Alma
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102 results found
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Allow relinking of items to other holdings records via API
The Alma user interface allows cataloguers to relink an item onto a different holdings record, either on the same bibliographic record or a different one. It is not possible to relink an item via the API.
If a library wishes to do a major restructure of holdings records via API (e.g. post migration from another system), it is currently impossible. For example, during migration of our early printed books from our old LMS, Ex Libris craeted one holdings record per location, despite there being multiple distinct items with different shelfmarks and provenance history, which should have separate holdings records. We…
49 votes -
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…
136 votes -
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…
100 votes -
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/zw7GhHEnH5Won112 votes -
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.102 votesDear 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…
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Add Item‑Level Usage Option to Deselection & Retention Project Scopes
When determining eligibility for Deselection/Retention Projects, Alma is currently only evaluating title‑level usage rather than item‑level. This means that loans of Lost or Withdrawn items are being considered and the project is actively excluding items that have not circulated for years (because a now lost/withdrawn copy circulated more recently). Further to this, this information is not readily available without going into Alma Analytics.
Proposal: add an option within the Scope configuration that allows institutions to choose whether usage should be evaluated at:
Title Level (current behaviour)
OR
Item Level (requested enhancement)This enhancement would:
- Improve accuracy of deselection lists
- Prevent…
45 votes -
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:
Institutional last copy
Faculty publication
Rare
Committed to some Shared Print program
Digitized material
Each of these retention reasons may correspond to different library staff workflow. For example, these retention reasons could support the following staff…
70 votes -
Allow merge rules for authority import profiles
It would be very useful allowing custom merge rules in Alma authority import profiles for ensure controlled, automated updates of authority records,
especially in a cooperative cataloguing environment.
Configuring these rules to selectively merge, keep, or add specific MARC fields during import, would ensure enhancing data quality for both local
and network zones.16 votes -
Predicted Items - Add columns in Metadata overview
When opening predicted items in the Metadata Editor, the "Predicted Items" pop-up window appears. It would be very useful if the following columns could be added to the overview presented in this window.
Currently, the following columns are shown:
- Description
- Status
- Expected arrival datePlease add:
- First level of enumeration (= Enumeration A in the physical item editor)
- Second level of enumeration (= Enumeration B)
- First level of chonology (= Chronology I)
- Second level of chronology (= Chronology J)This addition would make it easier to verify whether all relevant fields are correctly…
50 votesHi all,
Please note that this idea was mistakenly closed. It has now been reopened, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused.
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Browse Shelf Listing Call Numbers - 852 $$j
Under the current design, browsing shelf listing by 852 $$j is not a supported feature in Alma.
Example:
852 18 $$b SBG $$c 91 $$8 222 B $$h 22/Z 1244 $$= l $$9 00 $$j 22/Hbl E 600 $$9 09 $$x DE-22For the holdings' field 852 subfields $$h 22/Z 1244 and $$j 22/Hbl E 600, the holdings call number “22/Z 1244 22/Hbl E 600” will appear only when the browse term is “22/Z 1244 22/Hbl E 600” or “22/Z 1244,” but not when the browse term is “22/Hbl E 600”.
We need a 'Browse Shelf Listing' that lists ALL…
72 votes -
Collection management tool: adding usage data to reports
This tool would have significantly more value if there was a column for usage data in the exported reports.
Currently the only indication of usage is in the “Badges” column, e.g. “High Usage, Single Item” or “Single Item, Low/No Usage”, but we often need more granular data than this in order to make decisions.
When creating a project, the user can limit the usage of titles (though not items) to more or less than a given number, within a specified timescale; could the actual number of uses be included in the report?8 votes -
History Note Indicating Shelf Report Processing
For physical collection care/management teams, it would be valuable to have an indicator in an item's history that notes a barcode was fed through the Shelf Report Function along with the date. This small note can be immensely valuable when tracking down missing physical items in a collection.
16 votes -
Consortia distribution mode of RetentionReason table per row
Hi,
we're thinking about the distribution of configuration for the Collection development from the Network Zone.
For our use case, we need to be able to centrally distribute the Retention Reason table per row (
Customization mode: Specific rows can be customized). There might be a mix of consortia and local reasons for retention. The NZ should be able to distribute the consortia retention reasons and the IZs should be able to add their own local retention reasons independently of the distributed NZ reasons.16 votes -
Add RBMS CVRMC (Controlled Vocabulary for Rare Materials Cataloguing)
We would like to suggest adding RBMS CVRMC, (Controlled Vocabulary for Rare Materials Cataloguing) to the authority vocabularies in the resource management configuration.
The vocabulary comprises terms specific to the needs of the rare materials community and combines six separate, print thesauri used for recording the genre and physical characteristics of cataloged materials
RBMSCV is available at the Library of Congress' linked data service https://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/rbmscv.htmlWe add the terms at present in a 655 _7 $a heading $2 rbmscv but they do not authorize when we hit f3
Adding CVRMC terms would help greatly with user needs when searching PRIMO
4 votes -
Simplify item scanning when processing is complete
Operators would benefit from not having to choose a Work Order Type and Status when the treatment is complete. It is not always easy to find out which cataloguing or repair operation has been carried out on an item. And above all, it's not useful if Done =“No” is selected.
Couldn't you put this last line at the beginning of the form, and open the Work Order Type and Status boxes only if "Yes" has been ticked, rather than the other way round?
Thank you and thank you for supporting this modest proposal.
Nicolas
89 votes -
Expand the character limit for Inventory number field
The Inventory number field for physical items in Alma is currently limited to 20 characters. We are using RFID tags to track some of our items, and would like to store them in the Inventory number field. Because these codes are generally about 25 characters long, it'd be helpful if the size of the field could be extended to 30 or (preferably) 50 characters.
3 votes -
Add the Work Order Types sorting option
Hi Everyone,
We're working on our Work Order types and departments to get a better overview of items under repair and others in libraries. I can't figure out how the WO types are sorted in the fulfillment desks, they seem to be randomly placed when I add them!
The issue is about the sorting of work orders types in a circulation desk. I made video captures I can share if you like. As you can see on it I added 3 work orders type to a circ desk and I can't understand their sort in the circ desk parameters.
And…30 votes -
Ability to create additional note fields in the physical item editor
At the physical item Editor, we currently have access to one public note, one Fulfillment note, 3 internal notes and 3 statistics notes. We would need 3 additional public note fields visible to the user in Primo and 3 additional internal note fields.
46 votes -
Put related holdings in its own tab not displayed among the actual holdings in Alma
Add the option to turn off the display of related records holding in the holding display for a title in Alma. Having it among the 'true' holdings is very confusing and for most part not relevant when needing to locate the title at hand - In that case I'm not interested in a completely different title just because they share a relation to that title in our collection.
A tab with the related records information would make a less cluttered view7 votesHi all,
This idea was mistakenly closed. It has now been reopened, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused.
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The option to change the permanent location in the item should not be a default, it should be selectable.
To change the permanent location in the item can lead to incorrect results. If you have two holdings with different locations and then change the location of the item which is connected to the first holding to the location of the second holding, your item will be relinked to the second holding AND the first holding will be deleted automatically. If the first holding contained additional information (e.g. the call number), this information will be lost.
The option to change the permanent location in the item should therefore not be a default, it should be selectable depending on the needs…118 votes
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