.items()
       return unique(
         items
-          // Filter on items with a holdingLocation:
-          .filter((item) => item.holdingLocation() && item.holdingLocation().length)
-          // Translate holdingLocation into plain id:
-          .map((item) => item.holdingLocation()[0].id.split(':').pop())
-          // Translate into parent id:
-          .map((locationId) => locationId.substring(0, 2))
-          // Restrict to known Research parent locations:
-          .filter((id) => ['ma', 'pa', 'sc', 'rc', 'bu'].includes(id))
+          .map((item) => item.buildingLocationId && item.buildingLocationId())
+          .flat()
+          .filter(Boolean)
       )
     }
   }
diff --git a/lib/es-models/item.js b/lib/es-models/item.js
index c701738..4ee9504 100644
--- a/lib/es-models/item.js
+++ b/lib/es-models/item.js
@@ -46,6 +46,18 @@ class EsItem extends BaseItemMixin(EsBase) {
     return aeonUrl ? [aeonUrl] : null
   }
 
+  buildingLocationId () {
+    const holdingLoc = this.holdingLocation && this.holdingLocation()
+    if (holdingLoc && holdingLoc.length) {
+      const loc = holdingLoc[0].id.split(':').pop()
+      const parentLoc = loc.substring(0, 2)
+      if (['ma', 'pa', 'sc', 'rc', 'bu'].includes(parentLoc)) {
+        return [parentLoc]
+      }
+    }
+    return null
+  }
+
   catalogItemType () {
     const itemType = this.item.getItemType()
 
diff --git a/test/unit/es-item.test.js b/test/unit/es-item.test.js
index 2e32334..11f6b06 100644
--- a/test/unit/es-item.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/es-item.test.js
@@ -58,6 +58,24 @@ describe('EsItem', function () {
     })
   })
 
+  describe('buildingLocationId', function () {
+    it('returns building location based on item holding location', function () {
+      const record = new SierraItem(require('../fixtures/item-14441624.json'))
+      const esItem = new EsItem(record)
+      expect(esItem.buildingLocationId()).to.deep.equal(['ma'])
+    })
+
+    it('returns null if item holding location does not map to a building locatin', function () {
+      const fakeRecord = new SierraItem({
+        id: '1234',
+        nyplSource: 'sierra-nypl',
+        location: { code: 'zzzzz' }
+      })
+      const esItem = new EsItem(fakeRecord)
+      expect(esItem.buildingLocationId()).to.equal(null)
+    })
+  })
+
   describe('catalogItemType', function () {
     it('should return mapped item type if present', function () {
       const record = new SierraItem(require('../fixtures/item-17145801.json'))