Below are questions that were sent to the Acq Task Force directly. Since odds are that multiple people are wondering these same things, we're posting them here. Interested in the cross-topic Basecamp Q&A page? Go here. For Acquisitions-specific questions, see below.
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This section explains the setup for "Real-time Acquisitions" (which includes the GobiAPI) from the institution perspective. When you log in to the developer's network, you'll be able access/generate you campus's API key.
Q: We are trying to set up the GobiAPI and have questions about the 980 & 981 fields. Do we still use those for invoice information (fund, invoice #, price, etc.)?
A: the OrbisCascade documentation has confused some on this point. At SJSU, the data in these fields was used to inform the Sierra load tables, which then created our order and brief bibs with the right data and statuses. We confirmed with Dan Miller at YBP that this data in the 980/981 is no longer necessary in Alma.
Q: Is the CO going to help fund the GobiAPI for campuses?
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Q: Have you discussed how to record vendor’s change Tax IDs? What if a vendor has more than one code? Do you just add a note for the historical code to that vendor record?
A: First, you may want to take a look (if you haven't already) at the Ex Libris doc on Managing Vendors and a 5 minute training video on Vendors.
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In the case of a particular vendor (with change of TIN, for example,) depending on those local CFS supplier rules, the "Additional Code" field in the Vendor Summary Tab could also be used to list an associated TIN, or you could use the Notes Tab to record anything you want about a vendor, including old TINs. These would not be true links where you could use it to click from one vendor record to the other, but could be a way to track those associations.
At SJSU, we will usually update a vendor (rather than create a totally new one and new vendor ID) if the vendor's TIN is the same and it the name or address is just being adjusted. There are cases where we might create a new one if there are a lot of changes at once, but updating seems to be acceptable for most changes to existing vendors.
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There's the option in Alma vendor records to store multiple addresses (and phone #'s, etc.) You can mark one address as "preferred" to function as the default.
If the vendor changes entirely with a new TIN and everything then we would create the new vendor in the system and make the now-defunct vendor "inactive." We will likely use the "Notes" tab to record a connection between the old and new vendors.
Q: How you are handing the fiscal close? When will you close III/Sierra and when will you start using ALMA? Any information and feedback you can provide would be helpful.
A: Some libraries plan on completely closing out the fiscal year early in their soon-to-be-old ILS, and then starting with the new year in Alma sometime after go live, from immediately after to a few months down the road. Some plan not to pay invoices for a while, which might involve notifying vendors/or arranging to get the invoices early to include them before we close this year, etc.
At San Jose, we are in the 3rd group to cutover, so our data will be extracted from Sierra around May 21st or so. We know we won't have absolutely all invoices paid by that time, so we will need to track whatever happens after the extract to update in Alma when we go live. (since we are migrating open orders.) But we are hoping to get as much paid in Sierra as we can, track the rest, and update in Alma as things are received and paid (once we're live.)
We are planning to run Fiscal Close in Sierra during the tech freeze. We will be populating our funds in Alma from scratch, so that's not a problem. Our fund codes are migrating, but no balances.
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