Alma
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1765 results found
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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.138 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/zw7GhHEnH5Won113 votes -
Make restored CZ electronic portfolios local when using the Manage deleted repository tool
When using the Manage deleted repository tool to restore deleted CZ electronic portfolios, the restored portfolio should be restored as local, with the blue house icon.
Currently, the restored portfolio does not become local, but instead appears as linked to the CZ (blue person icon displays), even though the CZ portfolio no longer exists. The result is portfolios in your IZ, that look like they should be CZ linked/managed, aren't. Because the portfolios appear as CZ linked, you are unable to identify the portfolio as local through filtering/reporting and take desired follow up actions. For example, if a CZ portfolio…
52 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used in two situations: when an item or a set of items becomes temporarily unavailable to readers, and when items are withdrawn permanently.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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File Naming
Current system behavior replaces user-defined file names with the Rapid request no. and the Cross Ref IDs during the delivery process. To meet ADA Title II standards, we need the system to preserve the original staff-assigned filename when the file is delivered to the patron.
34 votes -
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 -
Add IZ-level option to hide the "Order It" plugin in the navigation bar
In our Institution Zone, we discovered that the "Order It" plugin is not limited to Amazon websites, despite what the Ex Libris documentation currently states under "Supported Platforms". Ex Libris has since clarified that, although the original development focused on identifying Amazon fields, the feature can in principle work with any website that uses the same field identifiers in its HTML.
At the same time, we learned that there is currently no option to hide the plugin from the navigation bar. In our tests, the feature produced extremely rudimentary bibliographic records, which might be more difficult to manage and could…
30 votes -
Community Zone Authorities vs Network Zone Authorities
When authority records are managed from a Network Zone (NZ) in a cooperative way—that is, when several institutions create and maintain authority records of different types (names, subjects, etc.)—it is confusing for catalogers when authorities from the Community Zone appear.
For this reason, we would like the possibility to choose from which zone we view authority records, mainly in these two screens:
• In Browse Authority Headings in the NZ, we would like to have different tabs to choose which zone we want to consult, the NZ or the CZ
• In Browse Authority Headings in any IZ of the…28 votes -
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…
262 votesHello 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?
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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…
31 votes -
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…
128 votes -
Display all assigned PO lines in task list
With the introduction of the new PO line layout, it became possible to manually assign PO lines, regardless of their status. However, the Alma task list (tasks requiring your attention) still only displays assigned PO lines, when they are in review. Assigned PO lines with different statuses tend to be overlooked.
It would be very useful for ACQ staff to be able to see all PO lines assigned to them in the task list. This could also encourage more use of the "Assign To" function.
44 votes -
Add Resource Sharing Partner Setting for ILLiad Cleared Status
When a library creates a resource sharing partner for ILLiad and checks the Create User in ILLiad box, Alma does not pass a Cleared value in the CreateUser ILLiad API call. This means all ILLiad user records created by Alma need to be manually cleared. Please add a new setting to the ILLiad resource sharing partner type that allows libraries to select a Cleared value of either "No" or "New".
34 votes -
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 -
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…
72 votes -
Reading Lists in the Task List Customise Alma task list (tasks requiring your attention) to match all our reading list statuses
As Acquisitions & Reading Lists Manager I would like to customise the Alma task list (tasks requiring your attention) to help the reading list team manage the reading list workflow as using facets is a time-consuming long way round to find the list categories each time.
Alma task list (tasks requiring your attention), section Reading lists, we would like to customise this list of tasks or add all reading list statuses each Library may have.
We have reading lists with status other than Unassigned - processing, complete, reading for processing.
We have 'updated' and 'core done' to help us manage…
42 votes -
Increase the number of available facets for all POL searching
All aspects of the POL should be available as facets, assuming they appear sufficiently frequently in a set of results. Most notably, all 5 reporting code fields should be available as facets.
Additionally, other sources of POL lists, such as the Alma Vendor Record should offer all of the same faceting functionality, including the ability to customize which facets are visible.47 votes -
Linked Data Enrichment Moves $e Relator Subfields to Incorrect Positions When Saving Authorities with F3
When saving a name authority record in Alma using the F3 function, the Linked Data Enrichment process is causing the $e relator subfield to move to an incorrect position within the field. Instead of maintaining the expected order (e.g., $a, $e, $1), the $e subfield is often placed at the end or in another unexpected location after $0/$1 subfields are added. This disrupts the intended structure of the authority field and creates extra manual work for cataloguers.
Attempts to correct the placement by copying and pasting the $e subfield do not work as expected—Alma consistently pastes it at the end…
48 votes -
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…
56 votes -
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…
59 votes
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