Alma
Your feedback matters to us. Help us improve Alma by telling us what you’d like to see using the message areas below. You can also can support something already posted.
We would love to be able to respond to every idea that is submitted, but this is not feasible. We are, however, committed to responding to the most popular ideas—those that have received the most points.
For more information please review our FAQ and guidelines. Thank you.
122 results found
-
Metadata Editor: Search Resources: Enhance importation of OCLC WorldCat records into Alma
As an alternative to using OCLC Connexion or OCLC Record Manager, we like to import OCLC records into Alma using Search Resources (z39.50) in the Metadata Editor. It is a more streamlined workflow for us to stay within the Alma environment for record search and importation, rather than switching between Alma and OCLC Connexion.
However, this method of importation does not inform OCLC that we have taken a record, for their purpose of flagging us as a holdings library in WorldCat.
Additionally, the imported record is not automatically saved in Alma, as it would be when imported via OCLC Connexion…
9 votes -
Sort by Publication Date: Full MARC21 capability for sorting (detailed date sorting via 008).
In Alma the option of sorting search results by "publication date" (emphasis on "date") is included in the "sort by" function. For the publication date of television materials, a detailed date can be given in 008[11-14] in MARC21 (with the code 008[6]=e). This should be taken into account when sorting.
8 votes -
Some Important Shortcuts in Alma and OCLC -- Consider User Friendly Changes
Some often used shortcuts in Alma are similar to those used in OCLC Connexion, except for their function. Control + D will delete a record in Alma (and any keystroke after the shortcut is interpreted as confirmation by the popup window), but in Connexion the same shortcut adds a delimiter $.
F8 keyboard function in Alma adds a field, but in OCLC it produces and adds a new record. Many of us, especially special collections catalogers use first OCLC and then Alma for local notes.
Please, consider shortcut changes, which support both important platforms, used daily by many of us.…7 votes -
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.
Examples of headings that Alma won't link because they are "ambiguous"
- Peabody Essex Museum
Peabody & Essex Museum
Ciné+ (France)
Cine France
Mohammad, Ali
Mohammad Ali (a cross-reference in the authority record for Ali, Mohammad)
McFarland & Company
McFarland Company (cross-reference in authority record for J. Horace McFarland Company)
Authority File Comparison…
7 votes -
MARC field 788 should be searchable
The MARC field 788 ("Parallel Description in Another Language of Cataloging") is used by Library Archives Canada to store information about how to link to record numbers of alternate languages (ie, French to English, and vice versa). This information goes into the $$w (Record number) field.
Having this field searchable would assist in finding records for the same things in different languages.
7 votes -
Work Order Types feature allows adjusting priorities OR Work Order Types can be switched according to the user's role
Work Order Types feature allows adjusting priorities OR
Work Order Types can be switched according to the user's role (more or less Work Order Types functions)Process type function options in the Items level can be remembered.
It used to be possible to memorize frequently used function options, but now they have disappeared.😢6 votes -
Bring back alt+keystrokes
In MDE pushing the alt key now moves between menu items. However, this means it is no longer possible to use alt + keystrokes to enter characters such as © etc, something that was infinitely more useful.
5 votesWe are working on aligning the new Alt+number keyboard behavior in MDE with the Alt+number settings in Alma, so that it will be controlled by the same user preference (under the user in the top menu, UI preferences > Shortcuts customization > Alt + number). As a result, individual users who wish to disable this (e.g. those working with external Alt+number keyboard shortcuts) will be able to do so across the system, including MDE.
-
Ability to search for duplicate varying text in two different Marc fields
It looks to be possible to find duplicate fixed text values within subfields of the same MARC field (and possibly between two MARC fields), but there doesn't seem to be a way to build a rule that would identify two matching fields for varying text by record, for example, finding a record that had the OCLC number duplicated in another field (but which the number would obviously vary title by title). The asterisk only seems to work if you have some kind of fixed piece shared among records and not if the whole field varies.
5 votes -
Subject Index search: the comparison is not to contain a certain string but the entire field
PrimoVE enriches the search with terms from the 150 or 450 fields of the authority record when searching by subject index. Still, we would need the match not to contain a certain character string but to match the entire 150 or 450 fields with the subjct being searched for with an exact search in PrimoVE.
This would prevent subjects sharing part of the string (but not all) from appearing in an exact subject search in PrimoVE.For example, if we search for records on "Right to life" in Subjects index, Primo VE also retrieves records on "Right to private life"…
4 votes -
Create a Collection for Audio Cine Films
Please create a package collection with portfolios for Audio Cine Films. Marc records are publicly available and can be found here: https://www.acf-film.com/en/infostream.php
4 votes -
Add Library & Location Facets to Authority Control Task List
Could we add facets for library and/or location to the Authority Control Task list when already filtered by Physical Inventory?
3 votes -
Urgently needed hotkey of remove subfield
I really need a hotkey to remove subfields. Oh, please save my backspace button.
3 votes -
Show import profile for record versions in MDE
If I could see which import profile brought in which version of a bibliographic record within the MDE, I'd find it a lot easier to spot issues with import profiles (e.g. timing, merging, normalization rules). I think the best place for this info would be after the timestamp, e.g. "Version: 2 Created By: System (13/09/2023 15:11:01 BST) IMPORT PROFILE NAME"
3 votes -
Authority Control Task List Ability to Sort by Bib Headings
Authority Control Task List Ability to Sort by Bib Headings
It would be helpful to be able to sort the authority control task list by Bib Headings, as often the same names appear multiple times. When these names have multiple names in the national authority file after pressing F3, it is necessary to view all the names to find the correct name to use. It is time consuming to have to go back to the same group of names over and over and over and over.
If I could sort the names in the task list, then when I find…3 votes -
Ability to search for duplicate varying text in two different Marc subfields within the same MARC field
Using the Indication rule "recordHasDuplicateSubfields", it is possible to find duplicate subfields that have the same value within the same field, but it is not possible to find duplicate subfields if the subfield content is different.
For example, we can't find a 245 field that contains two different 245 b subfields.
Having this possibility would greatly help us to identify cataloguing errors.3 votes -
Please allow Enum C and Enum D selection in Physical Items Enrichment of Publishing Profile
As we construct a crucial Publishing Profile, we need to fetch our Enum C and Enum D. However, in the Physical Items Enrichment option of the publishing profile, these fields are not available. Our go-live is scheduled later this year and lack of Enum C and Enum D causes a great deal of concern.
3 votes -
Differentiate Success & Warning colors in MDE
It would be nice to be able to configure the colors within the Metadata Editor, specially when it comes to the success, warning and error messages. The warning messages seem to have the same color as the success messages that makes less obvious if they are very valid warning messages to look at.
2 votes -
Currently Alma does not allow local configuration for "electronic material types" and there are limited choices in Alma for "electronic mate
Currently Alma does not allow local configuration for "electronic material types" and there are limited choices in Alma for "electronic materials types" that can not meet some specific needs of the local libraries. Therefore, the enhancement in Alma should be made to allow local configuration for "electronic material types."
1 vote -
MD editor: Release specific record(s) from another cataloger
Currently, the MD editor has an option to release ALL records from another cataloger. It would be ideal to have more granularity in choosing records to release. A common use case: Someone assigns a record to another cataloger but then realizes they should have edited something first. Rather than release all of the other cataloger's records (potentially catastrophic), it'd make sense to have the option to release the single record they need to edit.
1 vote -
MD Editor: Release specific record(s) from another cataloger
Currently, the MD editor has an option to release ALL records from another cataloger. It would be ideal to have more granularity in choosing records to release. A common use case: Someone assigns a record to another cataloger but then realizes they should have edited something first. Rather than release all of the other cataloger's records (potentially catastrophic), it'd make sense to have the option to release the single record they need to edit.
1 vote
- Don't see your idea?