Alma
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319 results found
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calendar
Is it possible to help cut down on data entry within the calendar? For example, I run a 24/5 schedule (which looks like open 00:00 - 23:59). When I want to have exceptions where I reduce hours for the short time between semesters, I have to set up 2 exceptions for each day of the break which can last one to two weeks. If Monday is regularly what I wrote above, I need Monday exception #1 to be closed from 00:00 - 7:59 and Monday exception #2 to be closed from 23:00 - 23:59. This shows that my open hours…
14 votes -
Only send Ful Item Change Due Date Letter for changes to due date
We've run into a real problem with recalls. We can set some items to be recallable, and others to not be recallable. However, both categories get their status changed to "Recalled." Non-recallable items simply don't get a change to their due date. Despite this, patrons who have checked out non-recallable items still get the Change Due Date letter, with a notice that tells them their due date has not actually changed. This letter currently is triggered by recalls with due date changes, recalls without due date changes, other due date changes, or recall cancellations. We think this is too much…
14 votes -
Change lost Item replacement fee refund from ratio to set amount
When configuring terms of use policies regarding the amount of money to be returned to a patron if a lost book is returned, we currently have to enter a Lost Item replacement fee Refund ratio instead of using a flat amount for the amount to be returned. Because any changes in our charges have to be approved via a campus committee that meets only once per year, we must use the Replacement fee amounts that are already approved. Our Lost Book replacement fee is currently $110. If the book is returned, we would like to reduce that amount to $20.…
14 votes -
Make "Previous User" list include patrons whose accounts have been opened by scanning a barcode
It would be ideal for the previous user list to include patrons whose accounts have been opened by scanning their barcode, not just those whose have been opened by typing in their name. The current functionality makes it non-useful for our staff
14 votes -
Track actions on items in transit
Currently, when an item goes into transit, it only registers the scan into transit and the scan out of transit. However, sometimes, an item gets scanned at an intermediate location for a variety of reasons and this scan is not logged in the item history. This makes tracking items in transit more difficult and nearly impossible to find if they get held up at the intermediate location.
14 votes -
Provide a notice/warning on Scan In when a home delivery is blocked
When an item requested for home delivery is scanned in and the patron is blocked, e.g. due to excessive fines, Alma silently places the item on the Hold Shelf. There is no notice to the staff user that the item was requested for home delivery and that a fulfillment process was just interrupted.
We use home delivery exclusively for remote students that often will not be able to come in and pick up their items, so placing the item on the hold shelf will not help them.
And when/if the block is lifted (e.g. the user pays the fines) the…
14 votes -
Hold active until (collection) date
currently the time a requested book is held for a borrower does not show unless you go into the Active holds lists. It would be helpful if this was shown when the book is checked in and on the notice that automatically goes to the printer (which we put in the book until the book is collected)
14 votes -
Dynamically set "addressFrom" field for "On Hold Shelf Letter" based on item location
A few libraries in our consortium have expressed interest in more granularity for "On Hold Shelf Letter" configuration.
In particular, the ability to have this letter dynamically show the ILL sender email address (ILL@institution.edu) for any item with a Resource Sharing (RS) location code. If an item has any other location code, show the Circulation sender email address (circ@institution.edu).
It would be ideal be able to set this type of condition in a rule similar to the way Display Logic Rules work in the Alma Configuration Menu.
Currently the circulation email address is our default and…
14 votes -
Allow non-circulation desk service units to re-shelve items
Right now only circulation desks can re-shelve items after they've been received. You can set up a circ desk to receive, but it would be nice if you could also set up a non-circ desk service unit to re-shelve.
13 votes -
Provide gender in search results of patron search
In the Manage Service Patron, when searching for a patron, it would be useful if the search results included the patron's gender (if it’s known) so that library staff can address the right pronoun to the user in front of them and thus avoid misgendering .
13 votes -
Library opening hours for more than 3 years
When setting standard opening hours in library calendar Alma automatically sets the field "Valid to" for 3 years. But the opening hours do not change very often. This setting also does problems by long term loans, because now the opening hours are valid to october 2024 but the library wants to loan documents to january 2025 (documents bought from some grants and the academic staff is working with these documents for a long time). In would be nice to have a possibillity to set somewhere that library opening hours should be valid for more than 3 year e.g. for 5…
13 votes -
Enable Alma to add to the letters a "Reply to" in the email message header
reply to can only be added as a text line, it would be much better if it was added in the header
13 votes -
make location type „unavailable“ functional: items in these locations should be shown as 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…
13 votes -
Configure better functionality (letters and fining) to calculate a new due date for an overdue item when it has been recalled
In an institution where we do not use automated renewals, we encounter instances where patron 1 has an item and allowed it to get overdue but it is then recalled. The letter that goes out does not use our configurations to calculate a new due date from the date of the request and it starts to calculate fines immediately. This causes much patron distress as they can't go back into the past to return the item, nor are they informed that there might be a grace period to return the item. Staff then also have to follow up (if they…
12 votes -
Change default in loan history to fulfillment activities
In loan history the default radio button is item changes. Better to have fulfillment activities as default because it displays displays loans, returns and in-house-use.
12 votes -
Borrowing Activity Report Job – send to smaller sub-sets of borrowers
Once letters have been sent, this generates a glut of borrower loan and fine queries all at the same time.
Need an ability to send the letters in smaller sub-sets in order to even out the follow-up enquiries to not all be at the same time.
For example, vary the day sent according to User Group12 votes -
Show book's edition information when doing a Physical Item search
This is a more efficient way to show essential information, rather than having it available only via All Item search
12 votes -
Set standard opening hours in advance
If the Library decides to change the standard opening hours of the Library for the coming year you currently have to wait until the first day of new hours to be able to input them as standard hours into Alma.
It would be nice if Alma allowed you to enter new standard opening hours in advance and to set a date in which they would come into effect. That way you wouldn't have to schedule to change them on the first day of the new hours.
An example would be if new standard hours were decided on by Library Management…
11 votes -
Add Renewal Amount to Terms of Use
In the TOU, there is a Maximum Renewal option but this still does not let us configure the amount of times they can renew an item. A solid TOU that gave an exact amount value of they amount of times they could renew would be wonderful.
11 votes -
Make notes in task lists of in-process items visible by hovering the mouse pointer over the tick
Currently in the task list of in-process items there is a green tick in the "notes" column indicating when an item has a note. Unfortunately there is no quick way to see the content of said note except by clicking on the "dots" button and choosing "edit". It would be great if the note were displayed simply by hovering the mouse pointer over the green tick.
11 votes
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