1692 results found

1. Please add the feature „Chat between Institution Zones“ to the Metadata Editor

   Ex Libris should offer the option of creating a chat for each data record. This feature would facilitate communication between individual libraries regarding incorrect data records.
   Currently, communication concerning bibliographic records are sent by email via a mailing list. For a library that has many departments with numerous employees, it is difficult to develop a workflow for jointly processing these emails. In a chat, several people within an institution can communicate with each other without having to coordinate internally beforehand.
   But smaller libraries would also benefit from this chat function. When several emails are sent back and forth on a topic, it quickly becomes confusing.
   It is also more efficient and clearer if the communication about a data record can be found next to the data record itself.
   One way to integrate a chat function into individual records would be to add a “Chat between Institution Zones“ button to each record in the search view and/or in the Metadata Editor (see image Alma Chat 1.1 and Alma Chat 1.2).
   An editor should then open (a big window unlike the small window provided by the „Add Note“ option“), in which the written exchange between the libraries concerned can take place. One library sends a request to the other libraries, and the other libraries respond to it. The last library to respond, or the library that makes the final adjustments to the record, should change the status of the chat from “open” to “closed” This requires a drop-down menu within the chat editor (see image Alma Chat 2 + 3).
   All chats with the status „open“ in every Institution Zone should be searchable using the advanced search (see image Alma Chat 4). Chats with the status „closed“ could still be searched using the title or ID of the record via the simple search.

   Ex Libris should offer the option of creating a chat for each data record. This feature would facilitate communication between individual libraries regarding incorrect data records.
   Currently, communication concerning bibliographic records are sent by email via a mailing list. For a library that has many departments with numerous employees, it is difficult to develop a workflow for jointly processing these emails. In a chat, several people within an institution can communicate with each other without having to coordinate internally beforehand.
   But smaller libraries would also benefit from this chat function. When several emails are sent back and forth on a… more

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   14 comments  ·  Resource Management - General  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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2. Override and reset the maximum renewal date

   We would like to be able to override and reset the maximum renewal date when renewing loans that has gone over the initial maximum renewal period.

   The override option that we have today, only overrides the renewal blockage and not the maximum renewal period. When the new due date arrives, the "maximun renewal date" is still expired and the renewal has to be handled by a librarian.

   As it is now, we have to return and reloan the material for the patron, a manual prosess that takes time and opens up for errors.

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   4 comments  ·  Fulfillment - Loans  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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3. Add “Additional ID” as an option for the costumized view on the pages “Scan In Items” and “Manage Patron Services”

   Today, when “Additional ID” is used as pickup number for borrowers picking up their hold requests, the librarian will not be able to see the Additional ID when scanning a book with a hold request on the “scan in item”-page. To see the "Additional ID", the librarian will need to enter the “Active Hold Shelf»-page.
   This makes the process difficult for the librarian, when he or she needs to manually write the “Additional ID” on the pick up-slip that is placed in the book.
   If “Additional ID” were added as an option for the costumized view on the “Scan In Items”-page, this process would be a lot easier for the librarian, which would be able to see the "Additional ID" instantly after scanning a book with a hold request.
   To be able to help patrons locate their books on the hold shelf, “Additional ID” should also be available through the costumized view on the “Manage Patron Services”-page.

   Today, when “Additional ID” is used as pickup number for borrowers picking up their hold requests, the librarian will not be able to see the Additional ID when scanning a book with a hold request on the “scan in item”-page. To see the "Additional ID", the librarian will need to enter the “Active Hold Shelf»-page.
   This makes the process difficult for the librarian, when he or she needs to manually write the “Additional ID” on the pick up-slip that is placed in the book.
   If “Additional ID” were added as an option for the costumized view on the “Scan In… more

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   1 comment  ·  Fulfillment - Requests  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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4. COUNTER metric PR_P1 or DR_D1 Searches platform to calculate Total Usage in Analytics databases cost per use reports

   We request that the Total Usage field used in constructing the databases cost per use report utilize the COUNTER PRP1 Searches platform or DRD1 Searches platform metric.

   Within the group of university libraries that are part of REBIUN (https://www.rebiun.org/), we have agreed to use the PRP1 metric, or alternatively DRD1 Searches platform, to calculate the cost per use of databases.

   However, when configuring the report in Analytics, we encountered the problem that Alma uses the DR – Unique Title Requests metric. https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/080Analytics/Alma_Analytics_Subject_Areas/E-Inventory#Cost_Usage

   Therefore, even if we build a cost per use report, it would not be valid for these libraries for databases.

   We request that the Total Usage field used in constructing the databases cost per use report utilize the COUNTER PRP1 Searches platform or DRD1 Searches platform metric.

   Within the group of university libraries that are part of REBIUN (https://www.rebiun.org/), we have agreed to use the PRP1 metric, or alternatively DRD1 Searches platform, to calculate the cost per use of databases.

   However, when configuring the report in Analytics, we encountered the problem that Alma uses the DR – Unique Title Requests metric. https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/080Analytics/Alma_Analytics_Subject_Areas/E-Inventory#Cost_Usage

   Therefore, even if we build a cost per use report, it would… more

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   2 comments  ·  Analytics  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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5. Make it possible to add Vendor Interface fields and customize field value options for existing fields

   In Alma, Vendor Interfaces in Vendor records are the place designed to hold e-resources administrative information, such as contact information, administrative details, and usage statistics details. However, the fields available to libraries were developed several years ago, are not customizable, and do not reflect the complexity of modern e-resources management. Different types of institutions have different needs and want to record different types of information, so adding a few new fields for all libraries isn't an ideal solution.

   Instead, this request is for libraries to have the ability to add and manage Vendor Interface fields. Libraries should be able to create new fields to reflect their own local needs, and these new fields should all be viewable in analytics. For example, we'd like to store accessibility information and COUNTER version information for each vendor interface, but there is no fields dedicated to this type of information (other libraries might wish to store other types of information). Also, for both new and existing fields, libraries should be able to manage their own controlled field values lists. For example, for the field "Implemented Authorization Method," the select list of controlled values is currently not customizable does not include modern authentication methods such as Shibboleth, SSO, or OpenAthens. We would like to be able to add the field values we need for these and other fields.

   This will make it possible to e-resources librarians to flexibly respond to new developments in the field and track the information they need in Alma (instead of relying on external shadow systems and spreadsheets). This functionality is already in place in Alma for licenses (see https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/020Acquisitions/040Configuring_Acquisitions/170Managing_License_Terms). Like License terms, we should be able to add new terms, choose the term type (including free text, yes/no, or controlled vocabulary, and then we can create the controlled vocabulary) and choose the Vendor Interface record section in which the term will appear. I will attach a mockup of what the Add Vendor Interface Term form should look like (based on the Add License Term form).

   In Alma, Vendor Interfaces in Vendor records are the place designed to hold e-resources administrative information, such as contact information, administrative details, and usage statistics details. However, the fields available to libraries were developed several years ago, are not customizable, and do not reflect the complexity of modern e-resources management. Different types of institutions have different needs and want to record different types of information, so adding a few new fields for all libraries isn't an ideal solution.

   Instead, this request is for libraries to have the ability to add and manage Vendor Interface fields. Libraries should be able to… more

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   7 comments  ·  Acquisition - Vendors  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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   AdminTamar Fuches (Alma product manager, Ex Libris) responded

   Hi Elizabeth, Katie, and everyone,

   Thanks so much for sharing this idea!

   From what I understand, it includes two main parts:

   1. Allowing institutions to edit the list of values in various fields, with a specific example being the “Implemented Authorization Method” field.
   2. Adding more fields and making them reportable in Analytics, along with a request for a flexible mechanism to support this.

   Regarding the second point — adding a flexible mechanism is quite a complex change and could impact the timeline.

   If you can point out around three specific fields that are most important to add first, it might be easier.

   Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

   Thanks again,

   Tamar

6. All NZ cataloger activities must be collected in Alma Analytics

   The Cataloger activity report in Alma Analytics displays only partial activity when catalogers work in the Network Zone. For example, it may display a delete action but omit record modifications, leading to incomplete tracking of cataloger actions. It is included in Known Issues (https://support.proquest.com/s/known-issues/knowledge-detail?recordId=kA2QO0000000jZp0AI) with status "No Further Action".

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   0 comments  ·  Collaborative Networks  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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7. Please add more "View only" roles to Alma

   Alma already offers some "View only" roles:
   - Fund-Ledger Viewer
   - License Viewer
   - Course Reserves Viewer
   but there is still a need for more.

   Please add the following:
   - Invoice Viewer
   - Purchasing Viewer
   - Physical Inventory Viewer

   Thanks!

   107 votes

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   4 comments  ·  User Management  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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8. Zeros after the decimal point disappear in the price in order line items

   The problem occurs when editing an order line item where the price contains zero or two zeros after the decimal point (e.g., 31.90, 37.00, 24.80). The price was entered correctly in the Acquisition Department in the format with a decimal point and two characters following it.

   When the copy was edited in the target library to add the missing data, the following message appeared during saving:
   Confirmation Message - Please note the following: The value in the "inventory price" field does not match the defined structure. Are you sure ypu want to perform this action?

   The system automatically “cut” the zero or both zeros (i.e., to the format 31.9, 37, or 24.8), and only after re-editing the price was it possible to correctly save the changes made to the copy.

   Would it be possible to make a correction so that the zeros after the decimal point do not disappear from the price?

   The problem occurs when editing an order line item where the price contains zero or two zeros after the decimal point (e.g., 31.90, 37.00, 24.80). The price was entered correctly in the Acquisition Department in the format with a decimal point and two characters following it.

   When the copy was edited in the target library to add the missing data, the following message appeared during saving:
   Confirmation Message - Please note the following: The value in the "inventory price" field does not match the defined structure. Are you sure ypu want to perform this action?

   The system automatically “cut” the… more

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   1 comment  ·  Resource Management - Physical  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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9. Please integrate aspect „last copy within library / IZ / NZ“ within “Withdraw Physical Items” process

   Ex Libris recently expanded the “Withdraw Physical Items” process to include more individual configurable aspects.

   We would like to suggest to include the aspect “last copy in the IZ (thus: do not delete!)” as well, which would protect the last copy from deletion.

   It would also be great to be able to protect the “last copy in the same library" or "last copy in the NZ” during the deletion process, if necessary.

   We are familiar with the “Retention Information - committed to retain: yes” feature, but it is too troublesome for us to use, because we would have to actualize these fields every day, although contents could be outdated right in the same moment.

   Because of missing space several IZs and their libraries have to give away items parallelely.

   If Alma could retain items, that are unique (in the same library resp. in our IZ resp. in our NZ), would help us enourmously.

   At the moment retrieving these aspects is quite difficult, takes place outside Alma (when open data sources or previous day dated Analytics data need to be checked) and can be outdated the same second, while we take the facts into decision to delete items.

   Due to the vast quantities of holdings and copies we have, the enormous time pressure and the limited number of staff, we are unfortunately unable to check each title and each copy intellectually, as would be desirable. We are forced to carry out mass sorting. Powerful tools within the system would be a quantum leap forward.

   Ex Libris recently expanded the “Withdraw Physical Items” process to include more individual configurable aspects.

   We would like to suggest to include the aspect “last copy in the IZ (thus: do not delete!)” as well, which would protect the last copy from deletion.

   It would also be great to be able to protect the “last copy in the same library" or "last copy in the NZ” during the deletion process, if necessary.

   We are familiar with the “Retention Information - committed to retain: yes” feature, but it is too troublesome for us to use, because we would have to actualize… more

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   1 comment  ·  Resource Management - Physical  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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10. Make it possible to mark items as "unavailable"

    Please make it possible to mark items as "unavailable". This marking can be used in two situations: when an item or a set of items becomes temporarily unavailable to readers, and when items are withdrawn permanently.
    Marking should be both manual and by running the job "Change Physical items information".
    Ex Libris' advice to use a process is inappropriate because neither a process nor a process-related request is required in these cases.

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    1 comment  ·  Resource Management - Physical  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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    AdminTamar Fuches (Alma product manager, Ex Libris) responded

    Dear colleagues,

    Thank you for raising this idea.

    This idea is related to another one - https://ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173/suggestions/48370850, which was part of the CERV cycle in 2025, but did not make it to the final list.

    During the analysis, 3 possible approaches were discussed, each has a different estimation and effort:

    Option 1: New dedicated process type

    • It will be possible to mark specific items as "unavailable", similarly to the way it is possible to mark them as "missing"
    • Items marked as "unavailable" will be considered as "not in place"
    • The new "unavailable" option will appear as a possible process type in all the places where there is a list of process types, including configuration options such as Fulfillment Unit Rules

    Option 2: Mark a location as "unavailable"

    • It will be possible to mark a location as "unavailable"
    • All items in this location will be considered as "not in place"
    • The difference from option 1 is that when an item is in an "unavailable" location, it can still be in a process such as loan, work order or any other process type. These are 2 separate attributes
    • The existing options for location based configuration can be used

    Option 3: A new "unavailable" field in item level

    • It will be possible to mark specific items as "unavailable", similar to the availability status of portfolios
    • Items marked as "unavailable" will be considered as "not in place"
    • Similar to option 2, "unavailable" item can still be in a process such as loan, work order or any other process type. These are 2 separate attributes
    • As this is a new attribute, relevant configuration options will need to be enhanced to take this attribute into consideration. Further analysis will be needed here

    The description here, on this idea, is actually option 3.

    During the analysis we identified that

    although option 3 might give more flexibility, it is super complicated and would require huge effort. Therefore, the recommended option is option 2: Mark a location as "unavailable".

    Do you think that implementing option 2 is enough? in that case, a dummy location "Unavailable" can be utilized for marking specific items by assigning them this location.

    I want to share with you the analysis and discussion - you can see it in: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/ERLrkhNUHtTYerEiaQAsG2uT

    Please let me know your thoughts.

    Thanks,

    Tamar Fuches

    Alma product team

    Dear colleagues,

    Thank you for raising this idea.

    This idea is related to another one - https://ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173/suggestions/48370850, which was part of the CERV cycle in 2025, but did not make it to the final list.

    During the analysis, 3 possible approaches were discussed, each has a different estimation and effort:

    Option 1: New dedicated process type

    • It will be possible to mark specific items as "unavailable", similarly to the way it is possible to mark them as "missing"
    • Items marked as "unavailable" will be considered as "not in place"
    • The new "unavailable" option will appear as a possible process type in all the places where there is a list of process types, including configuration options such as Fulfillment Unit Rules

    Option 2: Mark a location as "unavailable"

    • It will be possible to mark a location as "unavailable"
    • All items in this location will be considered as "not in place"
    • The… more

11. The line separator in Analytics outputs is normally a semicolon, but should not be ambiguous

    In various exports from Analytics, it was noticed that the characters present in Alma are output as follows:

    • sharp bracket < present in Alma is put out by Analytics as & l t ;
    • sharp bracket > in the Alma (bibliographic data) material is put out by Analytics as & g t ;
    • ampersand & as & a m p ;

    This is likely due to HTML being used as the export format in Analytics. However, for the further processing of large amounts of data, it is disruptive that a semicolon is used for coding here. The semicolon appears both within individual data cells in Alma (e.g. in BIB data fields) as part of the data content or as a formal description character and also as a line separator in results from Analytics (every time a BIB category is repeated).
    It would be beneficial if the ambiguous use of the semicolon in Analytics were flanked in such a way that the line separator is represented by a character that does not additionally appear in running texts or through the HTML conversion of sharp brackets or the ampersand.

    We were referred to idea exchange.

    In various exports from Analytics, it was noticed that the characters present in Alma are output as follows:

    • sharp bracket < present in Alma is put out by Analytics as & l t ;
    • sharp bracket > in the Alma (bibliographic data) material is put out by Analytics as & g t ;
    • ampersand & as & a m p ;

    This is likely due to HTML being used as the export format in Analytics. However, for the further processing of large amounts of data, it is disruptive that a semicolon is used for coding here. The semicolon appears both… more

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    4 comments  ·  Analytics  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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12. Request for a List of Selectable Special Characters in the MDE Virtual Keyboard

    Request regarding the MDE virtual keyboard for inserting special characters, which became available with the August 2025 release.
    I would like to be able to view all available characters at once, or to change the order of the character code blocks in the drop-down menu.
    It would be especially helpful if the characters could be displayed in Unicode order.
    Currently, characters are grouped and selectable via a drop-down menu, but this structure requires users to know which set contains the character they want to input.
    This makes the process inconvenient, especially when searching for less common characters.

    110 votes

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    6 comments  ·  Metadata Management  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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13. Save certain subfields from being overwritten via F3 and PTC

    When linking names, subjects etc. from authority files in various BIB fields, some cataloguing conventions require giving additional information in certain cases.

    One example for such a requirement, stemming from the German speaking countries, is to add the time and place of an auction when linking to the genre/form term “auction catalogs” in BIB field 655 (see attached screenshot). This additional information is, of course, specific for each BIB record and must not be overwritten or deleted, if at a later point in time either PTC processes said BIB record or a colleague invokes the F3 functionality.

    Since different subfields might be used for various types of additional information, based on the field number and the cataloguing tradition and/or authority file linked to, it would be sensible to allow to define specific subfields to be exempt based on the field number, but also the authority file in use ($2).

    When linking names, subjects etc. from authority files in various BIB fields, some cataloguing conventions require giving additional information in certain cases.

    One example for such a requirement, stemming from the German speaking countries, is to add the time and place of an auction when linking to the genre/form term “auction catalogs” in BIB field 655 (see attached screenshot). This additional information is, of course, specific for each BIB record and must not be overwritten or deleted, if at a later point in time either PTC processes said BIB record or a colleague invokes the F3 functionality.

    Since different subfields… more

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    258 votes

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    9 comments  ·  Metadata Management  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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    AdminErez Shabo (Senior Product Owner, Ex Libris) responded

    Hello everyone, for those who raised comments about the correction of 830 $v, could you please provide a detailed, step-by-step explanation of the scenario in which this subfield gets overwritten?

14. Add item process type when creating a new item record

    Currently when creating a new physical item record, you cannot populate the process type field. You must create the record, then go back in and edit the record to add the process type. DUPLICATING an item record does allow the process type to be updated, but creating a new item does not. The extra clicks to go back into an item record to edit it really adds up for Catalogers having to do this repeatedly throughout the day.

    Here is a screen recording showing the issue when creating a new item record:
    https://app.screencast.com/zw7GhHEnH5Won

    85 votes

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15. Contributed collections - a Report to Contributor instead of Report to Ex Libris

    There are many collections now that are contributed by the community. Sometimes there are errors within them and as it is now, there is no way to report that and get the linking problem (for an example) fixed and the issues can be so many that a deactivation is necessary, but then the collection becomes dead and just clutter KB. My suggestion is that when a institution contributes a collection, a mandatory field is added to the workflow of contributing. This field contains an email address. That email address is then incorporated into a button so you can report to Contributor instead of the button that is there now Report to ExLibris.

    This idea has been put forward before: Email CZ Contributor ... but it's a growing problem.

    There are many collections now that are contributed by the community. Sometimes there are errors within them and as it is now, there is no way to report that and get the linking problem (for an example) fixed and the issues can be so many that a deactivation is necessary, but then the collection becomes dead and just clutter KB. My suggestion is that when a institution contributes a collection, a mandatory field is added to the workflow of contributing. This field contains an email address. That email address is then incorporated into a button so you can report to… more

    128 votes

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    2 comments  ·  Resource Management - Electronic  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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16. Wikidata URIs

    We request that Wikidata be maintained within Alma as an authority vocabulary source. This functionality should include the ability to search against Wikidata as part of the Metadata Editor F3 linked data enrichment function. Cataloguers should be able to enrich bibliographic records by manually selecting the authority to apply the corresponding Wikidata URI to a name heading. This is useful for non-Library of Congress cataloguers and for those with Special Collections and archiving cataloguing responsibilities to use a more agile and international authority source in our cataloguing.

    68 votes

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17. Allow customers to select multiple retention reasons for Item records.

    Allow customers to select multiple retention reasons for Item records.

    As an institution that is very enthusiastic about using the new Retention Information data fields for item records in Alma, we would like to request an enhancement that enables a user to assign multiple values to the Retention Reason field. For example, a single item could easily have all of the following statuses applied:

    1. Institutional last copy

    2. Faculty publication

    3. Rare

    4. Committed to some Shared Print program

    5. Digitized material

    Each of these retention reasons may correspond to different library staff workflow. For example, these retention reasons could support the following staff workflows, respectively:

    1. Blocking withdrawal/weeding at the institutional (IZ) or consortial (NZ) level by collection development staff

    2. Generate a report that can be used to populate a display shelf highlighting local research at our campus

    3. Identification of materials that should be prioritized for preservation treatment

    4. Block withdrawal/weeding and select for inclusion in data integration/sharing with partners

    5. Identification of materials that are good candidates for off-site high density storage

    Absent the ability to assign multiple values in a dropdown, which will provide a kind of authority control for approved statuses, we would be dependent on cramming all of this information into the free text Retention Note field. Obviously, this would be more error prone as it would require 100% consistency to achieve the same level of data reporting as the dropdown menu options would have. Additionally, parsing a free text field to find specific substrings in an Alma Analytics report is a much more sophisticated and therefore difficult task to accomplish. This would therefore have the effect of limiting the number of staff who are capable of effectively querying for all retention reasons.

    Allow customers to select multiple retention reasons for Item records.

    As an institution that is very enthusiastic about using the new Retention Information data fields for item records in Alma, we would like to request an enhancement that enables a user to assign multiple values to the Retention Reason field. For example, a single item could easily have all of the following statuses applied:

    1. Institutional last copy

    2. Faculty publication

    3. Rare

    4. Committed to some Shared Print program

    5. Digitized material

    Each of these retention reasons may correspond to different library staff workflow. For example, these retention reasons could support the following staff… more

    70 votes

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18. Add "Which coverage statement will be applied?" option to "Change Electronic portfolio information" job

    The "Change Electronic portfolio information" job includes the task "Remove local coverage" which removes local coverage from all the portfolios in a set so the only coverage remaining is global coverage. I run this in cases where the global coverage was once poor, so we loaded local coverage, but now the global coverage has been fixed and is good, so now we want to remove our local coverage and use the good global coverage. However, "Remove local coverage" does not also change the "Which coverage statement will be applied?" radio button from "Only local" to "Only global."

    It is important that this switch be made so the global coverage will appear in Alma Analytics in the "coverage statement combined" field, which only displays the coverage statement indicated by the "Which coverage statement will be applied?" radio button. Currently, my only way to switch the radio button to "Only global" in a batch is to use the portfolio loader. This is an extra step that removes the convenience of using the "Change Electronic portfolio information" job--now that I have to use the portfolio loader, I could have just made my coverage date changes using the portfolio loader.

    When I asked Ex Libris Support about why "Remove local coverage" doesn't also switch "Which Coverage statement will be applied?" to Global," they said this behavior by design because some customers might not want "Which coverage statement will be applied?" to change to "Only Global."

    Thus, in this idea, I suggest that the Ex Libris added a "Which coverage statement will be applied?" option to the "Change Electronic portfolio information" job. That way, customers with my same use case will be able to switch this field to "Only global" when they remove local coverage, and customers who want to choose a different "Which coverage statement will be applied" option will be able to do so.

    I attached a mockup showing what this option would look like in the Change Electronic Portfolio Information job screen. A user could check the box next to this field, and there is a dropdown box where the user could choose between the 4 options (which match the options we can choose within the portfolio editor): Only local, Global and local, Global or local, or Only global.

    The "Change Electronic portfolio information" job includes the task "Remove local coverage" which removes local coverage from all the portfolios in a set so the only coverage remaining is global coverage. I run this in cases where the global coverage was once poor, so we loaded local coverage, but now the global coverage has been fixed and is good, so now we want to remove our local coverage and use the good global coverage. However, "Remove local coverage" does not also change the "Which coverage statement will be applied?" radio button from "Only local" to "Only global."

    It is important… more

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    88 votes

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19. Expand SIP2 message support to include patron birth date

    Currently, Alma’s implementation of the SIP2 protocol uses only a limited subset of the available data fields. This restricts the potential of SIP2 integrations with self-check machines and other automated systems.

    For example, patron age or birth date information is not transmitted via SIP2 messages. As a result, self-check units cannot automatically block the checkout of restricted materials (e.g., DVDs or other items not permitted for users under 16).

    We propose that Alma extend its SIP2 message support to include additional patron details such as birth date and/or age

    This enhancement would enable safer and more autonomous self-service environments, particularly in low-staffed libraries, while ensuring compliance with age-based borrowing restrictions and institutional policies.

    Currently, Alma’s implementation of the SIP2 protocol uses only a limited subset of the available data fields. This restricts the potential of SIP2 integrations with self-check machines and other automated systems.

    For example, patron age or birth date information is not transmitted via SIP2 messages. As a result, self-check units cannot automatically block the checkout of restricted materials (e.g., DVDs or other items not permitted for users under 16).

    We propose that Alma extend its SIP2 message support to include additional patron details such as birth date and/or age

    This enhancement would enable safer and more autonomous self-service environments, particularly… more

    59 votes

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20. Add function to monitor broken display logic rules

    When the name of a collection/interface/service used in a rule changes the rule quietly breaks. The only way in Alma to find out it's broken is to open the specific rule in edit mode, where it says "not listed" next to the changed collection/interface/service. There is no indication in the list of rules and you are not notified when a rule breaks. We have a long list of rules in use so it's difficult to keep track of the broken rules. It would be useful to be notified when a rule breaks or to have a way of monitoring broken display logic rules better.

    When the name of a collection/interface/service used in a rule changes the rule quietly breaks. The only way in Alma to find out it's broken is to open the specific rule in edit mode, where it says "not listed" next to the changed collection/interface/service. There is no indication in the list of rules and you are not notified when a rule breaks. We have a long list of rules in use so it's difficult to keep track of the broken rules. It would be useful to be notified when a rule breaks or to have a way of monitoring broken… more

    53 votes

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