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.
197 results found
-
In the List of Items screen, add "description" to the list of search options in the "Find" box.
Currently in a list of items, Alma allows us to search within the list of items by only barcode or the call number. Adding the ability to search the description field would simplify trying to locate an item with unique information in the description, such as "index".
22 votes -
Add fulfilment, Public and Internal Notes to the Excel spreadsheets for physical item sets
When a Physical Item set of records is exported into a spreadsheet via Tools > Excel, the fields Fulfilment Note, Public Note and Internal Notes 1, 2 and 3 are noticeably absent from the columns of data offered in that spreadsheet.
Those fields frequently play a major role in determining the action required by staff for the given item upon its return, as they’re used for requests for reclassification, relegation, etc. It would constitute a sizeable labour-saving fix to be able to generate/save/print off a ready list of all such messages, alphabetically sortable by contents, from the spreadsheet for staff…
22 votes -
Mejorar realizar cambios globales en ejemplares físicos
Permitir realizar cambios globales sobre los campos de signatura de ejemplares físicos, para modificar una parte de la signatura sin cambiar el resto. Por ejemplo:
EPP3500(075)/ALV cambiar a PLP3500(075)/ALV
EPP3300/WES cambiar a PLP3300/WES
22 votes -
Managing Collections - more options for searching and display
In the Collection Resource Editor (Alma) - it would be really useful to have greater flexibility for searching within a collection. Can we have the option to search by MMS Id and keyword? At the moment only Title and Publisher are available.
This would be really useful when you don't know the specific title/publisher you are looking for - so you want to do a keyword search within the collection to browse. Also if you know the specific MMD id that would be useful too.
20 votes -
Allow Jobs to Accept CSV files
There are many instances where we would like to run a job like the change physical items job for a list of barcodes where the variable is not the same for each barcode. For example, I'd like to add provenance codes to a list of barcodes, but each barcode could have one of 15 different codes. So it would be great to be able to upload a CSV or TSV with two columns - one with barcode and one with the provenance code for that barcode.
20 votes -
Moving item records to differenent holding records and merging holding records
Being able to merge holdings records that have been accidentally created. Either that, or moving item records to different holding records, even if the holding records are in the same location, but different call numbers.
18 votes -
Ability to change item's Material Type while in process
We would like the ability to change an item's Material Type while the item is in process. Currently, Alma does not allow this unless the item is in place. If the item is in process, we get the error message, "The item is not in place and there are requests registered for this item. Please handle the requests before moving or updating this item." Incorrect material type is part of the reason the item was sent to processing, so it seems strange the change cannot be made while the item is there.
17 votes -
Permanent Call Number in Physical Item Editor
It would be extremely useful if we could edit the permanent call number in the physical item editor the same way we can edit the permanent location. This information is an holding's element in many libraries.
Otherwise, after receiving the orders, we need to edit both the physical item and the holding after cataloging and before scanning the items to put them on the shelves.. This is tedious and prone to errors.17 votes -
Change Holdings area to match Items
Editing Holdings requires knowing all of the codes for your institution's locations and libraries. If the Holdings area were more like the Items area then the choices for locations and libraries would be on pull down menus. A History tab similar to the one on the Items screen would also be helpful.
Navigating within the Holdings edit screen is difficult because one has to know or look up all of the codes for the institution's libraries and locations. This difficult navigation affects all customers. The lack of a History tab makes it impossible to track changes to the library, location,…
17 votes -
Bound-withs - use subfield $i bound with in tag 773 or 774 to separate binding from bibliographic relationships
Alma and Primo should allow institutions to designate 773 or 774 tags (whichever are used by the institution to link bound-with items) as applying to a bound-with item by using subfield $i with the relationship designator “bound with”. They may then configure Alma so that If this designator is not present, no related item linked will display in the Primo GetIt item information (although related titles may appear in the bibliographic description, if desired.
This will enable the libraries to utilize other relationship designators besides the bound-with one, with or without invoking a bound-with relationship in Primo (note that the…
16 votes -
Automatic Designated Copy ID Number Added to New Item Records
I would like the ability to set an automatic copy ID number to designate that the item is a copy "1," instead of having to put the "1" in the copy ID field every time I add an item. Of course I would also need to have the ability to easily change the automatic "1" another copy ID number if I have a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. Voyager had this ability, which saves time when processing a large number of books. Thank you.
16 votes -
Moving item records should have a better way of refreshing the list of items
When item records are moved from one location to another the move will be made and the list of items will refresh but then leave all of the items moved still on the page. From here there is no good option to refresh the page and continue working and moving item records. Using the Alma back button takes you back to the bib record where you have to reenter the the list of items. Moving a page forward on the list of items will display a blank page of no records being found. If a browser refresh is done a…
16 votes -
Asterisk search with special character in Alma
Currently, Asterisk search with special character in Alma is not supported in ALma.
It would be very useful if Asterisk search with special character is supported in Alma Search.
For example, for cataloging work, Asterisk search of call number can helps librarian to determine if there is an duplicate call number. Also it can help to determine the call number following up.
But for call numbers that contains special characters, the Asterisk search is not supported and can not work as expected.16 votes -
Physical titles results-- option to Sort by call number
Currently, a Physical titles search by call number does NOT give us the option to Sort by call number. In order to sort by call number, we have to do a Physical items search. Having the option to sort by call number (Asc or Desc) would be extremely useful. The display options for Physical titles vs. Physical items are different. If your primary search for most projects is by Physical titles, it is problematic not to have a sort option by Permanent call number.
15 votes -
Enhance Shelf Report
Shelf report is a great tool but only searches for items based on permanent location and not their current/temporary location. As a result, items that are on display will display exactly as if they are missing and scanning a display shelf shows that the items were scanned but do not belong in that location, the same status as if an item from the traditional shelving was placed on the display shelf.
Additionally, it was previously posted (June 28, 2022) that it would be useful to be able to select multiple locations when performing a shelf report. It was commented that…
15 votes -
Allow SuppressedBibWithSuppressedHol for Network Zone environments
Currently when publishing to Primo VE from a Network Zone environment a BIB record with all holdings suppressed is not suppressed even if the SuppressedBibWithSuppressedHol is active.
We see that excluding items from publishing based on process type has the desired effect on the BIB record when all items have the process type that is excluded from publishing. We want the same to be applicable for suppressed locations.15 votes -
Include an item's total number of checkouts within the item record or physical item editor
There doesn't seem to be a way to view the number of times a item has been checked out, aside from going in the item history and manually counting every transaction. Frequency of use is an important data point for catalog curation and maintenance.
15 votes -
Run a "change temporary location indications" job
This functionnality is currently available only with the "change physical item" that allows change for all item indications. Such a new job would help all librarians to change temporary locations for a set of documents avoiding the risk of errors in other item fields. With that new option, it would be possible to keep the "change physical item" job only available to ILS manager and let all librarians run the "change temporary location indications"
14 votes -
Add process type to physical item mapping in import profile
Since we do our own physical processing of new materials, we would like to be able to set the process type to "in process" automatically during batch import. Currently we have to edit each item record after import to set the process type.
The physical item mapping section of the inventory information tab should allow mapping the process type to a MARC field and subfield, like it does for other item data.
14 votes -
Create "Quick Cataloging" placement default as "Institution" rather than "Network"
When creating an item at checkout, or a brief record, Alma opens up a Quick Cataloging window that defaults the "Placement of new record" into the network. Since these records most often end up with the Cataloger under review, I feel that Alma should default to the Institution Zone instead. This will ensure that we do not unintentionally add these records to the Network zone.
14 votes
.png){kind=link}
.png){kind=link}
- Don't see your idea?