Alma
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80 results found
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Automatically disable a loan rule
During the holidays, we set up exceptional loan rules for a specific period (e.g. summer holidays).
But these rules must be deactivated manually, at a given date, in order to return to the normal rules used during the academic period.
It would be very interesting if these rules could be deactivated automatically by Alma, by entering, for example, an expiry date.
34 votes -
Enable creation of individual patron blocks for loans of specific material types
If an institution needs to prohibit an individual user from borrowing a particular type of resource temporarily, e.g. placing a temporary ban on laptop loans for that person, then there is no way to block them from borrowing items of that specific material type without preventing them from borrowing everything else as well. As a result, we are unable to apply blocks in exceptional circumstances, such as with our laptop loans service, because the block would be disproportionate and prevent the user borrowing any physical items at all. The only workaround would be to have a ‘Blocked’ user group configured…
34 votes -
Don't Require Clicking 'Done' to Trigger Loan Receipt Notices
Currently, staff need to click done after checking out items to a patron to trigger loan receipts. This is an unnecessary step and should be eliminated. Instead, trigger receipts when an item is checked out, much like how returned item notices are triggered.
31 votes -
Automatic Loan Renewals-needs more options
Could you add the ability to configure automatic loan renewals by physical location within a library? We have some locations we would like to have auto renewals for and some that we do not.
31 votes -
Re-loan should not cause automatic renewal of items already on loan
When loaning an item to a patron, who has this item already on loan, the system automatically renews the loan (if possible). An option in configuration is needed to suppress this automatic renewal for the following reason: too many errors occur, when the item is automatically renewed. If the patron intends to return the item and the circulation desk operator by accident scans the item for loan, then the item is back in the library stacks but by accident renewed for the patron (who will get claimed!).
30 votes -
Return and reissue items with a single click that have reached their max loan period
When items reach their maximum loan period and patrons want to borrow the items again they have to be returned and issued again by a circulation operator. This is an unnecessarily complex workflow. Please could an option be added for circulation desk operators to be able to return and reissue the items with a single click of an interface button (providing their are no blocks of course).
28 votes -
Pop-up note to alert operator when checking out item with "0 Day Loan" item policy
When checking out an item with a "0 Day Loan" policy, operator is not alerted that the item is due that day and consequently patrons are not being informed at the time they check out the item. This can lead to overdue items and overdue fees charged in error to patron. A pop-up alert would require operator to acknowledge the note before completing the loan, also alerting operator that item should be assessed for item policy correction.
Possible message: This item has an Item Policy of "0 Day Loan." Do you want to proceed? <options: CANCEL or OK>
27 votes -
Set an "end of term" due date, by patron group, that would be prioritized over TOU due date
We would like the ability to set a set an end-of-term due date that would outweigh the due date calculated based by the TOU on a transactions.
And, we would like to be able to apply the due date to particular user groups.
The related functionality currently available includes using fixed due dates in the TOU, or relying on patron expiration dates.
Our use case includes:
1) requiring all materials be returned at the end of each quarter.
2) student loan periods that are not fixed date due dates, but instead are short duration.
3) expiration of student records in…
25 votes -
Use Pieces field from item record to trigger a confirmation pop-up at checkout or return
Use the Pieces field from item records to trigger a confirmation pop-up at item checkout or return when that item has two or more pieces. Taking measures for prompting staff to add notes manually item-by-item or creating sets and running jobs to populate fulfillment notes for items that have 2,3,...9,10,...39,40,... pieces are both impractical. Not having a pieces confirmation at checkout feature is a frequent complaint on the Alma Listserv.
24 votes -
Display override message consistently
Based on Block preferences, override messages can be configured. But these messages are shown only once in a session (as confirmed by Ex Libris, ticket 380696). We need this message to be displayed consistently each time that an action requires an override.
We would like to be able to configure for each Block preference whether the override message is to be shown only once per session or at each action triggering an override.24 votes -
Let every institution to configure due dates according loaning library (no only owning library).
We often loan items not in the owning library but in another one. In these cases, Alma assigns the due date according to the calendar of the owning library.
This causes that sometimes the due date is a closed day in the library where item will be returned (not owning library).
It would be good for us to configure Alma in order to assign due dates according to the calendar of the loaning library, not the owning library.22 votes -
Display Loan HOUR in Patron Services and Manage Item Returns
Currently the Patron Services and Manage Item Returns screens display the DATE an item was loaned only. It would be helpful if they also displayed the HOUR. On the Patron Services screen, it takes extra clicks to review the Loan History in the Actions menu. On the Manage Item Returns screen, it is impossible to view the hour -- you must go to the item's history, which isn't accessible directly. The hour is already displayed in the Patron Services Due Date and Manage Item Returns Returned Date fields. I hope it is easy to add the hour to the Loan…
22 votes -
Drop-down options for loan notes
Loan notes are currently free-text, which makes it difficult to extract meaningful data from the notes. The option to configure a drop-down menu for loan notes would improve standardization and analytics.
21 votes -
check-out from user account
I don't see a direct link on the User/Patron account page to be able to check out an item. It seems that you have to go back to the main menu and select "Manage Patron Services". In Voyager, you can easily get to the Charge window from the Patron window or vice versa.
There is the "Manage Fulfillment Activities" link. I think it would be helpful if you could add the Check-out function on that page.20 votes -
Send activity report should include NZ items
Send Activity Report should include NZ items
As a library that is part of a large consortium, many of our patrons have both local and NZ items checked out. When in a patron's account, there is the option to send them an "activity report," however, those emails only contain a list of locally checked out material. Sometimes we like to send these as reminders to patrons, but patrons are often confused that they only contain the IZ items. It would be very useful for us if these reports could include all checked out materials from our NZ partners as well…
19 votes -
Display Number of Renewals information under ‘Other Details’ of a Physical item
To enhance the circulation service and provide convenient access to usage information, we suggest displaying the renewal information including ‘number of renewals’ and ‘last renewal date’ under the ‘Other details’ section of a physical item in Alma. The number of renewals records how many times the due date of a loaned item was extended before the ‘maximum renewal period’. This figure is often essential to measure the usage and understand patron’s intention to continuously keep the loaned item.
In current release of Alma, the information under ‘Other details’ of a physical item shows usage information for circulation such as loans,…
18 votes -
Lost Loan Status
Closing a lost loan changes the item's status to missing. This means that items we know are lost will turn up on lists for missing item searches, even though we know we won't find them. Not closing the loans means that we can't purge patrons from the database, even if we know that we are not going to get back the item or be paid the replacement fee.
It would be preferable if items retained a status of Lost even if the loan is closed, so that we can differentiate between items that are lost and items that just can't…
18 votes -
Fullfillment / Manage Patron Services - Action Claim returned - Freeze loan suspensions
When claiming an item as returned, the loan’s status is changed to Claim Returned. The item’s Process Type value is Claimed Returned, and the item remains requestable and is considered to still be on loan. Due dates cannot be changed on loans in "Claimed Return" status. By default, overdue fines accumulated prior to the item being claimed as returned are applied to the patron's active balance, but no new overdue fines accrue from that point onward.
We would like the “Claim returned” action in Alma to freeze loan suspensions. No loan suspensions will be put in place once the item…17 votes -
Provide a way to duplicate a terms of use
This is especially a pain point when you are starting in Alma. When libraries are tweaking circulation rules, often you need to create a new terms of use as part of that, but what you really are doing is taking an existing terms of use and setting a new one up in the same except for one or two policies that are different. Right now, you have to have the TOUs in different tabs to make sure all the right values are matching, when having the ability to copy and then edit an existing TOU would save a bunch of…
16 votes -
Allow to change the default value of “Item owner” field to “Any Institution” when lending items
When lending items, the default value of the field “Item owner” is “My Institution“. It should be possible to decide the default value of this field, “Any Institution” for example. This would save many clicks for people working at desk.
15 votes
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