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.
567 results found
-
Fulfillment unit rules
When having to edit a Fulfillment Unit rule, it'd be great if there was an Edit button instead of a Delete button for each parameter - currently, if I want to add a User Group to an existing rule, I have to delete the batch of UGs & re-add the parameter (or, if the order affects it, delete everything and re-create the whole rule).
187 votesAs of August 2018 release the fulfillment unit parameters can now be edited.
For more information see:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/030Fulfillment/080Configuring_Fulfillment/050Physical_Fulfillment#Editing_a_Fulfillment_Unit -
Hyperlink invoice number in PO to actual invoice
Working with purchase orders and invoices requires frequent switching between a purchase order and invoices attached to it. Under the tab Invoice lines in a purchase order Invoice Numbers are listed to the left. On the right side there is a View button, which gives some basic information about the invoice.
In order to view payment date, cheque number, view attached invoice, view other purchase orders associated with this invoice, one must copy the invoice number, then go to Invoices in Open Search Menu, paste the invoice number and then access the invoice record that way.
To directly access invoice…186 votesAs of Alma February release when editing PO lines, and accessing the Invoice Lines tab, the invoice numbers on invoice lines are clickable and linkable to the invoice.
For more information please see https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2021/Alma_2021_Release_Notes -
send overdue an overdue notice within hours of overdue for items that check out for hours
Right now overdue notices are sent once a day. Many technology items check out for a couple hours and cannot have overnight checkout. Sending an overdue notice at 7am the next day does not help remind the patron to return it while fines are accruing We need a way to set up notifications for items that check out less than a day that run on a more frequent schedule than once a day.
184 votes -
Persistent search box to display recent searches for all search types eg. PO line
Currently the persistent search box only allows re-running a recent repository search in the recent history drop down. It doesn't remember recent searches for other types eg. Order line, Users, Vendors etc. It would be very useful to remember these searches as many people work in different areas that don't use repository searches that often, but perform other searches.
183 votes -
Ability to run Analytics reports on Alma Configuration settings
It would be exceptionally helpful to be able to run Analytics reports on all areas of Alma Configuration.
It should be possible both for each individual library to run the reports on their own behalf, AND for libraries belong to a consortium, possible for consortial staff to run the reports across all institution zones simultaneously for comparison between member IZs.
Use cases:
1) Reviewing a spreadsheet containing all of the settings in a configuration area makes settings review easier, and reduces errors. Needing to click between screens and take screenshot to compare settings is cumbersome, and leads to mistakes or…181 votesDear Colleagues,
we are very happy to provide you with the ability to review fulfillment unit roles and terms of use policies with the analytics "Configurations (Limited)" subject area.
For more information see our online help.
Additional requests for configuration analytics will require separate ideas in the idea exchange.
All the best,
Shoshana
-
Ability to delete items by scanning-in
At present items can be withdrawn/deleted in two ways:
1. Manually, an item at a time (or multiple items only if in same holding)
2. In bulk, from a set created either directly from search results or from a spreadsheet.
There is no way to rapidly delete items-in-hand.A feature in Alma to quickly delete items-in-hand, in quick succession, with the same safeguards as when using existing deletion methods.
The attached document gives more details and a mock-up of such a feature - it would be a big bonus to those of us with a lot of weeding to do!
180 votesQuick Delete Item CloudApp gives you the option to quickly delete physical items by scanning barcodes
for more information please see:
https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/appcenter/quick-delete-item/ -
Display both active (payable) AND accruing fines/fees at the main page and at the fines/fees tab of a user’s account
The current main page and the fines/fees tab of a user’s account do not show the balance of the accruing fines to the circulation desk operators. The fines/fees tab doesn’t include the information of the loans that have accruing fines on them, and this confuses both circulation desk operators and clients. Circulation desk operators should be able to see this information easily and they should be able to give exact information to the library patrons about their fines/fees. Now this information is on several lists of loans and returns and the operator cannot see the accruing balance anywhere. (see Figure…
179 votes -
Have the option to send emails to the user’s preferred address or send it to all of the user’s addresses on their account instead.
Sometimes the “preferred addresses” imported from SIS is not the address users frequently uses, they could potentially miss important notifications and cause disputes.
177 votesNow Alma can send emails to multiple recipients simultaneously, for example emails addressed to under-aged patrons can also be sent to their legal guardians. To enable this, Alma now supports a new type of email “CC address” for public and staff type users only. When an email is sent to the patron, it is sent to all of the CC addresses, in addition to the address that is marked as Preferred.
For more information, please see October Release Notes:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2021/Alma_2021_Release_Notes?mon=202110BASE -
Provide MARC record quality measures to CZ collections
CZ collections vary in regard to the quality of their metadata. Some CZ collections contain rich MARC records, while others contain very poor records. When facing the question whether to import vendor's MARC records or to rely on CZ records, librarians usually lack basic information about the quality of existing MARC records in a given CZ collection.
I would like to suggest that each CZ collection will include basic statistical information about the MARC records quality. Such information could be generated in different ways.
One possibility is to provide an analysis based on predefined quality profiles of MARC records. Here,…
174 votes -
Add a Preferred Name field to the Alma user record
Alma should have a field, in addition to the first name, for the preferred name.
Our campus allows users to specify a preferred name, for various reasons. And this preferred name is what is used on physical ID cards.
We are working on getting preferred name into Alma, but because there is not a field explicitly available for this data, we'll likely store it in the First name field.
We'd prefer if Preferred name had it's own field, and think this would be a relatively easy change for Ex Libris to make.
175 votesUser Preferred Name is now available as part of Alma February release.
The Alma user profile was expanded to include parameters for a user’s preferred name. The API and SIS options for creating and updating users also include the user’s preferred name. These parameters are indexed and searchable with the Users search option. System notifications and letters that incorporate name information can be updated to use a user’s preferred name. In a future release, display options will be provided.
For more information please see:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/009_2019/Alma_2019_Release_Notes?mon=201902BASE -
In Analytics add fund information to e-inventory subject area. This needs to be available at both the collection and portfolio levels.
The e-inventory subject area needs fund information added to it at both the collection and portfolio levels so users can write reports that show them how much they have paid for their e-inventory based on a given fiscal year and/or at the p o line level.
174 votesCompleted as part of February Release.
The Cost Usage folder was added to the E-Inventory subject area. It enables you to create reports that display the cost per use for electronic resources. -
Export slips to PDF
Currently, Alma only allows exporting slips to Excel or "printing" to an email address. Please please add an option to export to PDF, using similar output that gets sent to a printer. Seems like it would be easy to add, and would be immensely useful.
Jeremy Kurtz
Arizona State University171 votesUsing the ‘Quick Print’ functionality users have the option to print to PDF.
-
Specify time period for SUSHI harvests
When you manually request a particular SUSHI account/report to be harvested by Alma, by default Alma requests any data which it hasn't already loaded for that account from the last 12 months. If there are multiple months in sequence missing, Alma requests the data for these months together as a single SUSHI request.
This is an inflexible system.
Instead, at the point where a user requests a harvest, Alma should ask the user to specify the time period they would like to request.This would have several advantages:
- We would be able to use SUSHI to harvest usage data from…
168 votesAs of August release it is possible to indicate SUSHI – "Custom Harvest .
“Custom Harvest" function provides an option define the exact time frame for the harvest period
For more information see:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2021/Alma_2021_Release_Notes_Included_Material/2021_RN_08_Main#Define_a_Specific_Time_Frame_While_Manually_Harvesting_R5_SUSHI_Data -
Make 245 $p, $n, $s, $k, $f, $g part of "Title" criteria in Analytics &/or make them available as separate criteria
Currently, the Analytics criteria “Bibliographic Details – Title” returns the 245 $a and $b in combination. This leaves out a good portion of the information needed to distinguish titles in series or parts from one another. Works of classical music are another area which require information from the other subfields for clarity. In the case of many archival materials, the current results leave the title field completely blank or skip many records, as there is no data recorded in either 245 $a or 245 $b. (Please see the attached file for examples.)
In order to use these reports in any…167 votesThe Title (Complete) field was added to the shared Bibliographic Details dimension in every subject area in which it appears. It includes the information from MARC field 245, subfields $p, $n, $s, $k, $f, $g.
For more information see:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/010_2019/Alma_2019_Release_Notes -
Search PO Line by PO Line Note in Alma
Under Search for PO Line > Find:() >In:(), we would like to add the option to search Alma PO Line Notes Fields under the "In:" pull down menu .
This is so we can search our migrated data for codes we have installed on the "PO Line Item Notes", "Instructions to Vendor", "PO Note", and the "PO Instructions to Vendor " fields in Voyager records to easily verify the P2E process converted orders correctly.
165 votesThe existing "All" index was enhanced to search PO lines by their internal notes. Users can search by the full note description or perform a search by a partial description of the note content.
This enables Acquisitions staff to find specific PO lines by searching their notes. Internal notes can also be searched using the new dedicated Internal Notes search index.
for more information see Alma April Release Notes
-
Make 245 $p, $n, $s, $k, $f, $g part of "Title" resource description when viewing/editing holdings and item record details.
Currently when viewing a list of holdings or list of items (and editing them) for a resource/bib in Alma, the $p -- a part/section of a work is not displayed in the resource description for the title. All you see is the main title of the work (245 $a), not the sub-name designation of the part/section. You have no way of knowing which work you are viewing or editing, unless you know the call number specifically.
Example, I have 4 records that are all "The advertising red books" title, but each one is a different part/section of the work. If…
164 votesThe resource description in the headings information for the Record View, List of Items, List of Holdings, the Physical Item Editor, and single holdings was expanded. Also, the resource description was expanded in the MD Editor holdings record header. The resource description now includes the a, n, p, h, b, f, g, k, and s subfields of the MARC 21 / KORMARC 245 field and the a through i subfields of the UNIMARC 200 field.
For more information please see August Release Notes:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/010_2019/Alma_2019_Release_Notes -
Need a way to retrieve HOLDINGS where there are no ITEMS associated with the holding
Currently, there is no good way in either Advanced Repository search or Analytics to retrieve Holdings records that do not have items attached. The "has no inventory" indexing only returns bibs with no holdings, not holdings with no items. In order to have the holdings fields exposed to the Repository Search, you must select either Physical Title or Physical Item, which then only looks at records where there is an associated item record.
The same seems to be true in analytics. I can create an analysis using the Titles table and filter to "Number of Physical Items (All) = 0",…
162 votes -
Fulfillment Network/Consortium - See loans (items) from other institutions in patron's home Alma
We need to be able to see ALL of a patron's active loans - including those items borrowed from a consortium partner - in the patron's home Alma. So if I have books checked out from my own library and 2 other libraries, they would all show up in MY Alma record.
161 votes -
All items loan and hold requests history
In aleph circulation, items tab, we had an option to see all items history of loans and hold request.
In alma we have to go into each item - action - edit - history, in order to see loan history and there is no option to see the hold requests history. We suggest adding column in the list of items screen with the number of loans / requests or adding a tab in each item with the summary of loans of all items. Although we can retrieve the data thru analytics, not all the librarian can access it and it…157 votesIn the Other Details tab of physical title and all title search results, the following new loan statistics are available:
Number of loans
Number of in house use
Year-to-date loans
Last in house use date
Last Loan DateFor more information please see Alma December Release notes
-
Make more sort fields available in Physical Item Sort Routines
Functionality wanted:
Make more sort fields available in the Physical Item Sort Routines, to include all enumeration and chronology fields, as well as receiving date and material type. Retain sort routine selection in all areas of Alma, including when receiving.Use case: Currently the limited options available in the Physical Item Sort Routines do not allow for serial items with no volume or number to be displayed in correct chronological order. Instead they sort alphabetically by month. Serial items published daily do not sort in correct chronological order, because the chronology field J is not an option in the Physical…
156 votesCompleted as part of Alma December release:
When configuring the Physical Items Sort Routines, the following additional fields are available for sorting physical items: Chronology J (month), Chronology K (day), Material type, and Receiving date.For more information please see Alma release notes at https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/010_2018/001Alma_2018_Release_Notes?mon=201812BASE
- Don't see your idea?