Round One Alma Enhancements

Acquisitions

University of Haifa Library

Assignment of POs in deferred status 

Upon changing PO status to DEFERRRED the record should become "unassigned" 

Assign to, Assignment, deferred, po status

Acquisitions

University of Liège Libraries

Enable configuring VAT at the purchase order line level

Libraries should be able to enable configuring VAT on the purchase order line level so that it can be taken into account for encumbrance calculation.

Acquisitions, POL, PO Line, VAT, Value-Added Tax

See also: https:ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/37698820-enable-configuring-vat-on-the-purchase-order-line

Acquisitions

Harvard University Library - E

Editing items via Receiving, Save & Receive items

From the Receive Items List, add options to edit description, enum, and chron. Currently only the barcode is editable here. This will greatly improve productivity. Furthermore, when staff need to edit additional item fields during receiving, they need to be able to go to the Physical Item Editor and then Save & Receive. Currently they can only Save from the Physical Item Editor, meaning the Receipt of an Item and the Editing of an Item are two disparate workflows, even though staff need to do them at the same time. Without this feature, working with continuous items is time-consuming, awkward, and requires many extra keystrokes/mousing. 

Reset to new by Corinna Baksik on 2022024, because ExL has not confirmed via email yet that this will indeed be part of the Receiving Workflow enhancements planned for 2023. 

Acquisitions

Boston University

Received Items List - enhance functionality

Please add the ability to view Material type as a column, add a button to Open Predicted Items, and add a button to Withdraw items to the Received Items List in Acquisitions > Receive. Include a popup for the receiving note, similar to what exists for fulfillment notes (for an example, see Salesforce Case #00058981). Use case for Open Predicted Items (added from 6668): A user is responsible for receiving issues of print serials. While doing so via the Receiving List, they need to create additional predicted items for a title. They navigate to the List of Items for the correct holding associated with that title using a Repository Search, then use the Open Predicted Items function. They then need to navigate back to the Receiving List to continue their work until needing to create additional predicted items for another title. 

Acquisitions

Oakland Community College

Allow User to Customize how many Issues are Predicted

Currently, Alma’s 853 Predictive Patterns, and the ‘Open Predicted Items’ function are only capable of predicting an entire year’s worth of serial issues at one time. NERS 7721, submitted by Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was merged into this request.

Acquisitions, Continuous, Receiving, Serials, Periodicals, Predict, 853, Pattern, Issues, Efficiency

Acquisitions

University of Liège Library

Add an optional note to patron when rejecting a purchase request

We would like to have a new free field text in the popup when rejecting a purchase request. This field would include a note to the requester, explaining the reject reason. This could be used by the library in several ways: providing a link to the Primo record for items already available, giving a link to an Open Access version that would not be in Primo, providing the requester with any personalized or detailed information about why the item cannot be purchased (out of print an very hard to find, etc.).

purchase request, purchase requests, patron services, acquisitions

See also: https:ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/43321197-add-a-facultative-note-to-patron-when-rejecting-pu

Acquisitions

Harvard University

Ability to duplicate invoice

It would be very useful to be able to copy an invoice and then edit it (invoice #s, dates, prices, funds, etc.), rather than having to rebuild the same invoice in the next fiscal year, or the following month/quarter, for the same exact titles. This would be great for lengthy invoices or standing orders that you receive frequently. For example, we have a vendor that sends monthly invoices for the same 5 serials, so a new invoice has to be created manually by staff each month. A duplication feature would enhance productivity in the acquisitions workflow, and would be an ergonomic improvement since less data would need to be added manually through clicking and typing. Justification: There is an existing feature to export and then import an invoice, but that process is cumbersome and is not a time-saver for shorter invoices. The exported invoice contains much of the relevant information, but not in the proper format. There is overall data cleanup needed in the form of removing numerous columns from the export file, and to do things like separate POLs from their statuses, as well as the fact that the export includes fund names but not codes which requires knitting in data from Analytics to include the codes needed in the Import Invoice through file. While import/export process can save time on invoices over 25 lines, it is not worthwhile for briefer invoices. 

Acquisitions

University of Haifa Library

Add interested user to all volumes / items

When creating a POL for a multi-volume title, the "interested user" details appear only on the 1st volume item, and all other volumes are not marked as requested as weel by the same patron.

Acquisitions

Harvard University

Link an order to existing inventory directly from a POL

Creating an order for a title which already has inventory requires too many steps, as well as too much navigation. For example, when placing a new continuous order for a physical title that already has a holding (such as when a vendor changes), an operator must perform 7 seven separate steps (below). This reduces productivity and requires too much mousing and clicking. We would like staff to be able to associate a POL with existing inventory directly from a POL via the ability to search and link a holding, item, or portfolio, as appropriate for the order type. 1) Create a POL using Assign Inventory Manually 2) Fill in the order details 3) Save 4) Navigate from the POL to the existing holding 5) Associate the holding with the POL 6) Navigate back to the POL 7) Use Save & Continue or Order Now 

Acquisitions

Rutgers University

Improve functionality with one-time orders when invoice line total price is lower than the PO Line total price

For one-time orders, if the invoice line total price loaded via EDI is lower than the PO Line total price, Alma does not update the order and invoice correctly. Alma does not release the remaining encumbrance, nor does it update the Invoice Status to Fully Invoiced and the POL status to Closed. You can run three Alma jobs to release the encumbrance and fix the statuses, but we believe 1) Alma should do this automatically instead of requiring customers to run jobs or 2) Ex Libris should offer the ability to release the encumbrance just like it does now with continuous orders.

Acquisitions

Harvard University

Create New Predicted Items via the Receiving List

Allow users to create additional predicted items directly from Manage Items in the Receiving List. Currently, Alma allows users to easily create additional predicted items for continuous orders via the Open Predicted Items function from the List of Items, HOWEVER this functionality is NOT available when using Manage Items from the Receiving List. This is problematic because a user is likely to be using Manage Items from the Receiving List when they recognize the need to create additional predicted items. To do so, they need to exit the Receiving List and navigate to the List of Items of the correct holding through a new Repository Search. This workflow is inefficient, reduces productivity, and introduces more clicking/mousing into the process. 

Acquisitions

The University of Notre Dame Australia

Include "Next Year" in subscription date range options (Add Invoice Line screen)

Many of the invoices that institutions process are for serials subscriptions for the following calendar year. It would be helpful to many institutions to have the option to select a date range of “Next Year” in the Subscription dates range field when in the Add Invoice Line screen (calendar pop-up). This option would significantly reduce the number of clicks and time currently required to change the date range to the coming year in this screen. Tech Requirements: Keep existing date range filter options but add Next Year as another option. Next Year would start 1/1/[NEXTCALENDARYEAR] and end 12/31/[NEXTCALENDARYEAR].

Acquisitions

Hillsdale College

View most recently received item when receiving items with prediction patterns

Currently, when receiving print journals with a prediction pattern, it can be difficult to find the correct item to check in. Daily and weekly periodical prediction patterns produce an annual listing of 365 or 52 items; creating several pages in the receiving function. Finding the correct item to check in can require guesswork and a lot of clicking, as each prediction pattern varies with the publication’s date and enumeration structure. It would make the checkin workflow much easier and faster if there was an option to go to the most recently checked-in item. This would take the user to the item last checked in and, in most cases, very near the next item to be checked in.

Prediction patterns, receiving

Acquisitions

Vienna University Library

PO Line: missing identifiers ISBN/ISSN/ISMN etc. 

Please list all identifiers in the PO Line. See the following examples: Data in the bibliographic record --> data in the PO Line XML file Example 1: 020 __ |a 9783702404727 024 2_ |a M008027376 --> PO Line - XML: only content of 020 9783702404727 ISBN Example 2: 024 3_ |a 730099129329 028 52 |a 8.551293 --> PO Line - XML: empty identifier Example 3: 020 __ |a 0415462444 (pbk.) |c £24.99 020 __ |a 9780415462440 (pbk.) |c £24.99 020 __ |a 0415462436 (hbk.) |c £70.00 020 __ |a 9780415462433 (hbk.) |c £70.00 --> PO Line - XML: only content of first 020 0415462444 (pbk.) ISBN Status quo in Alma: (1) The bibliographic information in a PO Line includes only one ISBN (Marc21 field 020) or ISSN (Marc21 field 022). If a record includes more than one ISBN (or ISSN), this information is missing in the order letter. (2) In case of other materials than books and journals - without ISBN or ISSN - identifiers like ISMN and EAN (Marc21 024) or other publisher numbers (Marc21 field 028) are skipped --> the field in the XML file is empty. To give our vendors the best bibliographic information when ordering items via Alma, it is important to have all these identifiers within the XML file: - please provide us all 020 / 022 entries, not only the first ISBN or ISSN - please include also 024 and 028 to the XML file (it is possible, that a record has both: 020 and 024 or 028, etc.) Thank you in advance! P.S.: See also idea|exchange: https://ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/46228312-po-line-missing-identifiers-isbn-issn-ismn-etc

Alma - Acquistions - PO Line - XML - Identifiers - ISMN/ISBN/ISSN, etc.

Acquisitions

Vienna University Library

PO Line: series_statement andseries_uniform_title - missing 490/830 subfield v in the XML

Marc21 field 490, series_statement, and Marc21 field 830, series_uniform_title, are available on the Order List Letter (letter code: OrderListLetter). However, the content is not complete :-( Only 490|a goes to , 490|v - the Volume is missing. Also 830 only provides |w as , |v is missing. Please see example: 035 __ |a AC04654069 245 00 |a Keiner wird gewinnen |b populäre Musik im Wettbewerb |c Dietrich Helms ... (Hg.) 490 1_ |a Beiträge zur Popularmusikforschung |v 33 830 _0 |w (AT-OBV)AC00913498 |v 33 |9 O:1 Beiträge zur Popularmusikforschung (AT-OBV)AC00913498 Please add 490 subfield v to the XML field , e.g. separated with semicolon: Beiträge zur Popularmusikforschung ; 33 Not important for our library but maybe for other libraries: please also include 830 subfield v to the XML field . Thank you in advance! P.S.: see also idea|exchange: https://ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/46228510-po-line-series-statement-and-series-uniform-ti

Alma - Acquistions - PO Line - series_statement and series_uniform_title

Acquisitions

Université Clermont Auvergne 

Purchase Request - Material Type Facet

We would like to find in Alma the second material type entered in the Primo VE purchase request form, either as a facet or a field in the results view. This would be useful to sort the requests between buyers.

Purchase requests, acquisitions, facets

Acquisitions

University of Birmingham

Add option to remove deleted License records in Alma

There is a 'Delete' licence option within the licence area, but it still leave the licence on the system. We want the ability to remove them from the system as they are no longer required and there is a need to retain them. 

Acquisitions

University of Birmingham

Allow inventory to be linked to multiple licenses

We would like inventory to be linked to multiple licenses. Some resources are licensed with two entities...the content provider and the access provider. An example of this is APA. If we choose to have our APA content hosted by another provider (which is an option), we must have a license with both APA (content provider) and the access provider. 

Acquisitions

University of Haifa Library

Add an option to search vendor by country

Currently we can only search vendors by name or code but not by address

search vendors

Acquisitions

University of Adelaide Library

Attach POLs to electronic inventory regardless of Purchase Order Line Type

It should be possible to link any purchase order line, regardless of POL Type, to either electronic collections or portfolios. This would be useful in situations where purchase order lines have migrated with the wrong POL Type, for access service POLs, or where online access is included with a print subscription. Idea has been previously submitted to the Ideas Exchange https://ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/10634154-allow-linking-po-lines-to-electronic-inventory-reg

Acquisitions

University of Haifa Library

Add an option to reactivate PO lines in bulk

Currently the "Change PO Lines Status" job enables to cancel or close or delete a set of POLs.

jobs po lines 

Acquisitions

Scuola Normale Superiore, Biblioteca

Purchase requests - A new workflow in Alma

The target is to split the action "Approve and Order" in two distinct actions: one for "Approve" and one for "Order". This requirement arises because in our library the operator that approves is different from the operator that orders: usually they are two different persons. Here is the new workflow we propose: 1. the user enters the purchase request through the Primo online form; 2. at the acquisition office, the purchase requests manager assigns the request to an operator with a specific “approver role”; 3. the approver operator evaluates the opportunity of the purchase: * if not, he/she rejects the request; * otherwise, he/she clicks on a new button called "Approve": the order is not created, the request status is set to Approved, and the purchase request is moved to the "Unassigned" tab; 4. the purchase requests manager assigns the purchase request with the Approved status to an operator with the specific “purchaser role”; 5. the purchaser operator completes the request and orders the material by clicking on a new button called "Order"; the purchase request status is set to the new value "Ordered". For this new workflow, it is necessary to add an new role to the existing ones: * the "purchase request approver operator": this role permits only to approve or reject the purchase request, without the ability to select vendor and fund, and to order. The two current roles, the "purchase request operator" and the "purchase requests manager" remain as they are. Moreover, for this new workflow it is necessary to add a new status to the existing ones: * "Ordered", which will be subsequent to the Approved status. The two current statuses, "In review" and "Approved", remain. 

Purchase requests

Acquisitions

University of Haifa Library

Add an option to create invoices from template

It would be beneficial if there could be an option to configure predefined templates for creation of invoices

invoices templates

Acquisitions

Vienna University Library

Packaging PO Lines into a PO: properties

Currently PO lines are packaged into a single PO if all the following properties match: - Vendor account - Owner - Currency - Continuity – One-time/continuous - Acquisition method - Source type - Ordering Library - Fund We order from some suppliers in different currencies. Therefore, the match criteria "Currency" is unfortunately not ideal for us. It would be great if you could adjust the criteria here for your own institution. Thank you in advance! Please see also:

Acquistions - PO Line - Packaging - Match criteria

Acquisitions

Sheffield Hallam University

Make improvements to the Acquisitions Renewals task list and workflow

Our Acquisitions Team would like : 1) the ability to see a renewal note to the renewals task list display. 2) a new status : ‘Renewed awaiting invoice’. Frequently, we renew orders and then await the invoice. Having this dedicated status would allow us to monitor those renewals, similar to the function in one-time orders. It could be linked to the ‘amount paid in this current financial period’. 3) Currently, the task list is sorted A-Z by default. It would be useful to be able to sort the task list by renewal date without using the facets. 

Acquisitions Renewals task list; Acquisitions Renewals work flow ; Acquisitions Renewals statuses; 

Acquisitions

Stellenbosch University

Price update on the item record

In Alma, we require - for reporting purposes, inside the library and to our finance dept - that the final price that was paid for the item is converted to our local currency and automatically written to the item's Inventory price field. Currently in Alma, since the October 2018 release, the PO line's price is written to the item's inventory price field. If the PO line's currency is different than the institution's default currency, the total is exchanged and copied to the item. The amount is copied to the item with the currency for example: 10.00 USD. However, when an invoice is paid in Alma, the item's inventory price should be updated automatically with the final amount in our local (and default) currency. This part of the development is still outstanding. Most of the time there is quite a difference between the price from the PO line and that of the invoice (also because of exchange rates) and it has a huge impact on our financial reporting.

local price; inventory price

See also: https:ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/19295566-item-s-inventory-price and NERS request ID 7288 (2021) and ID 7913 (2022)

Acquisitions

Stellenbosch University

Funds' Initial Allocated Amount & Transfers

For a complete picture of the initial allocations and amounts transferred, we require in Alma the Initial Allocation and Transfers to display as separate entries under Funds and Ledgers -- Summary tab -- Reports section as part the Display Report and the Balance Type table together with the Allocated Balance (already displaying). 

initial allocated amount; transfers; fund balance reports; reporting

NERS ID 7915 (2021)

Acquisitions

Birmingham City University

Charge per item and charge per order fields to be added to the Vendor Account details screen.

The Vendor Account details screen has a discount field but no equivalent field for charges. For print book orders we have processing charges per copy and can have other fixed charges per order, for example, for the MARC record. We want 2 new fields to be added to the Vendor Account details screen – charge per item and charge per order.

Fund Encumbrance Order POL Vendor Account

Acquisitions

ACEF (Association des Clients d'Ex Libris France) 

Update the POL renewal fields in batch for every POL on a PO

Update the POL renewal fields in batch for every POL on a PO, as described in this IdeaExchange :

Acquisitions

Technische Universitat Dortmund

Improve means for purchase order claiming

We propose additional mechanisms for claiming purchase orders. Currently Alma automatically sends one claim to orders where the expected dates are expired. Unfortunately, there is no means to send additional claims to a selected number of orders. Instead, for additional claiming each purchase order where the delivery is late has to be claimed manually and one by one. We propose that claiming purchase orders in future is applicable to a selection of orders (done via the new UI). In addition, we propose a mechanism for automatic claiming in analogy to the “Fines/Fees notification Profiles” (see User Management -> Patron Charges): By specifying conditions for claiming (e. g. in relation to supplier, material type, grace periods) Alma is told when to send purchase order claims automatically.

purchase order; claiming

Acquisitions

Sacramento City College

Allow bulk deletion of usage report files

Current usage report files (e.g. COUNTER R5, whether imported via SUSHI or uploaded manually) can only be deleted one-by-one, and the user must click through a confirmation dialogue. This means that if a large number needs to be deleted, and/or the institution has multiple subscribers, the process becomes very lengthy and laborious (we were recently faced with a case in which 480 files needed to be deleted). Custom harvests purport to overwrite data for the same period, but if the vendor has changed title info in past reports, this does not happen, sometimes leading to significant inaccuracies in Analytics reports. The enhancement would be to somehow enable bulk deletion of usage report files, whether from the vendor - usage area or through a manual job/set. The process could include a stern warning that the process was irreversible, but this would only show once before a large number of files was deleted, not for each file.

usage, COUNTER

Administration

University of Haifa Library

Selection of fields displayed in the search results brief record view should be configurable by user

In the search results screens with brief record views in Alma there is an option to add/remove various fields from the results view. The list of the fields is set and quite limited. Depending on staff roles, different fields are of use in these results. It would be very helpful to have more flexibility to choose any valid MARC field to appear in the list and for the list to include local fields.

brief results view, UX, local fields

Administration

Carleton University

Enable User Administrator role with "login/view as user" function

To assist with account troubleshooting and role management, we would like an enhancement that would allow staff with the 'User Administrator' role to be able to login as another staff user. When troubleshooting user account issues, admins would be able to log into Alma as the user experiencing the problem. Many systems offer this type of feature to allow administrators the ability to troubleshoot when confirming workflows and privileges when new roles, scopes, and parameters are added.

user accounts, roles, troubleshooting, admin

Administration

University of California

Add Option to Toggle User Record Type

Add a simple toggle option for a user record to easily switch Record Types between Staff and Public. While there are more complicated ways to deal with it, if a user record is accidentally created and assigned the wrong Record Type there is no easy mechanism to change it, like we can when toggling an account between Internal and External.

Administration

SLU University Library

Add indication for Private/Public to the list of sets in Manage Sets

We suggest adding a column, or another indication, for Private/Public to the list of sets under Manage Sets > My Sets. It would be really helpful if you could see this directly in the list, without having to open the details for each set.

Administration

University of California-Santa Cruz

Ensure email is delivered with DKIM protocols

DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail) is an email authentication technique that allows the receiver to check that an email was indeed sent and authorized by the owner of that domain. Currently ExLibris does not issue DKIM keys to allow the implementation of this protocol. Increasingly, emails sent by Alma from institutions using their own domains are at risk of getting caught in spam filters and not being delivered.

email, dkim, deliverability

Administration

Université Grenoble Alpes - DGD BAPSO

Interested in letter : create a letter for the cancelled po lines

General / Letters / Configuration letters / Interested in letter. The « interested in » letter, can be sent to the requester in two different situations : on one hand, when the document is received, on the other hand, when the po line is cancelled." We would like Alma to offer two interested in letters instead of just one. One letter "interested in - available" = when the item is received. One letter "interested in - canceled" = when the po line is cancelled. 

"Interested in" letter, po line, cancellation

Administration

Sheffield Hallam University

Enable sending of emails to non-preferred email addresses 

Currently, when contacting users using the 'Update/Notify Users for user set', the process will only send to the preferred e-mail address in the patron/user record. For our ex-students whose patron records are expired in Alma, this means that the notifications go to their student email address to which they no longer have access. Allow the option to send to an alternative email type, either by a job where the preferred email address option can be switched to another type OR where the 'Update/Notify Users for user set' gives the option to which e-mail address the notification would be sent.

Update/Notify Users for user set; email communications ; letters; preferred email addresses; expired students

Administration

Charles Sturt University

Customise contact information pop-up

In order to streamline our workflow and make the processes efficient, we would like to be able to configure the contact information pop-up details with more options. The mapping table is located at: Alma Configuration > User Management > General > Contact information > pop-up Could you please make it customisable so that we can add additional rows? Otherwise please add ""Active Balance"" to the table." Raised case # 06057018. Suggested to add to NERS. 

Administration

SLSP Swiss Library Service Platform AG

Allow customers to create their own code tables in Alma. Particularly, in the fullfilment and discovery areas.

This improvement allows managing of labels or codes related to new functionalities added via customization package in Alma lists. For instance, in the Rapido tile we want to hide libraries that do not offer a delivery service. To manange that, we have created a long css file hosted in an external server https://swisscovery.help/RapidoHideLibraryCSS/rapido-hide-library.css and then inherited by the css' customization package. It would be much more practical to manage this list in a code table in Alma. 

Administration

CARLI - Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois

Add web services for fulfillment configurations to the Configuration and Administration API to support reporting of Alma configuration settings

Create REST APIs to access the fulfillment configuration details found in fulfillment units, terms of use management, overdue and lost loan profiles, and linked account rules. Providing these configuration details via API will enable institutions and networks to review configuration settings outside of the limitations of the configuration screens so that overlap and inconsistent settings may be more easily located. The Configuration and Administration API already provides access to code tables and mapping tables, as well as fulfillment details on libraries, locations, departments and circulation desks. Exposing more fulfillment details enables administrators to comprehensively report on Alma configuration settings.

Administration

CARLI - Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois

User Purge should not delete users with active requests

The Alma User Purge job currently deletes users with active requests. When deleting linked user records in a fulfillment network, sometimes the only activity that a linked user record currently has is an active request (a request that is in the pick-from-shelf queue, in transit for hold, or on the active hold shelf); the requested item may be committed for the patron’s use, but not yet checked out to their account.

Administration

CARLI - Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois

User Purge should be made AFN aware and not allow the deletion of a user record from the user's home institution's IZ when the user has active transactions or fines/fees at another AFN institution

The Alma User Purge job is not AFN-aware. It will allow the deletion of a user record from the user's home Institution Zone (IZ) even when the user has active transactions or fines/fees at another AFN institution in the network. These "orphaned" linked user records are confusing for both users and library staff and are not a best practice for user record management

Administration

University of Texas at Austin

Add ability to select multiple roles in a User Roles Profile and edit the expiry date in bulk

Add ability to select multiple roles in a User Roles Profile and edit the expiry date in bulk

Administration

Tufts University

Allow institutions to export and import all configurations from Alma

Ex Libris has the policy of forcing a refresh of the sandbox for all customers on the premium sandbox twice a year. This presents a significant challenge for institutions that use the sandbox actively, because it means that before every refresh, we have to go through the largely manual process of exporting all configurations out of the sandbox so we can keep record of them. Then if we want to recreate the old configurations, we have to do this manually. Ex Libris offers no way to export or import these configurations in bulk. This policy change reduces the value of the premium sandbox for customers who were already using it with the old policy, when we could request refreshes when we wanted. We would like Ex Libris to make it possible to export all configurations in bulk, and then reimport these configurations after the refresh. Ideally these would be exportable in bulk, and then you could pick and choose which configurations to reimport.

All

Sheffield Hallam University

Enable users to personalise Alma interface for accessibility

Alma has limited inbuilt, customisable accessibility options. Previously, members of Library staff were using third-party browser extensions to improve the accessibility of Alma. However, for security reasons, these are no longer available to us. Consequently, we have colleagues for whom Alma is not accessible. Ideally, accessibility features would be made fully and easily configurable within Alma, enabling individual users to adjust their own view of the system to their unique needs. Elements including background and text colour, font, and text size would be fully adjustable in all areas of Alma. Also, we would like to see the Alma user community consulted about this issue, as we can only speak for the needs of our own staff. In addition, the ability to select a 'dark mode', with a darker coloured background and lighter coloured text would be helpful for users to reduce eye strain. This would also have environmental benefits due to reducing monitor power consumption; if fewer pixels are active, they draw less power.

Accessibility; text; background; font; font size; colour; visual adjustments; environmental sustainability

All

Université de Caen Normandie - SCD

Create a widget from a set

It would be very useful for colleagues who are less comfortable with the Alma admin menu to create a widget for them based on the results of a logic set. We have a set of borrowable and available laptops to meet the demand of users who come to borrow them. This type of widget would allow for a quick and easy response. And I guess this is just one example of many!

logical set widget

All

University of Montana Libraries

Sound alert for pop-up windows and errors

We would like to have the option of a sound alert to accompany pop-up windows and error messages.

sound alert pop-up

All

Boston College

Create default column display views for institution

Currently, various brief record displays can be customized to show or hide certain metadata elements and the order of record actions by using the "Manage column display" feature. This can only be customized, however, on a per-user basis. Administrators should be able to define defaults for these displays that will apply to all users, unless an individual user decides to customize the view further. Users should be able to revert their displays back to that set of defaults.

manage column display, brief results, record summary

All

Liberty University

Enhance Item Request

When a user requests an item and there are multiple copies of this item available, Alma considers many criteria (availability, policies and fulfillment units, pickup location, and remote storage configuration) when choosing which item to provide the user. Currently, it is not possible to manage this prioritization. We would like to see more control over how an item is prioritized, including the ability to choose remote storage as a priority preference. In our situation, we have an ASRS which is considered a remote storage location. It would be our preference that when a user requests an item, the automated system would retrieve that item instead of the item going to the pick queue for employees to manually pick from shelf out of the browsable collection. While this enhancement offers a vital change to locations with robotic storage, it also gives all libraries more control over item requests to fit the needs of individual libraries. 

Pick from shelf, pick, ASRS, Dematic, Muratec, Murata, robot, remote storage, priority, services page

All

University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Display loan statistics for physical items at an earlier point in a search

In an All Titles/Physical Titles search, display the figures for numbers of loans for each item on the “List of items” page. From this page it currently takes three more clicks in each item record to see this information in the history, and it means coming out of each item record and into the next one to compare copies. In a Physical Items search, display this information in the search result.

loans, statistics, search

All

SLSP Swiss Library Service Platform AG

Digital Representations: shareDigitalResources

When the customer parameter shareDigitalResources is enabled, which is useful to allow freely available digital representations (for digital objects stored in Alma or in a remote digital repository) to be available to all institutions, records loaded from external data sources via discovery import profiles are also impacted by this. Ex Libris explained that this is by design as these records from external sources are considered as digital objects. This leads to the following problem in Primo: As soon an IZ enables this parameter, its records from external data sources are included in the search results of local search scopes made in other IZs local views. Generally all external data sources which are shared with the network, should be part of the results for searches within the Discovery-Network-scope and not be part of the My-Institution-scope of an IZ which has no corresponding import profiles configured in their IZ Alma. (see details in SF 00992268). An enhancement should allow the flexibility to define which resources are impacted by the customer parameter shareDigitalResources and which are not, such as the resources from external data sources.

https:ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308176-primo/suggestions/44489817-sharedigitalresources-parameter-to-allow-individua 

All

SLSP Swiss Library Service Platform AG

Label distribution per row (VE/BO)

In consortial environment there is the option to distibute labels from the Network to the Institutions. At the moment the distribution is only possible per table. In case a table is updated by functionality, the distribution deletes the displayed labels. We would like to have the option to distribute labels per row: this would give the possibility to the Institutions to receive the updates from the Network avoiding overwriting issues and increase the possibility to distribute a label in case a table has been customized locally. Example 1 Adapting labels tables which are partially customized by the IZs In our consortium we have the following customized tables: Error message labels, Facet Labels, Header/Footer Tile labels, Database search labels, Basic search Pre-Filters labels. The distribution from the NZ cannot take place when labels belonging to these tables need to be readapted: the entire tables are marked as "customized" and the changes are not retrieved from the NZ unless the overriding mode is used (but not possible to use this solution because it will override the locally customized labels). Use case: Adapting labels of the table "facets.facet.facet_library" Description: The "facets.facet.facet_library" belonging to the Facet Labels table was readapted to display the IZ name for each IZ in the facets. The label "facets.facet.facet_creator" needed to be changed for the German and French UI in all IZs manually: the Facet Labels table is marked as "customized" and couldn't retrieve this label change. It is not possible to override the table from the NZ as this would have removed also the customized label "facets.facet.facet_library". Example 2: Adapting labels tables where there is an overriding issue In our consortium we have the following customized tables, updated by functionality: Advanced Search index fields labels, User Login Labels, View Labels. These tables cannot be distributed because the distribution would cause an overriding issue (also described in BC) Use case: Adapting labels of the table "search-advanced.scope.option.nui.advanced.index.creator" Description: The "search-advanced.scope.option.nui.advanced.index.creator" label was readapted by the discovery admin of the NZ for the French and German interfaces in the NZ. The distribution caused an overriding issue and the local fields configured in the Advanced Search of the local views of the IZs were overwritten with the local fields codes.

All

SLSP Swiss Library Service Platform AG

Distribute "configure views" settings via NZ (VE/BO)

It would be very useful to have the possibility to distribute the settings available via Configure views, especially for the General, Brief Record and Full Record services tabs.

All

The University of Manchester

Ability to schedule manual jobs

Ability to schedule manual jobs -- Ideas Exchange: This would be very useful e.g. for scheduling a Suppress Bib Records job or a Normalization job on Sets of Bib records, or a Change Portfolio Information job (including deactivation for expiring licenses) on a Set of Portfolios. At present any such jobs have to be run manually and are therefore restricted to staff availability; it would be great to be able to schedule these in advance, whether they need to be run regularly (repeated) or just as a one-off job that can run outside normal working hours or when a staff member is on leave and cannot run it 'in-person'.

Ideas Exchange: https:ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/32970643-ability-to-schedule-manual-jobs-on-a-regular-basis

All

Technische Universitat Dortmund

Improve multilanguage abilities of Alma

We propose improvements of the multilanguage abilities of Alma: • Alma UI should allow providing translations (e. g. library / location names and descriptions) no matter what language is configured in the personal settings. Currently some of the translations can be provided only if the personal Alma UI language setting is English. • Alma UI should do a meaningful ordering of values in drop down menus: Often the ordering is alphabetical with respect to the English values, no matter what language is configured in the personal Alma UI language setting. • Alma should have a configuration for the date format: There is a setting for system_time_format; in analogy we would like to have a setting for system_date_format. Currently the date format is dd/mm/yyyy. Instead, we would like to use dd.mm.yyyy as date format. • Alma letters are sent to alma users according to their preferred language setting in the User Details; however, there are letters without reference to a user account. For some of them we guess that the letter language is chosen according to the default_language setting. Unfortunately, this setting must not be changed from English to another language. • Letters to resource sharing partners lack of a language setting as well; it would be helpful that the preferred language can be set for each resource sharing partner or that the letters language is derived from the resource sharing partners physical address. 

internationalization; language settings; multilangualism

Analytics

University of Haifa Library

Expand "Interested user" options in Analytics

When adding "Interested user" to a POL there are choice options to notify the user upon arrival or cancellation or create a hold (see attachment). These options do not appear in Analytics, only the existence of "interested user".

interested user, analytics reports

Analytics

Université de Caen Normandie - SCD

Add Related Record MARC fields to Analytics

We propose that the 76X thru 78X Marc fields, associated data and UNIMARC fields 461 and 462 be indexed in Analytics to facilitate full reporting.

Analytics

American Public University System

Add a field in the Portfolio fact table of the E-Inventory subject area titled "No. of Available Portfolios (CZ)"

Add a field in the Portfolio fact table of the E-Inventory subject area titled "No. of Available Portfolios (CZ)". This field would store the number of available portfolios in the CZ for a given electronic collection. For example, as of 08/09/2022, this field would return a numerical value of 4,060 for the electronic collection titled ABI/INFORM Global (CZ Collection ID: 612400000000000006). This field would allow us to use an Alma Analytics analysis to quickly identify which electronic collections in our IZ need manual intervention to bring them back in sync with the corresponding electronic collection in the CZ. Current Process: In order to identify electronic collections of Aggregator type that are out of sync between the IZ and the CZ, we must follow these steps in Alma: 1) Search for all electronic collections in the IZ 2) Apply the Aggregator package facet 3) Locate the first item in the list 4) Write down the number of available portfolios in the IZ 5) Click on the "Click to view the record in community" icon next to that electronic collection's name 6) Write down the number of available portfolios in the CZ 7) Click on the Institution tab to return to the filtered list 8) Move to the next electronic collection in the list 9) Repeat Steps 4-8 for all of the electronic collections in the list Note: By default, if an electronic collection is of type Aggregator package, our process is to set it to auto-activate new portfolios. Even with this setting, the electronic collections in the IZ fall out of sync with the CZ.

Community Zone, Institution Zone, Portfolios, Aggregator Package, E-Inventory, Analytics

Analytics

U.S.  National Library of Medicine

Create a new Analytics field that only contains the subfields in the MARC 245 that determine title uniqueness

Create a new Analytics field similar to Title (Normalized) that only contains the subfields in the MARC 245 (Title Statement) field that determine title uniqueness ($a, $n, $p).

Analytics

University of Wisconsin System

Make Source field in a blank form request is available in Analytics and/or in the Alma export screen

Source field in a blank form request is not available in Aanalytics or in the Alma export screen.

Analytics

University of California

Number of User Identifiers in Analytics

Increase the number of user Identifiers in Alma Analytics from two up to ten.

Analytics

University of Queensland 

Add more local params for bibliographic records in Alma Analytics

Currently there is the option to add 10 Local Params in Bibliographic Details, by request to Ex Libris. Ex Libris has stated previously that they will not add more until they see that many sites use up the existing 10. This approach ignores that it is good practice to keep such configuration options in reserve for future use when really needed, given the out-of-the-box fields may not suit requirements. The option to change field mapping of Local Params over time is not acceptable as the varying field data remains in Analytics forever with Deleted records, causing a mess of different field mappings. This submission is to add another 10 Local Params to Bibliographic Details in Alma Analytics, across all subject area with this Shared Dimension, for a total of 20.

Analytics

Université de Toulouse - SICD

Add the creator and the creation date for the Note Field

The creator and the creation date are provided for the blocks, but not for the notes. This lack is troublesome because it does not allow the identification of old notes that should be deleted. 

Analytics

Université de Toulouse - SICD

Add the previous academic years in the Date dimension tables like Loan Date or Return Date

In the 'Date' dimension tables (e.g. 'Loan Date'), Analytics returns the fiscal year or the current academic year. It would be very, very useful if Analytics could also provide the previous academic years. For French-speaking institutions, this would be very valuable, as the financial year is different from the academic year. The first runs from January to December, the second from September to August. 

Analytics

Waseda University LIbrary

Scheduled analytics reports will not send when the reports return no results

Currently, emails are sent even if there are no results in the Analytics report. When using Analytics reports for data checking flow, there is no need to check if there are no results. Therefore, it would be useful to have an option to not send a report if there are no results. Alma should be able to identify the "no results", and stop sending us the empty reports. Bottom line, we do not want to receive analytics reports that are empty. Idea exchange: Scheduled analytics reports will not send when the reports return no results

Scheduled analytics report

Idea exchange:
Scheduled analytics reports will not send when the reports return no results
https:ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/36963247-scheduled-analytics-reports-will-not-send-when-the

Analytics

Sheffield Hallam University

Add 'Row Count' as a field to Alma Analytics

Currently, if we want to count the number of rows in Alma Analytics report, we have to change the formula in a different field to create one that will carry out the function ( ). It would save staff time and be more straightforward for newer users if a 'Row Count' field existed in all Analytics subject areas that could be dragged and dropped into reports.

Alma; Analytics; Row Count; RCOUNT; field

Analytics

Sheffield Hallam University

Improve 'Help on this page' to list relevant fields in Analytics

Colleagues are keen to improve their understanding of how Alma fields map across into Analytics. 'Help for this page' could include the information about elements on a given Alma page and how they are represented in Analytics, mentioning the subject area in which they appear and the titles of the specific fie

Alma; Analytics; fields; field mapping; help for this page; reporting

Analytics

Los Medanos College

E-Mail Filters in Analytics Fulfillment Subject Area

The ability to have all patron e-mail types (preferred, personal, school, work, etc...) as filter options under the "Fulfillment" Subject area when creating a report. 

Fulfillment, E-mail, email, Analytics

Analytics

Los Medanos College

MARC Field Numbers in Analytics

For Bibliographic Details in Analytics, list the corresponding MARC number for a field in addition to the description of a field (for example, "author" could instead say "author (100)" or "title" could instead say "title (245)" to indicate the MARC number for that field.).

MARC, Field, Fields, Analytics

Analytics

University of Bordeaux - Library Cooperation service

Adding the borrower code stats to the patron details table in the fullfilment subject area 

The fullfiment subject area contains several tables related to the readers who borrowed the document including the "patron details" and "borrower details" tables. According to the documentation the data stored in the patron detail table are the characteristics of the reader at the time of the transaction. The "borrower details" table stores the characteristics of the reader at the time of the request. It would be useful if the patron statistical codes were stored in the "patron details" table so that they can be historized.

Analytics

CARLI - Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois

Add an index for OCLC Control Number 035z to the Bibliographic IDs dimension of the Titles subject area of analytics

Add a new Bibliographic ID field for OCLC Control Number 035z to display each OCN one row per MMS ID. This should allow each 035z value found in a bibliographic record to match directly with an MMS ID, and be retrieved as a separate row in results, similar to the "OCLC Control Number single (035a)" attribute. See also:

Analytics

CARLI - Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois

Add Physical Item Details for Course Reserves subject area in Analytics

It should be possible in Analytics to make a list of the physical items that are on reserve. Libraries need to be able to create reports that contain the name of the course and the instructor (and the name of the reading list), along with the item barcodes for the physical items on reserve for those courses. However, the Course Reserves analytics area does not currently contain the “Physical Item Details” subsection, and the “Citation Metadata Details” section’s barcode field is typically blank. Libraries would also like to gather usage statistics for on-reserve items. The Citation Number of Loans field already available in the Course Reserves analytics area counts all the uses for a given bibliographic record, even if one or more of the items is not on reserves. Teaching faculty who use reserves for their courses want accurate statistics of reserve item usage. See also Idea Exchange item:

Analytics

University of Texas at Austin

Add closed captions indicator for Alma Digital representations to Analytics

Add a subject area for ‘Has Captions’ with values ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ under Digital Inventory in Analytics 

Analytics

University of Texas at Austin

Add user information for Analytics Objects with subscribers

In Analytics make it possible to pull the user names, primary identifiers and emails for all individuals subscribed to specific Analytics Objects. 

Electronic Resources

University of Haifa Library

Add MMS ID to any Export URL report

When running the Export URLs job there is an option to export URLs from the bibliographic record, from digital representation or from the portfolios. When choosing to export URLs from set of electronic portfolios, the report contains only the Portfolio ID and the URL.

Export URL, job reports, 

Electronic Resources

Eastern Washington University

Ability to arrange order of portfolios from within a title

Give us the ability to arrange the order of portfolios from within a title. For example, adding 6 portfolios to the same title with public notes containing session numbers in the order of session 6,5,4,3,2,1 would end up in the order of session 1,2,4,3,6,5. Currently, we do not have the ability to arrange the order of portfolios as they appear in Primo VE.

Electronic Resources

Rutgers University

Improved Public Access Model functionality

The porfolio Public Access Model field shows the number of simultaneous users who can access a book and displays to end users in Primo. However, it is only configurable at the portfolio level, it is not included in Alma Analytics, it cannot be modified using the Portfolio Loader or Change Electronic Portfolio Information Job, and it is not included in the portfolio Extended Export. The following improvements would allow libraries to populate this field and display it to end users for all ebooks in Alma: 1) configurability of Public Access Model at the collection level (and inheritance by portfolios); 2) reporting of Public Access Model at the portfolio and electronic collection level in Analytics; 3) modifiability of Public Access Model using the Portfolio Loader, Change Portfolio Information job, and Change Electronic Collection Information job; and 4) inclusion of portfolio Public Access Model in Extended Export of portfolios

public access model

Electronic Resources

Keio University Media Center

Changing of "Proquest Ebook Central Purchase Model" type on Alma

It would be very simple to understand if "Proquest Ebook Central Purchase Model" had 4 types (DDA Candidate, Owned, Subscription, Open Access) on Alma's Portfolio Editor (Aquisitions tab). There are 3 Purchase Model types now (DDA Candidate, Owned, Subscription). The type Open Access is included in type Subscription, but "Open Access" is not "Subscription". 

Electronic Resources

University of Adelaide Library

Alert of associated URL and bibliographic record for the database when deleting Community Zone collections

We attach database records to Community Zone collections so we don’t need to set up and maintain separate database collections in Alma. Currently, there is nothing to warn you when you delete a CZ collection that an active URL and bibliographic record are attached. It would be useful to have a confirmation message similar to the one for deleting portfolios with an associated reading list. When selecting the delete action a message would appear "This CZ collection has an active URL and bibliographic record attached. Are you sure you want to perform this action?"

Electronic Resources

PALS - A program of the MNSCU

Adding a parser parameter to portfolios using an import profile

When creating portfolios using an import profile, a static URL is the only URL you can use. If parser parameters are applied to the service of the e-collection, we would like the ability to provide a parser parameter value in the MARC record to add to the portfolio during import. This would be an option in the inventory tab of import profiles to select either static URL or parser parameter. If parser parameter is selected, the user can provide the mapping for the MARC field and subfield like they do currently for static URLs. This change would decrease the amount of duplicate bibliographic records found for Network Zone users. It would also allow all institutions to take advantage of mass URL updates when parser parameters change like we see in Community Zone e-collections.

electronic portfolios, static URL, parser parameters, import profile

Electronic Resources

SLSP Swiss Library Service Platform AG

Make public note and authentication note translatable

In the editor of e-collection / service / portfolio, it is possible to set up a public note and authentication note. Currently it is a simple text box with no translation possibility. In our network we use multiple languages for the UI. Therefore, we require this field to be translatable so the note language adjusts to the patron interface in Primo VE.

Electronic Resources

PALS - A program of the MNSCU

Enhancement to Group Settings at the Electronic Collection level to provide the option to display/suppress the collection-level bib and allow a Level URL (override) for an individual group as needed

This request is to add additional functionality for managing electronic collection-level bibs and URLs individually when using Group Settings. Group members can currently make individual choices regarding electronic collection proxy enablement, proxy selection, public name, authentication note, and public note. Ideally, each group member should be able to choose to display/suppress the electronic collection-level bib and provide a unique Level URL/Level URL (override) too. Then, they could choose whether they want the electronic collection-level bib to appear in Primo. They could also provide unique links when platforms require unique access links for each customer. For example, some platforms require the inclusion of customer IDs in the link. Including customer IDs or other parameter values is already supported at the Electronic Service-level for title and content-level linking. If implemented, users could go to the Electronic Collection Editor > Group Settings > Available For Information box to configure their settings for these options. Once there, they could use a radio button to choose whether to use the Resource Default, Suppress, or display the Electronic Collection-level bib. Then, there would be fields to enter the Level URL or Level URL (override). Suppose there are values in those URL fields. In that case, the precedence order for using URLs should be: 1) Available For Information/Level URL (override), 2) Available For Information/Level URL, 3) resource default Level URL (override), 4) resource default/Level URL

electronic collection editor, group settings, Level URL (override), bibliographic record suppression, group-level

Electronic Resources

Stellenbosch University

Add Statistics note 1-3 to portfolio Note tab

We make extensive use of our Statistics note 1-3 fields in the Statistics Notes section of the item record's Notes tab and use Analytics to harvest the data entered in each of these note fields for various reports required for operational and management purposes. The portfolio currently doesn't have enough note fields, especially for Statistics and one has to be very creative, combining reports, in order to retrieve something of value to report on. In the same way, the portfolio record's Notes tab can benefit from a Statistics Notes section with Statistics Note 1-3 fields. These notes must be harvestable in Analytics and via the Alma Advanced Search also.

 statistics notes; portfolio; reporting; Analytics

NERS ID 7917 (2022)

Electronic Resources

SLSP Swiss Library Service Platform AG

Activation of e-resources in the Network Zone based on IMGs

E-Resources in the NZ can be activated only for the whole IZ or every member of the network. IMG-specific or library-specific activations cannot be made from the NZ and can only be made on IZ-level. For us as a consortia with centrally purchased licenses it is important to make IMG-specific activations via the NZ so that we can activate for specific IMG and also configure different proxies per IMG if necessary.

Electronic Resources

SUNY Buffalo

Remember user’s last selection for “Handling bibliographic records without inventory” 

We would like to see Alma remember the user’s previous selection for “Handling bibliographic records without inventory,” when deleting a portfolio, similarly to the way it remembers recent searches. For staff members who perform the same steps repeatedly, this change would save two clicks every time they delete a portfolio – which, for an electronic resource manager, can be hundreds of times in a given project. Replication Steps: Portfolio list > Ellipsis > Delete > Delete confirmation “Handling bibliographic records without inventory” > Delete bibliographic record(s) > Confirm (screenshots attached) 

Electronic Resources

SUNY Buffalo

Remember user’s last selection for looking up an order line when reassigning an order to another portfolio

We would like to see Alma remember the user’s previous selection for the filter when changing the PO Line in the Electronic Portfolio Editor, similarly to the way it remembers recent searches. For staff members who perform the same steps repeatedly, this would save two clicks and several seconds of wait time, every time they attach an order to a new portfolio – which, for an electronic resource manager, can be hundreds of times in a given project. Replication Steps: Edit Portfolio > Acquisition tab > PO Line > List select > Filter > All > enter PO Line # and search (screenshots attached)

Fulfillment

University of Haifa Library

Free text communications with patrons

We would like to be able to send a patron an email (free text /template) straight from his account, and have it added to his attachments immediately. 

free text letters, communication with users

Fulfillment

Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire – Lausanne 

Anonymize loans for a single patron and allow him to do it himself from his account

We need to have an option in the patron services page to allow our staff to anonymize a patron’s inactive loans, if he ask to. We would like also that the patron could do it himself from his Primo account. This option should exist at the institution zone level and every institution could choose if activate it or not.

Patron, Loans Anonymization, Data privacy, Fulfillment

Fulfillment

University of Haifa Library

Run "Bulk change due date" process on an itemized set of users

Add to the "Bulk change due date" process the option to run on a predefined set of users.

Fulfillment

University of Haifa Library

Restart Automatic renewal if users' expiration date was extended

When Automatic loan renewal stops due to user expiry date, manual action is needed to resume it in case the expiry date is extended

Automatic loan renewal, fulfillment

Fulfillment

Boston University

Send Courtesy Notices when Patron Loans are Auto-Renewed

When loans are successfully auto-renewed in the system, the patron does not receive an email notifying them that the loan has been renewed. Therefore, it is possible after a while that the patron forgets they have the item. We would like the option to have a notice to go to the patron when an item is auto-renewed, and have a letter that is customizable for this purpose so that we could expand our use of auto-renewals.

Fulfillment

University of Haifa Library

Improve functionality of Borrowing: Upload File function

When uploading a file, it should be possible to a) Preview a file before Sending it, and b) to write a Note to the Patron. 

Fulfillment

Carleton University

"Ful Cancel Request Letter" sent when hold or digitization request converted to Resource Sharing request

When converting a general hold or digitization request to a Resource Sharing request, the "Ful Cancel Request Letter" is automatically sent to the patron. See: and the letter: We do not want this letter to be sent to the patron in this situation - the request really isn't cancelled but is being fulfilled via another method. Queries arrive from patrons who think their request is cancelled when, in actuality, we are still processing it but via a different means. In other situations, when we cancel a request a prompt comes up that allows staff to choose the cancellation reason and select whether or not to notify the patron. But this does not occur for the convert to resource sharing function - the cancel letter just automatically goes out when it's converted. The only available workaround solution is to change the text in the letter to ensure it doesn't only refer to 'cancel'/’deleting’ and to request Ex Libris to add change the reason on their end to have it make sense to the user when the request type is converted in Alma. There is a need and opportunity to have staff decide whether or not this letter is sent to the user when the request type is converted, in order to avoid access letters being sent to the user when internal action are taken (i.e. changing the request type) that don't really require the user to know.

Fulfillment

The University of Western Australia

Ability to queue borrowing requests for a temporarily inactive partner

Hi, For resource sharing, we use Alma partners with the ISO profile type that are part of the Libraries Australia Document Delivery (LADD) network. When partner libraries suspend themselves from LADD services, their Status updates in Alma to Inactive. However, sometimes a Library is the only possible lender of material. In these cases, we would prefer to wait until the Library becomes Active again, instead of trying to source a partner overseas (for us in Australia, time-consuming and much more expensive, plus challenges with postal delays). At present, we add a Note to the request that it is to be Sent to the partner Library at a later date. However, it would be great to have functionality to 'queue' the request against the Inactive partner, so that once the partner's Status became Active again, the request sent automatically.

resource sharing, active, inactive, partner, request, queue

Fulfillment

The University of Western Australia

Ability to edit barcode after receiving borrowing request

Sometimes after receiving a borrowing request, we have a need to change the barcode. This could be because the wrong barcode was scanned in, the barcode is not responsive or another reason. However, there is currently no way to change the barcode in the borrowing request record. Staff can update the item barcode (and we do) however this doesn't affect the original barcode that was scanned in against the borrowing request. We therefore have to add a lot of physical and electronic notes to the front desk staff and to the staff who will be returning the item to the partner library explaining which barcode to issue the book on etc.

barcode, edit, resource sharing, request

Fulfillment

Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire – Lausanne 

Possibility to change the due dates at the time of the loan

The staff should be able to override the item policy and set a different due date when scanning items for loan. Currently this may be done manually for each item, but in situations where all items being loaned need to have the due date changed it would be great to have the option to set the due date for the loan session, rather than individually.

fulfillment, due date, loans, library independance

Fulfillment

Université de Caen Normandie - SCD

Postponement of the Due Date when the library is closed 

We would like, when the library is closed, that a TOU allow loans to be postponed for as many days as there are closed days. " 

Fulfillment

Sheffield Hallam University

Enable viewing of Requests history in Alma

Currently, within a patron record in Alma, it's possible to view current and previous activity for Loans, Returns, and Fines and Fees. However, within Requests, it's only possible to view current requests. It would be incredibly useful for Alma users to be able to view historical requests as well, this to assist with any request queries. The ability to view request history in Alma Analytics has been very welcome and useful for reporting. However, for troubleshooting purposes, it would be much better to be able to use live Alma straight away, rather than having to wait until Alma data refreshes into Analytics. 

Requests; requests history; historical requests; troubleshooting requests; patron record

Fulfillment

University of Minnesota Libraries

Mailing Address Label Printing for Personal Delivery

Alma does not provide the ability to print a mailing label for delivery when users make a Personal Delivery request in Alma. (Delivery to home or office) The expected workflow in Alma is that the address is provided on the screen and that library staff will transcribe this information so that the item can then be mailed to the requestor. This process is inefficient. Instead of being able to print the information that is on the screen, the expectation is that it will need to be manually copied. Recently the Developer Network added a Cloud App that allows for a label printing for Resource Sharing Partners. Similar functionality should also be available for printing user requests. Additionally, the Cloud App uses European paper size formats, while Alma should support standard formats used worldwide.

printing, requests, personal delivery, home, office

Fulfillment

University of Haifa Library

Add "Sponsor for" tab to user card

Currently there is no easy way to know how many proxies a faculty member have, and who are they. the only way is to search by the sponsor email address.

user card, proxy

Fulfillment

University of Wisconsin System

Improve Alma Resource Sharing handling of items locally held

When requests come in that are Resource Sharing, and we happen to own it physically, there is not an easy way to lend the item. Instead the rota is rightfully designed to skip us (so we won’t hit ourselves) and then go on down to partner of last resort. As an enhancement, we would want the system to pull it out as local holding, and have a way to easily convert it back to a local hold.

Alma resource sharing local holding rota

Fulfillment

University of Wisconsin System

Change the scan in screen to show the same information as the return item screen

The information in the return items screen is very helpful. When staff scan an item on the return item screen and it should be scanned in and put on the hold shelf, it tells them where to route it and who the item is for. Right now our staff use return items for everything to make sure they don’t miss anything and it does create more work.

Alma return item pop up hold shelf scan in

Fulfillment

The University of Western Australia

Retain External Identifier after borrowing request is cancelled or rejected by partner

It would be helpful to retain external identifiers after requests reach certain statuses i.e. cancelled by staff or rejected by partner. Sometimes, these statuses are not the end of the workflow for the request. Either the request is reactivated, or the request has only reached rejected because we had to reject partners and clear the rota. It is difficult to locate requests that require further action when the external identifier is missing. It would make processing these requests a lot quicker and more efficient, if we can quickly locate them using the external identifier.

resource sharing, external identifier, request, borrowing request, cancelled

Fulfillment

The University of Western Australia

Ability to re-open a completed borrowing request

Sometimes borrowing requests go to Complete status when triggered by a particular workflow. However, sometimes further action needs to be taken. For example, Attachments need to be added, or a Request Note updated. The inability to edit the request or move the request manually to another status can be frustrating and leads to unnecessary workarounds. Could Completed requests have a 'Re-open' functionality in a similar way that Cancelled requests can be reactivated.

completed borrowing requests, reactive, reopen

Fulfillment

The University of Western Australia

Display user's loan due date in borrowing request screen

When a user who has an interlibrary loan requests a renewal of the item, staff need to check both the due date that the partner library has set, and the current due date of the loan on the user's record. This is because we can sometimes extend the due date of the loan without requesting a renewal from the partner library, since the loan due date will still be within the due date that the partner has given us. To do this check, staff need to view the borrowing request (to see the partner library's due date) as well as the user's record to check the current due back date. To make this process quicker and simpler, we would like user's loan due date for the item attached to the borrowing request, to display in the borrowing request screen.

due date, borrowing request, resource sharing, loan, renewal

Fulfillment

University of Queensland 

Add more options for staff to manage Lost items

Alma currently has very few options in allowing staff management of Lost items, primarily only to make them Found one by one. This is often not an acceptable option, such as when the patron still has the item and wishes to keep it, or when there are many dozens or even hundreds of Lost items needing to be made Found. This submission is to give staff the ability to better respond to patron queries for Lost resources by allowing use of Renew and Change Due Date in a user account to be successful rather than returning an error, for both individual and the existing bulk selection options in a user account, and the ability to select multiple items to change in bulk from Lost to Found, when this is a suitable option for the scenario. To support this functionality, there should also be the ability to configure options around refund of associated charges. These options are needed to empower Library staff with the discretionary ability to to step in to Alma automation to make a great patron experience, when the human-to-human staff and patron interaction deems it necessary. See also Idea Exchange entry with 127 votes as at 17th January 2023:

Lost ; bulk ; renew ; change due date

Fulfillment

Royal Danish Library

Add barcode to Pick From Shelf options

The display of fields on the Pick From Shelf list is customizable, but the barcode of the material to be picked up is not available as an option. It would be helpful if it could be included, as staff may want to use it to verify the correct item. It is already available in the Alma Mobile version, and in the Print Slip Report (several barcodes are reported in case of multiple items), and would be a natural option in the Alma list also.

requests barcode

Fulfillment

Boston University Libraries

Allow Hold Requests Placed by Proxy User to be checked out to the Principal

Suppose I am a student research assistant for Professor X (and I am a proxy for Professor X in Alma), and I request a physical item under my lawstudent Alma account. When I go to the circulation desk to check out the hold request item, it can only be checked out to my lawstudent account; and we’d like to have the option to check the “Use proxy” box so that it could be checked out to Professor X.

Fulfillment

Université Grenoble Alpes - DGD BAPSO

Bulk change due dates - selection of several user groups

Fulfillment / Advanced Tools – loans / Bulk change due dates The "User Group" filter in " Bulk change due dates" only allows you to select one group. As a result, we are forced to repeat the process for each user group we want to update

Fulfillment

Université Grenoble Alpes - DGD BAPSO

Add an "item policy" filter in Bulk change due dates 

Fulfillment / Advanced Tools – loans / Bulk change due dates As we can’t use a import file to change due dates, it will be useful to filter by Item policy. Moreover, we’d like to select several item policies at once.

Fulfillment

Université Grenoble Alpes - DGD BAPSO

Enable bulk due date changes based on a set of items

Fulfillment / Advanced Tools – loans / Bulk change due dates The filters in Bulk change due dates are very large and most of the time we can’t use this functionality, often we've got exceptions. We'd like to use it based on a set of items more specific

Fulfillment

Santiago Canyon College

All items due last day of semester

We would like the ability to set all checked-out items to be due the last day of the semester.

fulfillment; due date

Fulfillment

University of Birmingham

Exception for opening hours exceptions in Alma

If you configure an opening hours exception at institutional level, it would be good to have the flexibility to opt-out of the exception at library level. Eg. You have 10 libraries, and nine are all closed for a week, but one isn’t.

Fulfillment

University of Birmingham

Send borrowers an email when they place a request

It would be good if, when someone places a request on Primo, they could be sent an email receipt to confirm what they have requested. The email could also be edited to include important information eg library opening times for collecting requests.

Fulfillment

Université de Toulouse - SICD

Improvement usability of the Fulfillment Units and Loan Limits pages

Some of the administration menus are particularly painful to update, due to a lack of ergonomics. This is the case of the Fulfillmen Units page and the Loan Limits page. Instead of an arrow navigation, on which you have to click every time, it would be very useful to have a navigation by click and drag.

Fulfillment

Université de Toulouse - SICD

Have the ability to activate an audible signal to indicate that loans and returns have been correctly done

Due to long response times, librarians regularly make the mistake of scanning an item when the previous loan or return has not yet been recorded. In order to avoid these errors, it would be useful to be able to activate an audible signal when a loan or return is registered. 

Fulfillment

Université de Toulouse - SICD

Add Request ID the On Hold shelf letter XML feed

The On Hold shelf letter XML feed doesn't include the request ID. This is unfortunate as we could use it instead of a patron's name or identifier for those libraries that allow patrons to collect their own items. The idea would be as follows: when the mail is sent to the user, the identifier of the request is communicated to him. When he comes to the library to collect his book, he finds it by searching for the one that corresponds to this identifier. No personal information is therefore displayed. 

Fulfillment

Université de Toulouse - SICD

Automatic activation/deactivation of loan rules based on a start and end date

It would be useful if we could automatically schedule the activation or deactivation of a rule according to a start and end date. This would be particularly useful for temporary rules (fixed return date or extended loan period) implemented during holiday periods.

Fulfillment

University of Liège Library

Prioritizing Digitization requests over Hold and Booking requests for processing

All digitization requests should automatically be set to a higher priority than hold and booking requests. For example, we have a book with 3 hold requests, and then someone places a digitization request. It would make sense to quickly handle the digitization request before loaning the book to each of the patrons with hold requests. We know we can manually change the priority of requests, but we would appreciate an automatic process to do this for all digitization requests by default.

Digitization requests,  Digitisation requests, Fulfillment, Priority

See also: https:ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/39211834-prioritising-digitisation-requests-over-hold-reque

Fulfillment

Birmingham City University

Prevent item recalls when items are X days overdue 

Alma places recalls on the first item due back, however in many cases these items are the most overdue – sometimes by years. Libraries do not always want all items recalled because this disadvantages more users, and whilst the lost or missing item workflow would also help prevent the problem, these workflows are not always desirable depending on local policies. We propose that libraries be able to specify an “overdue by X days limit” on recalls to prevent very overdue items from being recalled. 

Fulfillment

PALS - A program of the MNSCU

Add Block for Resource Sharing Shipping from Scan-in Items

Alma allows an institution to set rs_allow_actions_on_scan_in to false. When a staff person tries to Receive or Ship a resource sharing request from Scan-In, the staff person sees a pop-up message advising them to use Alma Receiving or Shipping. This enhancement request is to add block preferences for Ship of a lending request using Scan-In that are similar to the options available for Receive of a borrowing request. If staff are blocked from using Scan-In Items for lending requests this will prevent the accidental closing of a lending and borrowing request. When Scan-in Items is used on a lending request that should be shipped, a pop up message displays that “Shipping is required to be done from the dedicated screen, Are you sure you want to continue?” There is a “Cancel” or “Confirm” option. If the staff person chooses “Confirm” and scans the item barcode again then another pop up displays asking if they want to continue with the message “Scanning in item (scanned barcode provided) will complete lending resource sharing request (external identifier provided). Are you sure you want to perform this action?” The staff person is given the option to “Cancel” or “Confirm”. If the staff person selects “Confirm” the request is completed for the lending and the borrowing library. The information on how to block the Receive of a borrowing request using Scan-In can be found here This is an enhancement request for a block preference to be added for Ship of a lending request similar to the block on Receive of borrowing requests. Possible settings for block of Ship of lending request from Scan-In Items: · Block- The pop-up warning appears and the Ship may not be carried out. · Override by Manager- The pop-up warning appears and may be overridden by users with manager roles. · Handle Automatically- The pop-up warning does not appear and the Ship action will be carried out automatically, with the appropriate actions taken to handle the resource sharing request. This is the default option. If the block is overridden, the following actions take place: · The lending request status is updated to Shipped Physically. · The Ship ISO message is sent. · The item is placed in a temporary location. 

resource sharing, block, ship, scan in

Fulfillment

PALS - A program of the MNSCU

Add option to close library for borrowing or lending resource sharing requests based on format of request

A library can close for borrowing or lending requests and include dates when the library can't process borrowing or lending requests. It would be helpful and provide more efficient processing of borrowing and lending requests if requests could be deflected by format. As a borrowing library, there are times when a patron's article requests could be processed and sent to a lending library, but a physical request can't be processed. Borrowing physical requests may not be possible because the physical library building is closed, and the item can't be delivered to the location. It would be helpful to have the addition of format, physical and digital, to "Temporarily Inactive for borrowing" with an "Inactive dates range" for physical format and an "Inactive dates range" for digital format. This allows patrons to continue to enter requests for formats that can be filled. As a lending library, there are times when a library can supply physical items but not be able to process digital requests. This may be because of staff expertise in handling digital requests. It would be helpful to have the addition of format, physical and digital, to "Temporary Inactive for lending" with an "Inactive dates range for physical format and an "Inactive dates range" for digital format. The ability to deflect lending requests for formats the library can't fill quickly provides better service to the borrowing library.

resource sharing, borrowing, lending, deflect, format

Fulfillment

The New School

E-Book ILL

various consortia and academic partners have been working on a pilot to "lend" licenses of ebooks to other institutions with proQuest. We want this feature extended into Alma/Primo as a fulfillment option. Ideally, alma should be able to consume an openURL from any requesting system (svc.ill=yes), and the library should be able to source the request to any library within the fulfillment zone or send the request out via 18626:2021 to an external supplying library. When working with ebook central titles, users should be able to request the license reservation of a title and get a tokenized URL and duedate returned within Alma.

Fulfillment

California State University, Northridge

Add ability to move active loans to another patron account

There is currently no method to move patron loans from one account to another. We occasionally have student workers that check out an item on the wrong user account. Moving the loan from one account to another can be done by checking the item back in and back out to the correct user but that sends a lot of confusing emails to both patrons. Idea Exchange from 2022 on this same topic:

transfer loans accounts

Fulfillment

California State University, Northridge

Make an easy way for items to be removed from 'in transit' status

We continue to have items change to 'in transit' status and we don't know why and Ex Libris cases are at a dead end. We think it is a simple error of our students checking an item in or out of the wrong library but this is human error. We have changes our transit tables several times but the error continues to occur. Can we please get a feature to change an item out of 'in transit' status? 

transit stuck status

Fulfillment

Los Medanos College

Login Override

We would like to have login override functionality on Alma accounts. For example, if a student worker with limited permissions attempts to check out a non-circulating item to a patron and gets a block message preventing the checkout, a supervisor would enter their login credentials on that block screen to allow the checkout instead of having the student log all the way out and the supervisor log in on their account. This would save time in regards to supervisors checking items out and performing other functions at the circulation desk. 

Login, Override, 

Fulfillment

Vienna University Library

ILL cancel/reject workflow - "Lender Reject Email Letter"

ILL workflow scenario of a library with several sublibraries. - Step 1: The (central) Resource Sharing Department creates a fulfillment request to receive a book from a sublibrary (to be sent via interlibrary loan). - Step 2: The sublibrary can not or will not send the book and therefore the sublibrary cancels the request. This also triggers a "Lender Reject Email Letter" to ILL partner. However, the fulfillment request cancellation form only provides these fields: - Cancellation reason - Cancellation note But a "Lender Reject Email Letter" needs the following fields: - Reject reason - Note to partner The "Cancellation reasons" do not match with the "Reject reasons" (see attachement). Because Alma is missing "Reject reason" and "Note to partner", the "Lender Reject Email Letter" provides hard-coded the following data: /notification_data/reason_unfilled: Other /notification_data/note_to_partner: Request cannot be fulfilled It is fine that by canceling the fulfillment request, the ILL partner is also informed and the Resource Sharing Department does not have to perform this action additionally. But no "standardized" reason for rejection (as in the reject form) and also no personalized note can be passed to the ILL partner. As a result, there are always questions from ILL partners (whether the book cannot be borrowed in general or whether it is only borrowed at the moment). Possible solution: The fulfillment request cancellation form provides a optional section where you can choose a "Reject reason" and place a "Note to partner" (which is necessary for the "Lender Reject Email Letter"). Thank you in advance! See also:

Fulfillment - Resource Sharing - Cancel request - Reject ILL request - Lender Reject Email Letter

Fulfillment

Edinburgh Napier University

Allow auto renewal to restart after blocks removed

Currently we receive reports of users that are to be blocked due to late payment of fees. Once the blocks are removed or made inactive auto renewal rules do not allow the automatic renewal process to restart

Fulfillment

Edinburgh Napier University

Allow different letters to be sent dependent on auto renewal failure

When auto renewal fails the letter that goes out does not allow specification of the reason. We would like to send different letters if it was due to a request, expiry date of user or maximum renewal time reached.

Fulfillment

Sheffield Hallam University

Improve request retention functionality when marking 'On Hold Shelf' items as missing

Our staff who are responsible for managing patron physical item requests have said it would be helpful if the 'Mark as missing' function in both the Active Hold Shelf and Expired Hold Shelf screens were to include the functionality and options to retain or cancel the request(s) through a pop-up. This would streamline the process for them. Prior to July 2022, we believe that requests were not cancelled when an item was marked as missing and that a request would be retained and pass to a different copy of the title.

Fulfillment

University Library Basel

Fulfillment: Accessibility: add CUG [customized user group] to request items from open stack to the circulation desk of the same library

The open stacks in our libraries are accessible only with difficulty or not at all for people with walking or other disabilities. However, these patrons, like all others, must be guaranteed unrestricted access to the collection. Currently, this is only possible by users contacting the respective circulation desk and via a complicated workaround since we do not generally allow requesting items from open stacks to the same library. We would like that the accounts of our disabled patrons can be set up that they can independently request items from the open stacks to the circulation desk of the same library (e.g. a customized user group). For all other patrons, nothing should change. 

accessibility

Fulfillment

Edinburgh Napier University

Shortened due date letter

Would like this to be triggered by auto renewal failure due to user's expiry date

Fulfillment

Edinburgh Napier University

Send notification to accounts that are about to expire

We would like to inform users before auto renewal fails that there accounts are about to expire

There is an Idea already raised form 2021: Alma - automatic warning for users about to expire with dedicated alma xml letter

Fulfillment

Stellenbosch University

No overdue letters or fines for recalled items until after the original due date

Users get a letter saying that they may keep the item until the original due date if they so wish but then they are charged fines and get overdue letters between the shortened due date and the original due date. For recalls, the system should prevent overdue letters and fines from generating until after the original due date.

recalls; overdue letters; fines

NERS ID 7916 (2022)

Fulfillment

Zentral- und Hochschulbibliothek Luzern

Optimisation of reminders and overdue letters (anti-phishing)

The reminders and reminder letters sent to patrons currently often end up in upstream spam filters of the mail providers. If this is not the case, we regularly receive feedback that they considered some of the automated notifications to be spam or phishing mails. We would like to be able to optimise the automated notifications so that they are less automatically classified as spam according to today's standards. Ideally, Alma would already take common standards into account. See also Idea Exchange:

Fulfillment

Zentral- und Hochschulbibliothek Luzern

Add library code to Resource Sharing Shipping Slip Letter 

With Rapido, our smaller libraries are receiving more courier requests from all over the country, and they don't have all of these library codes memorized. The library codes are not available on the Resource Sharing Shipping Slip Letter, but are used by our courier service provider as an identifier for shipping to correctly route the documents. Currently, the code must be looked up by hand if you do not know it. Therefore, we would like to print the library codes on the Resource Sharing Shipping Slip Letter. However, this field is not included in the letter data (XML/XSL). We ask that this field be made available in the letter templates. It would greatly facilitate the work of our colleagues if this does not have to be looked up by hand. See also Idea Exchange:

Fulfillment

The University of Manchester

Alma - Resource Sharing lending with RapidILL - Undo a request function

At the moment, it's not possible to undo certain actions on Resource Sharing lending on Alma when using with RapidILL e.g. If one was to accidentally ship out an item physically instead of digitally, it won't be possible to undo that action within Alma. You would need to go into the Rapid interface to search for the request and undo the last action, and then be able to upload the request safely on there. The request would still remain on Alma until you manually change it to complete. The above example is quite an easy mistake to make, so having an undo function in Alma that integrates with RapidILL would make it easier to rectify it. 

Fulfillment

Université de Toulouse - SICD

Improvement of the Loans - Overdue and Lost Item report : display of the list of undelivered messages and not only of unsent messages

We would like to have a report to identify undelivered messages, particularly for the Loans - Overdue and Lost Item job. Currently, the report provided with this job lists delivery failures when they are due to a lack of preferred email address or a badly formatted address. We would like it to be completed with the following information : messages sent but not delivered. When they refuse to deliver a message, the mail servers send an error message back to the sender. A solution to build up this report could be to use these messages, at least for those institutions that use the Ex Libris SMTP server. 

Fulfillment

Hbz Hochschulbibliothekszentrum des Landes NRW

Maximum renewal date

It would be very helpful if staff and patrons could see the maximum time a borrowed item can still be borrowed, including all renewals. (Output both in Alma UI and via Alma API (to display e.g. in the catalog/patron account)). 

Fulfillment

ODIN - IGeLU

"Undo" option for Resource Sharing requests

Many times, our library staff accidentally choose an unintended Resource Sharing status from the More Actions menu. They either realize the error too late, or they instantly regret the results of the status change. Currently, there is no good way to undo this type of unintended status update for both partners. Manually changing the status only changes it on your end, not the partner's end, which throws off the entire workflow. This usually ends up forcing the partners to create brand new requests in order to finish circulating the material, which is more work for everyone involved. We would love an "undo last action" option in the More Actions menu. This would allow for easier and faster workflow correction of Resource Sharing requests for both partners. 

Resource Sharing

Fulfillment

Vienna University Library

location type "unavailable" should lead to availability status "unavailable" in Alma and Primo

We need the possibility to show items as unavailable in Primo without creating requests (work orders) for them. Our use cases are - items which have been restituted (via a provenance research project) and are no longer in the library - items which are blocked for usage for years - items which are not usable for certain reasons All of these have to be shown in the discovery interface, although users won't get them for a long time or at all. Now, all of these items have a "green" availability status in Primo and we struggle to put information about the non-availability on several places in the holdings display so that users know that they won't get it. When using work orders to achieve "red" availability status, users are confused about the fact that the item is "in process" and there is a request for it. See also ideas/exchange:  

physical items ; base status ; availability status ; discovery

In 2021, NERS #7177 Add option to configure Process Types for Unavailable Physical Items, without creation of requests won and was developed by Ex Libris, but there is still no possibility to show items in Primo as not available without some kind of request or loan.

Fulfillment

ODIN - IGeLU

Option for an email notification when Resource Sharing requests are submitted

It would be nice to have the option to receive an automated email notification (in addition to the new task notification on the Alma dashboard) whenever a new Resource Sharing request (Borrowing & Lending) is submitted to a library. 

Resource sharing, notification, email

Fulfillment

CARLI - Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois

Add Patron Limit threshold for number of lost items

It should be possible to automatically block users based on a set threshold for the number of items they have checked out that are in a lost status. Currently, the Patron Limits table only contains delinquency threshold blocks for Max Overdues, Max Cash, and Max Overdue Recalls. Please add a Lost Item threshold to the Patron Limits in Alma. 

Fulfillment

CARLI - Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois

Add AFN linked user’s home institution to the fields available on the active and expired hold shelf

When an Automated Fulfillment Network allows users to pick up materials at any institution in the Fulfillment Network, the user may select an institution other than the user's home library or the item's home library as a pickup location. Currently, when a third institution is the pickup location, the user's linked record is not automatically saved to the pickup location’s Alma Institution Zone (IZ), so the pickup location library has no information about the user who will be coming to get the item. However, staff at the pickup location must know the user’s home institution to complete a loan transaction in Alma.  See also this Idea Exchange with over 200 votes:  

Fulfillment

CARLI - Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois

Allow fulfillment network aggregate user blocks

It should be possible to automatically block users based on the combined total of their delinquent activity at all institutions in an Automated Fulfillment Network. Currently, a user can only be blocked from further activity at all institutions in the fulfillment network when the user’s home institution manually applies a network block to the user’s account. We would like “fulfillment network aggregate block thresholds” to apply blocks based on a network-level limit of current overdue items, overdue recalled items, lost items, and fines/fees. We had this functionality in Ex Libris Voyager Universal Borrowing, and our consortial resource sharing agreements and workflows expect such aggregate thresholds to be possible. See also Idea Exchange:  

Fulfillment

University of Texas at Austin

Delete exact strings of text from notes using ‘Change Physical items information’ job

Add the ability to delete a user specified exact string of text from note fields using the ‘Change Physical items information’ job. 

Fulfillment

University of Texas at Austin

Add ‘Run Now’ option to ‘Loans – Due Date Correction after Calendar Change’ configuration

Several of the jobs in Fulfillment Jobs Configuration have a ‘Run Now’ button to kick off the job on demand instead of having to wait for the scheduled time. This option should be added to the ‘Loans – Due Date Correction after Calendar Change’ job. 

Interoperability & Integration

El Camino College

Worldshare OCLC ILL Interactivity with Alma

Please offer API interactivity with Worldshare OCLC ILL (Interlibrary Loan) that goes both ways from Alma to OCLC Worldshare as well as OCLC Worldshare ILL to Alma. This would make thing so much easier for our staff!

ILL API Worldshare OCLC

Interoperability & Integration

The New School

Update from ISO18626:2017 to 18626:2021 for fulfillment zone-based resource-sharing

The new version of ISO 18626 supports the transmission of ebook ILL and controlled digital lending requests between requesters and suppliers. ISO 18626:2021 also supports the inclusion of tracking numbers for package shippers (UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc), allowing requesting and supplying libraries to track ILL packages of their material. 

Interoperability & Integration

Oregon State University

The link resolver should be able to calculate the availability of volume or issue in a book serial

What is the problem: At present, the LinkResolver cannot calculate the availability of print holdings to determine whether a particular issue is available in those holdings. The LinkResolver matches your local inventory based on the ISBN, so the resource sharing options are being hidden due to the matched inventory, even though this particular volume is not available in your physical holdings. For instance, if an institution has the ISBNs for non-held volumes cataloged in the 020 field, the link resolver will match CDI records or OpenURLs containing the ISBN for these volumes even if the library does not have holdings. These records are likely to be autoloaded from OCLC for the entire serial. What is expected: The link resolver can calculate the availability of print holdings to determine whether a particular issue is available in those holdings. For example, if the request is for an article in volume 6, the link resolver will check the availability of volume 6 in the decision-making of a match.

link resolver, CDI

Interoperability & Integration

SLSP Swiss Library Service Platform AG

Improvement of the API: Task List -> Requested resources

Currently with the API Task List -> Requested resources only items with the status “pick from shelf” can be extracted. It would be necessary that all requested resources could be extracted (independently of their status). The status should be visible in the extracted data. Additionally, it would be helpful to have the option to use the status as input for the API request (to filter results). In addition, it would be very helpful to have the option to change the request status via API (with a put-request).

API

Interoperability & Integration

SLSP Swiss Library Service Platform AG

Improvement of API extracted User Data

It would be very helpful if the extracted user data (via API) would contain the information if a user record in an Institution Zone is connected to the Network Zone or not (and to which record). Additionally it would be helpful to have the option to add or remove links between user records in the IZ and the NZ via API (e.g. if two records are errouneously linked of if an IZ and NZ record are not linked but should be linked). 

API

Interoperability & Integration

SLSP Swiss Library Service Platform AG

Bursar integration: Additional fee statuses in Alma & Allow fee status change with job Import from Bursar

Currently only the fee statuses “open”, “transferred” and “closed” exist in Alma. The status "transferred" means that the fee was exported to the external Bursar system. When the fee is imported back to Alma, it is automatically Closed. For staff it is not possible to tell if the closed fee was paid, waived, unpaid etc. without consulting the 3rd party Bursar system. To give librarians and end users more transparency about the (invoice) status of a fee, we would need more differentiated fee statuses. Also, we need to be able to set this status when importing the fees back to Alma using the job Import from Bursar. The optimal development would be: 1. Have the possibility to configure ourselves in Alma which fee statuses we want to use and to have the possibility to add additional fee statuses. 2. The Import from Bursar job must be able to set this status based on a field in the import XML file. If the #1 is not possible, it would be good to have the following additional fee statuses implemented: invoiced unpaid partial payment paid/closed storno write-off transferred to the debt collection e-mail not deliverable

Interoperability & Integration

Université de Lille

Support full SIP2 protocol

The SIP2 protocol is used for the communication between selfchecks and Alma Please find documentation here : https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/3M-Standard-Interchange-Protocol-Version-2.00.pdf Unfortunately, Ex Libris does not support all fields that are available in the protocol (marked as 'not supported' in this document): Please make the whole SIP2 protocol available for Alma. For example, for Patron Information Response (64), Unavailable HoldsCount and anavailableHoldItems CD are not supported. It is not possible to distinguish between holds that are available (on Hold Shelf) and those that are not yet available (in process) 

self service check issue sip holds requests standard interchange protocol

Resource Management

University of Haifa Library

Ability to filter Resource Sharing records from repository search

When searching the repository, temporary records created by the resource sharing workflows mixing with the local BIB records.

Repository search, filter, resource sharing

Resource Management

University of Haifa Library

Add ORCID ID to CZ Authorities vocabularies search

Field 0247 $$a XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX $$2 orcid used in authority records and is currently not searchable in CZ authority vocabularies

ORCID, Community zone, Authority vocabularies

Resource Management

Harvard University Library - E

Scan in Items... Status / Done selections need to be sticky

The Scan in Items... Status field value is not sticky. This is a productivity issue and also leads to errors. Generally a given staff member frequently chooses a single value repeatedly, but the system always defaults to the first value in the list (alphabetically) and they have to change it every time. The same is true for the Done option. The last used option should stick. Use Case: I am a staff member in Acquisitions technical services. I am an original cataloger and my workflow involves cataloging a piece, and then updating the status of the work order to "Shelf Prep." From the Metadata Editor, I complete my cataloging, save and release the bib record, then go to Scan In Items, change the status from the default value (first alphabetically) of "Cataloging" to "Shelf Prep," then Scan in the barcode. Now I work on my next bib record, finish cataloging in the MDE, save and release record, go to the Scan in Items screen, and now I have to re-select the status of "Shelf Prep" and scan in the item. I have to re-select this status all day long as I go about my cataloging work.

Resource Management

Harvard University Library - E

Import Profiles: more mapping options (Material Type, Acquisition Method, E-Collection)

We need additional mapping options in Import Profiles. We need the ability to map to Electronic Collection, Material Type, and Acquisition method, based on field/subfield values in the input file. For example, we have several EOD profiles for Casalini, when we could have 1 if these values could be mapped. We have several because we load different material types (Books, DVDs, etc.) and have multiple Acq Methods, such as Approval, Purchase at Vendor System, etc. Similarly, for Import Profiles that load Portfolios, you cannot map to Collection. You have to have a separate profile for each Electronic Collection for which you want to load portfolios. These greatly increases the number of profiles we need to maintain. If we could map to Electronic Collection from a field/subfield value in the input file, we would need to maintain significantly fewer profiles. 

Resource Management

Harvard University Library - E

Preferred term correction: flip headings that change tag number

Alma authority control does not handle cases where the bib heading is linked to an authority via a cross-reference, but the preferred and non-preferred terms are in different fields, e.g. preferred term is in authority field 130 and cross-reference in authority is in 410. Alma should be able to handle this scenario. Currently when the bib heading matches the authority cross-reference, Alma won't correct these and instead puts them on this report: Preferred Term Correction - Bib Heading found no authorized term. This is a common scenario and the lack of this feature is a significant gap in the Alma authority control process. Handling these manually would require an unsustainable amount of effort by staff, because they can only be corrected through complicated norm rules, and it is not feasible to write a norm rule for every relevant heading and run jobs to update records. // Example bib heading that Alma won't correct: 110/2_ $$a Allied and Associated Powers (1914-1920). $$t Treaties, etc. $$g Germany, $$d 1919 June 28. The authority record that this heading links to (via its cross-reference) 130/0 $$a Treaty of Versailles $$d (1919 June 28) 410/2$$a Allied and Associated Powers (1914-1920). $$t Treaties, etc. $$g Germany, $$d 1919 June 28. The bib heading in 110 links to the authority via the cross-reference in the 410, but because the preferred term in the authority is in 130 (and not 110), Alma will not flip the heading. // This is also in Ideas Exchange with about 180 votes:

Resource Management

University of Haifa Library

Enable to upload controlled vocabulary lists in Excel format

Currently the only way to create a new controlled vocabulary list (to use in fields with per-defined values) in Alma is by adding the values manually, one by one. Usually the controlled vocabulary lists are added in implementation by the migration teams, but after Go Live, there is no way to do that neither by the institution nor by the support.

controlled vocabulary lists, upload file

Resource Management

Harvard University Library - E

Fix gaps in Subject Browse (LCSH vs. LCNAME subjects)

The separation of subjects into these 2 separate browses is very problematic: LCSH vs. "LC name authority records for 651". Staff must check each browse separately to find all headings. This affects Primo VE customers as well, where the incomplete Subject Browse is a serious patron facing issue. For example, you have to use the LCSH browse to find "Michigan--Antiquities", but you have to use a different browse ("LC names for 651") to find "Michigan--Antiquities--Bibliography." There should be a single subject browse that contains both LCSH and LC names for 651. Geographic headings in "LC Names 651" are used as subjects and need to be in the same browse as LCSH terms. The fact that they are controlled by separate vocabularies is incidental for discovery and database management purposes. In LC practice, some subdivided geographic headings are established LCSH authorities, not LC Name authorities. Only the un-subdivided name is included in LC Names. Subdivided names are included in LCSH. (For an easier to read version of this request please see: ). FULLER EXAMPLE: In LCSH browse you see: Michigan--Antiquities; Michigan--Biography; Michigan--Guidebooks; But in LC Names for 651 you see: Michigan; Michigan--Antiquities--Bibliography; Michigan--Antiquities--Periodicals; Michigan--Gazeteers; What you should see is a single browse: Michigan; Michigan--Antiquities; Michigan--Antiquities--Bibliography; Michigan--Antiquities--Periodicals; Michigan--Biography; Michigan--Gazeteers; Michigan--Guidebooks; MORE BACKGROUND There is a list of “free-floating subdivisions” that can be used under place names in the Subject Headings Manual, H 1140. Most of these are not established in LCSH under individual places, unless a further subdivision that is specific to a place needs to be established. For example, $x Abstracting and indexing is a valid subdivision in the list, but United States—Abstracting and indexing is not in LCSH. On the other hand, $x History is a free floating subdivision, but United States—History is in LCSH because it is needed as part of the structure to add specific subdivisions, e.g. United States—History—Civil War, 1861-1865. Sometimes a heading is in LCSH because cross references are needed for that combination. For example, $x National Guard is a free floating subdivision, but United States—National Guard is in LCSH because it has references from National Guard (United States) and United States—Organized militia, 1903-1916.

Resource Management

Boston University

Reminders - enhance functionality

This area of Alma is incredibly useful, but could use some enhancements to make it better. If it behaved more like the E-Activation task list it would become much more valuable and popular. 1. Showing up on the homepage Task List/sends emails (most important); 2. Ability to assign the tasks; 3. The ability to filter by type or status better; 4. More useful filtering of due dates.

Resource Management

University of Haifa Library

Populate 670 field in a new authority record derived from the bibliographic record

Please auto-populate the 670 field (Source Data Found) in the new authority record with Title, date in $a and MMS ID in $w.

inspired by IdeaExchange:
https:ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/18146107-authority-creation-populate-670-source-data-foun

Resource Management

University of Haifa Library

Improve Authority Control reporting on partially matched BIB headings in Alma and in analytics

We would like to have an ability to identify our partially linked headings in order to better prioritize authority control work

Authority Control Task List, Reports, Analytics, Authorities

Resource Management

University of Haifa Library

Remove set from collection

Just as there is an option now to add a set of titles to collection, there should be the opposite function - remove set of records from collection.

digitl collections jobs sets

Resource Management

University of Haifa Library

Manual sort of files in representation

Sometimes in a representation that hold multiple files there is a need to move the files higher or lower in the list or to sort them. Currently there is no way to do that after the files are uploaded.

Resource Management

Université de Caen Normandie - SCD

Check for existing barcode in import profile

There should be a parameter in the import profile to check the pre-existence of the incoming barcode, there should be a parameter in the matching tab that looks for this barcode and rejects the item if this barcode already exists. This would prevent the creation of duplicate barcodes when importing with inventory data. cf. Request ID: 5186, " 

barcode import

Resource Management

Harvard University

Link items to 853/4/5 in holding to generate automatic item descriptions

We need the ability to link unpredicted items to a specific 853/4/5 field in a holding, which would then be used to generate an accurate description. Some serials are unpredictable, and such a feature would allow staff to make use of the patterns coded in the holding instead of manually creating descriptions, which leaves much room for error. The existing Item Description Template feature in Alma is inadequate for this purpose (explanation below) and generates too many incorrect descriptions. Linking to a pattern in the holding would generate correct descriptions. The feature must also read the language of the holding, coded in the 008, to generate descriptions in the correct language, with the proper accents and abbreviations. Currently there is too much redundant typing which is an ergonomic issue, and leads to inconsistency in item descriptions, which is also a usability issue in the public display of item data. Consistency is very important thus linking to a pattern in the holding, which is then used for the generation of the description, will ensure that the descriptions are consistent and accurate. When duplicating an item, the linked field should carry over to the new item. When duplicating an item, staff should be able to update the enum/chron, delete the copied Description, Save the item, and the system will create the Description based on the pattern in the holding. Item records in Alma do have a Pattern Type and Linking field, but when you fill them out, the Description Templates are still used to generate the description, rather than the pattern in the holding. This should be changed so that when a user fills out these fields (Pattern, Linking) manually in an item, the description is generated based on that pattern, and not based on the Description Templates. Why are templates inadequate? One reason is that for some patterns, the templates cannot accommodate the variability in captions (Example 1). Another reason is that there are not enough templates available per language (Example 2). (Further issuescan be provided upon request). Example 1: Some periodicals have a volume number and no issue number, and other periodicals have an issue number but no volume number; the enumeration for both periodicals will be (should be) in the Enumeration A field. In the first case, we want the Description to show “v.1” and in the second case, we want the Description to show “no.1." If we have a Description template that tells Alma to insert “no. “ in front of the number in the Enumeration A field, Alma will insert “no.“ in front of everything, whether it’s a volume number or an issue number. If we have a Description template that tells Alma to insert “v.“ in front of the number in the Enumeration A field, Alma will insert “v. “ in front of everything, whether it’s an issue number or a volume number. There is no way to use description templates to accommodate the variability in captions among serials. Example 2: Even within a given language, there is not consistency in the caption used. Many French periodicals use v. (year) but many others use t. (year). The same is true for German (Bd. and V). The template features cannot accommodate the reality of serial publications, whereas the 853/4/5 holdings fields do. 

Resource Management

University of Minnesota Libraries

Make all Analytics default column headers for identifiers work for set creation in Alma

The ability to create an itemized set from Analytics requires that the Analytics report column header for the identifier used in set creation match Alma's expected column headers. We have identified 4 cases where the default column header in Analytics does not match Alma's expected value for the relevant identifier, making set creation from Analytics impossible without manually editing the Analytics column header to match a value accepted by Alma. The 4 cases are: --For creating All Titles, Physical Titles, and Electronic Titles sets, Alma expects "OCLC number," but Analytics uses the column header "OCLC Control Number (035$a) --For creating All Titles, Physical Titles, and Electronic Titles sets, Alma expects "035 field," but Analytics uses the column header "Network Number" --For creating Physical Items sets, Alma expects "Item Id," but Analytics uses the column header "Physical item Id" --For creating Electronic Collections sets, Alma expects "PID," but Analytics uses the column header "Electronic Collection ID" Alma should accept Analytics default column headers for identifier columns that can be used for set creation. Also, Analytics default column headers should not be changed without also updating acceptable column headers for Alma set creation. 

Resource Management

U.S.  National Library of Medicine

Create a new title search field that only searches the subfields in the MARC 245 (Title Statement) field that determine title uniqueness ($a, $n, $p).

Create a new title search field that only searches the subfields in the MARC 245 (Title Statement) field that determine title uniqueness ($a, $n, $p).

title, search, 245 field

Resource Management

Boston University Libraries

Provide Search Filters for Language of Cataloging and Format in Search External Resources and Display the Source of Cataloging and the number of holdings in OCLC in the results

This enhancement corresponds to the “search filters and better results display in the ‘search external resources’ function” idea on the Ideas Exchange ( ). Copy catalogers would like to be able to search by language of cataloging and format to filter out irrelevant records when searching “Search External Resources.” It would also be helpful to display the source of cataloging and the number of holdings in OCLC in the search results for catalogers to identify the best record.

Resource Management

James Cook University

Add AIATSIS thesauri to the CZ subject authority files

AIATSIS thesauri made available in the Community Zone authority files for 6XX subject fields.

AIATSIS thesauri authorities

AIATSIS produces the thesauri for cataloguing and searching the AIATSIS collection; and publishes them so that other institutions have access to a nationally-recognised controlled vocabulary that is more culturally appropriate than LCSH for describing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content in collections.

The thesauri include Subjects and Placenames (in Pathways), and Languages and Peoples (in AustLang). These are accepted by LOC for use in bibliographic records, and have been assigned Subject Heading and Term source codes for use in the 6XX subject fields. (aiatsisl: AIATSIS language thesaurus, aiatsisp: AIATSIS place thesaurus, aiatsiss: AIATSIS subject thesaurus)

Use of the AIATSIS thesauri is encouraged under ATSILIRN protocol 5.1.

The National Library of Australia has been using the thesauri since 2019.

Resource Management

Harvard University

Item physical condition field - make configurable 

Currently there are only 4 options when populating the Physical Condition field in the item record, and they are all very similar. Each institution should be able to configure this field by adding or removing values from the dropdown list presented to the user. The 4 hard-coded values are currently: Brittle, Damaged, Deteriorating, Fragile. We should be able to customize the list to make them more useful with a wider array of values.

Resource Management

Liberty University

Improve Shelf Report

Shelf report within Alma is a great inventory tool but has limitations. 1. Shelf report checks against permanent location and ignores temporary locations. 2. Shelf report is limited to one location. These limitations cause problems which make the inventory process less productive and more time consuming. 1. Because the shelf report checks against permanent location instead of current location, all items that are in a temporary location appear missing when the permanent location is checked. If a display shelf is scanned, all items will error with "not part of the range/set." 2. It is often necessary to scan more than one location at a time. For example, if there are reference items located within the general collection or if multiple floors are scanned at one time. This limitation also makes using many sets that include more than one location difficult. Requests: 1. Give the user the option to check against Permanent Location, Temporary Location, or Current Location when using the Shelf Report tool. 2. Allow users to select multiple locations when using the range and set option within Shelf Report.

Alma, Shelf Report, Inventory

Point of Contact:
Nick Pavlovic
npavlovic@liberty.edu
434-592-9243

Resource Management

GALILEO

Alma Collections : add ability to include NZ titles in IZ Alma Collections

Currently when a library creates a collection in Alma they can add titles from their Institution Zone (IZ) to the collection but they are unable to include any NZ-managed inventory in that local collection. 

collections, NZ

Resource Management

Austrian Library Network

Add facet "held by" in search result screen at Network Zone level

Add a facet "held by" in search result screen at Network Zone level.

Network Zone, facets

Relates to ideas exchange "Network Zone Advanced search should allow a search for "Held By"

Resource Management

Harvard University

Name/Title Browse Searches for authorized headings

(This was on the Primo 2022 ballot and rejected by ExL as most of the development is in Alma, with a note to submit through Alma NERS). As frequent Primo users searching for known music items, the Alma Music Users Group would like to propose that Ex Libris create a left-anchored browse search for name/title entries found in bibliographic records. An alphabetical left-anchored browse search is particularly helpful for known-item searches that are often used for music materials and prolific literary authors. Currently, Primo provides browse search options for names (name portion only ($a,$q,$d)) and name/title headings used as subjects. For prolific authors, it is not unusual to find thousands of name/title headings lumped under the composers or authors name, with “20+ records” displayed adjacent to the heading. The Primo Browse Search options should include an alphabetical left-anchored “browse” listing for all name/title headings found in bibliographic records. The left-anchored browse name/title index search for authorized access points should include the subfields from the 700 name portion of the heading, as well as subfields from the 700 title portion of the heading ($t, $f, $m, $n, $r, $l, $k, $p, $o, $s), displayed in the order in which the fields are transcribed in the bibliographic authorized heading. The browse name/title index should also include the name/title information from the 100/240 fields, including the subfields from the 240 ($f, $m, $n, $r, $l, $k, $p, $o, $s), displayed in the order in which the fields are transcribed in the bibliographic authorized heading. In the event that the 100/240 combination cannot be included as the left-anchored browse search is developed, it is critical that these fields are added as soon as possible. Ideally, the browse indexes would display 4XX and 5XX cross-references and public notes such as the 680 found in authority records. Associated name and title strings must be kept together for both indexing and display. The cross-references are critical in helping the user to find items known by various titles in various languages. The 4xx and 5xx displays should be linked to redirect the patron to the appropriate section in the index. Benefit: Without a left-anchored browse search, there are too many false drops and omissions when searching for materials by prolific authors and composers. The left-anchored browse results in a more focused and complete search result, helping the user to quickly find all items with the same authorized access point. Attached is an optimal name/title display for the composer Georges Bizet. Also attached is a full list of MARC fields and subfields to be included. Ex Libris rejection statement from Primo 2022 ballot : “As most of the development here is in Alma - Alma will require rebuilding the Browse index to answer the specific needs here. Discussion with the technical people this enhancement is very complex and require new infrastructure for Browse, it is not just simply extending the Browse functionality as today. While our agreements states NERS is treated according to "Product of entry", since this is extreme example that may take more then 100 days and the business logic is more librarian oriented therefore we suggest this will be rejected from the Primo NERS and potentially will be brought up in the future in the ALMA NERS.” 

Resource Management

Swiss National Library

Ability to update the thumbnails in bulk for the Digital object.

Currently once a record is configured as an Alma-D, the thumbnail will be taken from its digital representation. But it's not possible in Alma to update the thumbnails in bulk for Digital objects. This has to be done singularly. We would like an option to update the thumbnails in bulk based on sets. 

Resource Management

Keio University Media Center

Add option to Print bib record from MDE

Please add a function to print bib record from MDF. 

Resource Management

Santiago Canyon College

To manage e-books, create an inventory set from a title set

We would like the ability to create an inventory set from a title set, in order to manage e-books. 

e-books; ebooks; title set; inventory set; portfolio id; ISBN; local electronic collection; e-resource management; standalone portfolios

Resource Management

Harvard University

Follow NACO rules when linking bib headings (reduce number of "ambiguous" headings in ACTL reports)

When linking bib headings, Alma does not follow NACO comparison rules when checking for ambiguous headings. This results in numerous headings not linking at all, and being reported as ambiguous. This reduces the utility of Alma's authority control process, because there are too many headings to link manually. Alms should follow the authority file comparison rules at: . Examples of headings that Alma won't link because they are "ambiguous:" 1) Peabody Essex Museum vs. Peabody & Essex Museum -- 2) Ciné+ (France) vs. Cine France -- 3) Mohammad, Ali vs. Mohammad Ali (a cross-reference in the authority record for Ali, Mohammad) -- 4) McFarland & Company vs. McFarland Company (cross-reference in authority record for J. Horace McFarland Company). 

Resource Management

Swiss National Library

Enhance Generate Accession number function in MDE

Enhance Generate Accession number function in MDE. Add ability to search for, filter and sort Accession Number from the Accession number sequences list without having to scroll down the list.

MDE; Accession Number sequences

Resource Management

Swiss National Library

Preserve selections from itemized sets when navigating from page to page

In Itemized sets there is the possibility to remove selected members. Therefore you have to check them with check marks first. The check marks dissappear when you turn the page.

Itemzed sets

Resource Management

Swiss National Library

Add a feature to create local validations rules in the MDE

Add a feature to create validations rules on your own to validate specific rules for your institution e.g. warning message when a specific field is missing in context with a local field

MDE; Validation rule; local field

Resource Management

Université de Caen Normandie - SCD

Automatically add call number type in holding creation 

The Alma configuration makes us choose a default call number type for the locations. However, when a holding is created, without going through a template, it does not inherit the call number type of its location. It could be easy to implement this feature which would avoid holdings without a call number type. Thank you for your support!

Resource Management

Skyline College

Add Item Call Number Option to the Sort Routine in Alma Bibliographic Records Item Lists

We would like to use the sort routine in the list of items viewed from an Alma physical title repository search result to sort a list of items on a bibliographic record by item call number. Currently, item call number is not available to be added as an option in the “Available Sort Fields” configured in the “Sort Routines List” for physical items.

item call number, sort routine, item lists, repository search, physical titles, sort fields, available sort fields, call number, sortable

Resource Management

Stellenbosch University

In Process Items' screen: default search

On the 'In Process Items' screen, the default search currently is Title. Many library staff members search via barcode and others via Title. It would mean one less click if the default search can be either changed to All or that, whichever search index the staff select, it becomes sticky so that they don't have to reselect.

in process items ; search index ; default search ; sticky

https:ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/45584551--in-process-items

Resource Management

Zentral- und Hochschulbibliothek Luzern

Add warning for active title-level-requests when relinking or deleting holding records or items 

When relinking holdings and items to new bib records or deleting holdings or items, requests can get lost. This is the case if they are on the titel level instead of on the item level. (Cf. ) See also Idea Exchange:

Resource Management

Zentral- und Hochschulbibliothek Luzern

Allow sorting of itemized set members similarly to logical set results

In Manage Sets, enable sorting the members of itemized record sets by title, creator, and publication date, similar to the criteria available for sorting results of logical sets. Currently our only option for sorting the members of an itemized set is by exporting to Excel and manipulating the resulting spreadsheet, which doesn't allow for clean sorting by the same criteria. We have to have some options available to sort the "members" of an itemized set. Title, call number, location, and status are just a few of the options that could be extremely helpful. The members of a set aren't even in the same order as they were on the file used to create the set. This makes it hard to find records! See also Idea Exchange:

Resource Management

Zentral- und Hochschulbibliothek Luzern

Display all related records instead of 500

When looking for related records (Brief results list > Other > Related records), only 500 titles are displayed. Especially when working with series/journals with many issues, monographs, or analytical records, having all related records would simplify the daily work. See also Idea Exchange:

Resource Management

Université de Toulouse - SICD

Deleting items via Receive New Material page

It's impossible to delete an item from the page "receive new material". We have to search for the item and then delete it. The easiest way would be to be able to do it directly from this page. 

Resource Management

SUNY Buffalo

Ability to Change POLs at the item level

Needed Change: The ability to override a POL at the item level (change/delete) is imperative for the work done by Cataloging and Acquisitions staff. As a cataloger at a large research library, we frequently receive gap-fill purchases of periodical issues from third-party vendors or as gifts from donors—including for subscriptions that are still open. We know that we can associate a POL at the holding level, but this is undesirable for these situations where we need to trace the POL/method-of-acquisition to an individual item. Also, if you change a continuous POL at the item level, Alma changes the POL for every item attached to that same holding. Often we have many items purchased with different (or no) POLs—subscription, firm order, gift—together on one holding, and these items need to be on the same holding to clearly reflect what we hold, sequentially, to our users. Catalogers and acquisitions staff need to be able to override a hyperlinked (continuous) POL at the item level to accommodate these very common occurrences of gifts (with no POL) and gap-fills (with differing POLs). Notes: The related Idea Exchange proposal currently has 204 votes. (Overriding and/or deleting a continuous POL at the item level )

Resource Management

Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire – Lausanne 

Search by default in the network zone for collaborative network

For collaborative network managing their record in a network zone, there is imperative need to check if a record already exists in the NZ in order to avoid creating duplicates while cataloging. There is a possibility to combine Network Zone records in the Institution Zone results but this only applies to electronic ressources . Either including physical ressources in the Combine search results or providing a configurable arrangement of tabs (which would mean a configurable default scope) for the repository search would resolve this issue.

repository search network zone

Resource Management

Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire – Lausanne 

Apply normalization rules when using the duplicate record functionality in the MDE

Applying a normalization rule while duplicating records is an efficient way to obtain clean records and ensure that no managing fields are left from the original record (for instance a System Control Number that should stay unique). Currently, the only way to do so it to use the Enhance record functionality in the MDE. Applying said functionality is easily forgotten.

Resource Management

University of Massachusetts Boston

Special characters option in Metadata Editor

We would like a special character option within the Metadata Editor, so as to be able to enter diacritics/special characters from there, like with Voyager. The other methods (copy and paste, pulling up operating system character maps, and downloading browser add-ons) are fussy.

Resource Management

University of Texas at Austin

Add ability to link licenses to digital representations

Make license linking for digital representations available and consistent with the current functionality of license linking for electronic resources.

Resource Management

Jewish National and University Library 

Mark unsaved cataloging records in MDE

Records listed in the navigation pane of the MDE are assigned tags such as ‘Pushed’, ‘New’ or ‘Draft’. The ‘Draft’ tag is assigned upon using the ‘Save as draft’ function and in some other scenarios. It is not assigned consistently upon editing a record. We suggest to add a tag which will appear upon any change made to a record to mark unsaved modifications. 

MDE, cataloging