Blog from October, 2018

Project Management

  • Ex Libris will be migrating internal users to a commercial identity service supported by ExL in January 2019. All authentication flows will be supported (Alma, Primo, PDS, APIs) and internal users will continue to be supported using this service.

    • Users will be migrated to the new identity service the first time they log into Primo or Alma. They will be asked to update their password if it doesn’t meet the new password strength policy.

    • If they have no password, they can reset through the email “Forgot Your Password?” mechanism.

    • Users will see a few new screens during migration, labels on these may be customized, and they will only be seen if the existing password does not meet new password requirements.

    • Access to labels will be available during November 2018 Primo update. XSL and labels for password reset email can also be customized after this release.

  • A reminder to check your SalesForce cases weekly (or more often) for cases in “Pending Customer Response” or “Pending Customer Testing”. These will not move forward without a response from the case owner via case comment.


Analytics

Working Group

  • Provided feedback to COLD's SPIRIT (Shared Print Initiative) task force regarding the kind of data Alma Analytics could provide in support of a shared print program. SPIRIT is evaluating how analytics should be used to support shared print decisions.

  • The Analytics Collection Development task force is working on a dashboard of the most commonly requested reports. The focus is on actionable reports that could be run by staff with Analytics roles at the request of selectors and other specialists. Work is in early stages with task force members soliciting reports from campuses and contributing to a common folder.

  • An SRU task group (Lauren Magnuson (CSUSM) and Jeremy Hobbs (CPSLO)) has formed and is looking at how best to support SRU (Search/Retrieve via URL) applications and Analytics query enrichment at all campuses, with the end goal of creating a user-friendly web application.

  • The most recent Alma update introduced a serious defect in Analytics and SRU data, causing Group Member data to become unavailable. This prevented campuses from running reports that captured e-resources managed for them in the NZ. Ex Libris rapidly resolved the Analytics defect but is still working on the SRU problem.

  • Nikki presented an hour of Network Zone Analytics training at the Southern California Technical Services Meeting. Slides with step-by-step instructions for three report scenarios are available here.


Resource Management

Chancellor’s Office

  • Orientation for new members for Primo norm rules task force has begun

  • Creating google form to gather data for Primo relevancy task force

  • Exploring feasibility of managing online, Calif. gov docs centrally, similar to Marcive Documents without Shelves (U.S. federal government publications).

Working Group

  • Adding more how-to, instructional documentation to ULMS wiki

    • ex: how to copy catalog, how to create prediction patterns in Alma

  • Concluded SoCal Technical Services meeting at CSUN

    • looking for libraries willing to host the next one

  • Exploring Alma workflows for moving large numbers from one library/location to another

  • NACO funnel: the CSU is currently in the review phase where name authority records created and edited by CSU catalogers is reviewed by more experienced NACO catalogers

Acquisitions & ERM

Chancellor’s Office

  • Testing Alma Trials and creating supporting documentation

    • Will present how to set up Trials at the October 25th Tech Services Open Forum

    • Will discuss with SDLC how we can implement Alma trials to replace or supplement the current Trial workflow

  • Creating new How-to documents for the Acquisitions and ERM wiki page

    • Creating documentation to support the “Getting Started” documentation

  • Contributing to the Acquisition and ERM new staff “Getting Started” documentation

  • Continue to send out weekly ERM Updates to Tech Services

    • Updates include new e-collections that have been added to the NZ

      • Includes changes to e-collections

    • Updates on negotiated licenses that include the latest subscriptions costs

    • Changes to resources site, mainly changes to proxy server settings, platform changes or changes from http to https

Working Group

  • Adding more How-to documents to the Acquisitions and ERM wiki

    • Updating archived Tech Services/Acquisitions/ERM documents and posted to the ACQ/ERM How-to list of documents

      • Alma icons-there are new icon for the new Alma UI

    • New documents being added to support the Getting Started document

  • Updating the Acquisitions and ERM new staff “Getting Started” document

    • Document will link to existing training documents, videos and open forum presentations to help new staff located helpful documents to become acquainted with Alma and PCI

  • Creating new presentations for Tech Services Open Forums

    • Presentations will have more advanced training for Alma functions

      • Present creative solutions for Alma functions

      • Present on the relationship between Alma e-collections and the PCI records

  • Do an environmental scan of acquisitions and ERM workflows in current practice

    • Collect the workflows and share practices with libraries

      • CSUS gave a presentation on their local investigation of workflows and the changes they have implemented since switching from a single Alma installation to the consortial installation

  • Some members of the committee presented at the Southern California Tech Services meeting

    • Presentations will be shared at Tech Services Open Forums for those who were unable to attend


Resource Sharing

Chancellor’s Office

  • Ongoing: troubleshooting CSU+ issues. Submitting and monitoring related cases.

  • Working with individual campuses on analytics queries for monthly/annual resource sharing reporting and creating dashboards for internal department reporting.

  • Analytics/RS task force: refining reports identifying items that have been in transit or on the hold shelf or in another status for too long. Also working on reports that identify top titles requested, rejected and items never picked up by patrons.

  • Researching how other consortia and resource sharing systems have defined their resource sharing strategic priorities and measures of success.

Working Group

  • Completed and rolled out courier issue reporting form. Form contents will be e-mailed to the courier and two contacts from the RSFC who will track the number and nature of problems reported along with whether or not the vendor resolved the problem.

  • Tested feature of the October release to understand how it works: Check for Duplicates When Creating Borrowing Requests. Will craft a description and recommendation of when campuses should activate the option.

  • Exploring the option of using ILLiad as a last resort for resource sharing requests in Alma instead of cancelling the request and asking patrons to re-submit via ILLiad.

  • Investigating patron data sharing issues between campuses for the purpose of creating walk-in patron records. Documenting process of creating patron records that allow the patron to use all the features of OneSearch at the visiting campus.

  • Damaged item workflow completed and will be posted on the wiki shortly.

  • Posted list of system-wide replacement copy policies.

Fulfillment

Chancellor’s Office

  • Working closely with the committee on strategic goals document


Working Group

  • Continued work on strategic goals document

  • Defining action items and projects that can support outlined goals

  • Expanding list of processes to demonstrate at open forums

Discovery

Working Group

  • User Experience and Development Task Force

    • Task force members will continue the work from the prior AY and analyze new UX findings to produce recommendations. Recommendations will be presented at open forums to gather feedback.

    • The three projects that the task force is working on are completion of Primo UI Environmental Scan (non-CSU institutions), updates to CSU Survey of Primo UIs, and review of AY 2017-18 UX multi-campus study. Will also review findings of Chico UX study.

  • Analytics Joint Task Force

    • Will meet in the second half of October.

  • Relevancy Ranking Task Force

    • Brandon and Marcus are leading a joint task force to address search results relevance ranking issues.

  • UResolver Task Force

    • David Walker to discuss project goals with ULMS Fulfillment Functional Committee and ULMS Acquisitions & E-Resource Management and request a call for volunteers.

    • Aiming to have volunteers from Fulfillment and ERM by end of October.

    • Task force met to discuss project parameters. Next steps is for TF members to explore how we might go about developing a better Uresolver.

  • An open forum will be scheduled for mid-November.