OpenURL, Proxy, and Discovery Interface Display Logic in the IZ
Background
This document addresses best practices for openURL, proxy, and Discovery Interface Display Logic (General Electronic Services, Related Records, Display Logic Rules) primarily in the IZ. Many of these tasks were managed in SFX. In Alma, they are managed in the Fulfillment Configuration Menu. The document SFX to Alma Migration Guide may be helpful in understanding services done in SFX and the equivalent functionality in the Alma/Primo solution. ER staff may need to consult with Systems, Fulfillment as well as Discovery to set up and maintain the processes described in this best practice document.
This relates to the management of electronic resources for each CSU IZ using Model 1 (the local acquisition, licensing and e-resource management by the individual libraries). The openURL, proxy, and Discovery Interface Display Logic are driving forces behind display and access of electronic resources. It is essential to have recommendations and best practices that allow us to customize and maximize the system for the benefit of staff and library users.
OpenURL
- Alma's UResolver complies with 0.1 and 1.0 OpenURL (Sept 2016). The goal of the Alma Link Resolver is to provide patrons access to electronic resources that they have identified using OpenURL-compliant discovery tools such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Primo, etc.
- As a link resolver, Alma provides services for searches performed in sources other than Alma. Alma’s link resolver uses the Services Page view (which is defined in Primo) in order to display these services.
- The Link Resolver Base URL consists of the following parameters: https://<Primo_domain>/openurl/<Alma_institution_code>/<view_code>? This same URL is also available in Alma by navigating to General Config menu > General Config > Other settings > Primo service page url.
- The Alma resolver augmentation function is a component of the Alma Link Resolver process that enhances OpenURL metadata with DOI, OAI, and PubMed information. We recommend that you implement this, a one time only task. Look under General Configuration > Integration Profiles > Add Integration Profile. Note: Ask Jessica at CO for CrossRef details.
- Alma supports the ability to check the validity of the full-text URL before presenting it to the end user through the View It services menu. This functionality is only available for EBSCOhost – The EBSCO Link Resolver Plugin. In an NZ environment, the Link Resolver Plugin integration profile must be created for the network institution and for all the member institutions. We recommend that you agree to let Jessica implement this plugin for you.
- If you need to provide an openURL when submitting support cases, this Ex Libris document (How to Extract OpenURL) explains how to extract an openURL from Primo, Alma and Google Scholar.
Proxy
- Proxy is configured in Alma on the General Configuration page (Administration > General Configuration > Configuration Menu), click Integration Profiles under External Systems.
- Most institutions use a single proxy server, in which case one proxy profile should be defined. If an institution uses several proxy servers, a proxy profile should be defined for each proxy server.
- This chart is helpful in understanding the effect of proxy enabled at the collection, service and portfolio levels. Portfolios inherit the proxy-enabled setting from the service-level, proxy-enabled setting to which they are attached. As a result, you do not need to set a portfolio-level proxy-enabled setting unless you want it to be something different from the service-level setting.
- Which proxy setting is best for you? We recommend: Selective – This proxy is used for resources where EnableProxy=Yes and this proxy is selected (this is equivalent to selecting Always for a non-default proxy). This option takes into account that most of us have open access collections and thus, will not apply the proxy.
Discovery Interface Display Logic
In Alma, most electronic resources configuration options having to do with display in Primo are found in the Fulfillment Configuration Menu > Discovery Interface Display Logic (image of menu below). Most options/features/services/labels you see in the Primo View It and Get It windows are determined by how you configure and order the items you see in the menu below.
General Electronic Services
Some things to know:
- GES redirects the user to an external source whereas Display Logic determines what to show/hide in Primo.
- To configure these tables requires System Administrator or Fulfillment Administrator roles.
- Note: View It is limited to 25 resources (services and databases).
GES examples
- Look it up in Amazon (Note: Consortial agreement to turn off the Amazon GES in Primo Back Office)
- Ask a Librarian
- ProQuest Dissertations (should already be implemented)
- ERIC
- Search Google Scholar
You might choose to have Ask a Librarian for the Get It window and a separate GES Report a Problem that only displays for electronic resources (the View It window). The KB has some documentation about creating a web based form (How to create a "Report a Problem" link to be included in the "Get It" or "View It" menus, including the OpenURL?) but we found this Developer Network Tech Blog by our own Ian Chan (CSU San Marcos) about creating a UResolver form to be really helpful. Note that Ian’s form includes some information reflective of their local situation, where it sends an email to their ticketing system; so other campuses may not need all of that information. SJSU and CSUSB for instance have the form emailed to the appropriate staff. You can see CSUSB’s adaptation in action on any View It menu, where it is labeled as “Report a problem with this link.” (Here, for instance.) Here is an example from SJSU.
See Adding a General Electronic Service for more information.
Another GES you may want to set up is Search Google Scholar. Basically, it takes the article title and throws it into Google Scholar; this is handy for locating articles that may be available free via Institutional Repositories or are otherwise open access. You'll need this URL to add to the URL template in your GES.
Display Logic
Display Logic Rules examples:
- ILLIAD or Resource Partner Sharing Request - when to hide or not show
- Hid a particular electronic collection if full text available in another electronic collection
- Get It Now
- Hide Purchase link in Primo
- Hide service Digitization
- Hide a service for certain user groups.
Some things to know:
An institution cannot define display logic rules based on shared collections in the NZ. [An enhancement was submitted by Jessica at the Chancellor Office; Sept 2016; see ERM known issues. FYI, rules that are enabled at the campus level (based on IP ranges) override all electronic display logic rules enabled at the institution level. Probably not applicable to CSU. Patron purchase requests is a service exposed from Alma to Primo. This service is initially hidden from users by default with the rule Hide Service Purchase Request.
A Display Logic Rule may have unintended consequences. Best Practice in this order:
- To configure a rule, please follow examples available from documentation listed below, such as,Discovery Interface Display Logic or ask for help using the ULMS TS listserv
- Test one rule at a time
- Test in sandbox before implementing a rule
- Questions? Submit to ERM in Slack or ULMS ERM listserv
- Questions? Use the Alma listserv
- Open SalesForce case
Display Logic Labels
The Discovery Interface Labels Code Table page (Fulfillment > Fulfillment Configuration > Configuration Menu > Discovery Interface Display Logic > Labels) contains predefined labels that appear on the Get It and View It tabs in Primo. You cannot add or remove these labels, but you can edit the label’s text to suit your requirements. You may also change the font size and color as well as apply html code. Here is an example of the table in which one of the labels has been modified. The text was changed from the default "Not Loanable" to "Library Use Only".
Here is what displays in Primo:
Integration Profile
Integration profiles list page can be found: Configuration Menu > General > External Systems > Integration Profiles, click Add Integration Profile.
Add EBSCO API Link Resolver:
- Select Link Resolver Plugin from the Integration Type drop-down list.
- Select EBSCO from the Vendor drop-down list.
- Select Active.
- Enter the API User ID provided to you by EBSCO. The API User ID is an EBSCO authentication string that is customer specific and consists of three parts, separated by periods, custid.groupid.profileid where:
- custid is the EBSCO admin customer id
- groupid is the Group ID in EBSCOhost where the database resides
- profileid is the Profile ID in EBSCOhost where the database resides
Contact your EBSCO representative if you do not already have this information. - See Documentation for more set up configurations needed in the e-collections after the Integration Profile is setup.
- List of EBSCO e-collections that do not use the API Link Resolver.
Licenses
Alma allows you to display an online resource's license information in Primo. The terms of the license are configured in Alma, as well as the license-related labels that display in the View It tab. In order to view licenses in Primo, you will need to enable the license first and that is found: Fulfillment Configuration Menu -> Discovery Interface Display Logic →Other Setting. You may also change the labels and specify which license terms to display. To set this up, please refer to Displaying License Information document. It also includes a helpful 5 minute video
Related Records
Alma allows you to configure the display of records that are related (e.g., title changes) to electronic records by using the Related Record Services Configuration page. Related Records is similar to Related Objects in SFX. It displays in the Primo View It tab.
Options available:
- Enable Related Records services as part of original services
- Enable Related Records services separately from original record services in Primo
- Do not enable
We recommend #2 because it separates the two services thus avoiding potential problems and because it is visually easier to view in the window.
Direct Linking
Direct Linking says: if only one fulltext service available, then take the user directly to the fulltext. Specific instructions to enable this function are available in the Discovery Interface Display Logic document. Here is one forum thread arguing against using direct linking . Alma Product Management plans to implement improvements for when direct linking does not work (Sept 2016). We recommend that this service is at the discretion of each campus.
Supplemental Information
- Alma Resolver Augmentation
- What version of OpenURL protocol does Alma Support?
- How to confirm list of vendors to send services page URL when moving from SFX to Alma?
- What URL should be provided to vendors for the Alma ViewIt window link and the link resolver icon (AKA the Alma equivalent of the SFX OpenURL icon)?
- Base URL for the Services Page
- The Alma Link Resolver (video)
- Configuring the Link Resolver Plugin for checking EBSCOhost Full-Text URLs.
- Primo and Alma - The Alma Link Resolver
- Alma Link Resolver, OpenURL, GES, Citation Linker video
- How to Extract OpenURL from Primo, Alma, and other sources like Google Scholar
- Configuring the Primo Front End for Alma's Link Resolver
- Resolving Electronic Resources in the NZ
- Resolver Proxies
- Discovery Interface Display Logic
- Primo and Alma - Discovery interface display logic rules.pptx
- Discovery Interface Display Logic (video)
- Discovery Interface Display Logic: Ask the Expert
- Managing Display Logic Rules When Working with a Network Zone
- Discovery Interface Display Logic for Related Records.pptx
- Defining Display Logic Rules at the Campus Level
- Patron Purchase Request and Display Logic Rule
- Modifying Display Labels
- Displaying License Information (includes 5 minute video)
- Related records - Discovery Interface Display Logic for Related Records.pptx
- Primo and Alma - How to hide resource sharing request when there is a holding but no item
- General Electronic Services & Display Logic Rules documentation and video from Orbis Cascade Alliance
- Adding a General Electronic Service
- How to hide the Resource Sharing Request general electronic service and display an alternative GES for articles
- Why is a recently added GES not displaying?
- How to create a "Report a Problem" link to be included in the "Get It" or "View It" menus, including the OpenURL?
- How to format a URL in a General Electronic Services (GES) which will send an email?
- View It is limited for 25 Resources
- Publishing Electronic Holdings to Google Scholar
- Publishing Electronic Holdings to Primo Central
- SFX Target and Alma E-Collections Configuration Guide