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.
97 results found
-
Add ability to expand holdings on Reading Lists in new Alma UI
In the classic Alma UI holdings were visible for all titles on a reading list as a default.
In the new UI holdings are hidden and staff need to click on the Physcial, Electronic or Digital links for each title in the reading list to see what the holdings are - there is no way to expand all holdings on the reading list without clicking many times.
We would like to see the expand option that is available on the main result screen added to Reading lists so that staff can set holdings to always show rather than having to…
18 votes -
Sort record type and date columns in Library calendar opening hours
Every year we need to reset our calendar events, exceptions and sometimes we even tweak our standard opening hours.
This job would be much easier if we could sort the entries in our opening hours screen (Fulfillment > Library management > Opening hours) by record type, valid from (date) and valid to (date).
56 votesCompleted as part of Alma October release, for more information please see:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/050Administration/050Configuring_General_Alma_Functions/020Managing_Institutions_and_Libraries#Configuring_Institution.2FLibrary_Open_Hours -
Fines Transfer Indication in Fines and Fees Details Screen
We would like to see some form of indication when our patrons' fines/fees transfer from their Alma patron record to their SIS financial account. Currently, in our system, after 32 days outstanding fines are automatically transferred from the patron's library account to our Financial Services office. We have discovered that Alma does not provide any indication of this happening in the Fines and Fees Details screen. The fine simply shows a status of "closed" and a status date presumably when the fine transferred. There is no status of "transfer" or other indication that this happened. This creates confusion when staff…
1 vote -
Remember last selection for "Automatically Print Slip?" in Scan In Items
Some of our staff need to change the "Automatically print slip" radio button to Yes each time they enter a Scan In Items workflow to pass items to another department. Other staff do not.
We would like Alma to remember an operator's last setting for this radio button, enabling every operator to have an optimal workflow.6 votes -
Status for returned items changed to Awaiting shelving then changed to item in place after specified period
When an item is returned at the Library Desk Alma instantly changes the status to "Item in place", leading a user looking at that status in Primo to believe that the item is on the shelf. However when an item is returned at the Library Desk it is not instantly returned to the shelf - often it is placed on a returns trolley and reshelved later in the day or the next day.
What would be more useful would be for Alma to automatically assign a status of 'awaiting shelving' to an item when it is returned, and then after…
208 votesTime to reshelve (hours) is now available on the Organization Unit Details (when configuring a library), Circulation Desk, and Reshelve Without Transit Rules Editor pages. When configured, items that are marked as reshelf or reshelf without transit, will be displayed as Awaiting Shelving, instead of Item in Place, for the period of time configured. The item is considered as available, but appears as being reshelved in Alma and Primo so students and librarians know not to search for it on the shelf. Alma removes the ‘Awaiting Reshelving’ indication when the configured time since the item return has passed.
You can configure Time to reshelve once for the entire library, or override for a specific circulation desk.
For more information please see August Release Notes:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/010_2019/Alma_2019_Release_Notes?mon=201908BASE#reshelving_items -
Automatically remove block (because of overdue item) when the item due date has been renewed
When books with a block due to overdue date has been renewed, the block has to be removed manually. We would like to see that this happens automatically. The block is added because of the overdue status, so we were surprised that those blocks were removed automatically when the book isn't overdue anymore. Is this possible to add in Alma?
13 votes -
Suggestion to avoid spam filtering changing EnvelopeFrom in Configuring Outgoing Email
Actually an Institution cannot catch bounced emails because the EnvelopeFrom header field in Alma's emails is set to an address that has the domain @exlibrisgroup.com and it is not accessible. Changing the EnvelopeFrom to an email address in the institution domain may result in spam filtering and blocking. But if you could provide one email address account accessible in the domain @exlibrisgroup.com per Institution it could be use ad EnvelopeFrom address: the email (an example for my institution: 39UPI-email_admin@exlibrisgroup.com) should be readable by the related institution staff and user as EnvelopeFrom address (and/or for other purpose, such as Alma's…
3 votes -
Allow staff level renewing of items marked as "lost", or the ability to bulk process from "lost" to "found".
I'd like the ability to either allow staff to renew items listed as "lost" or at least be able to bulk process items marked as "lost" to "found" so we can then renew them.
153 votesThe new Manage Patron Services UI that has been released in the November 24' release includes the option to bulk mark items as 'found'. See Manage Patron Services New UI on the November 24 Release Notes - https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2024/Alma_2024_Release_Notes?mon=202411
-
Add an action's menu button for the damaged books
We would like to add a possibility on the action's menu.
"Lost" is not enough because we have to write an explaination when the books are damaged and it is really not easy with the "lost" possibility.
So currently we use "claimed return" but it does not block the fines.
It will be much easier for us with a new button "damaged books".
And we have to differentiate all those conditions for the billings.
Thanks !
3 votesA new Physical condition field was added to the item
-
Print without the cloud and reduce failure points for printing Pull Slips
The process for printing Pull Slips has multiple failure points. Suggestion: Use the Print Slip Report as the data source for a mail merged Word document Pull Slip.
Creating email pull slips is too reliant on multiple systems working at all times. All of the required systems (servers, printers, scripts…) are potential failure points. These failure points often require staff from other departments to resolve. When there is a failure at any of the many points, the result is an inability to process Pull Slips through the normal workflows.
Suggestion: (1) Execute Print Slip Report, (2) Open Word document Pull…
127 votes -
Fulfillment Network - Institutional drop down menu for patron/item
Fulfillment Network - find patron/item from another institution: Currently in Alma, when selecting either an item or patron from another institution, the drop down menu is in a random order. There should be a way to change the sorting of that list (alphabetically for example). This menu can be found in the Manage Patron Services, Return Items, and Scan in Items.
This carries over to Primo for users placing requests. Both the institution and fulfillment network scopes. The pickup institutions should be listed alphabetically.189 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 -
Returning items from the patron services - return tab of the wrong patron
If a book loaned from a patron it has returned through Patron services - Return Tab of a wrong patron, Alma does not block the action. The system send return email receipt to the wrong patron who did not loan the book.
The system should stop the action as the operator, for mistake, has returned the book from the patron services of a patron who did not loan the item.56 votes -
Blocks by location
We would like to be able to apply blocks to Patron's borrowing by Location or Library, so that a block applied to a Patron for, say, Library / Location A would still allow them to borrow items from Library / Location B. Alma seems designed for multiple locations and Libraries, and yet the Blocks are currently applied across all locations.
45 votesCompleted as part of Alma February release
For more information, see Fulfillment Library Independence as well as this recording from the Jan. 18th webinar.
-
Ability to change the default for reading room to NOT FINAL
The default for the reading room is currently set to "final" check in. We wish to change this to "Not Final" to help avoid a scenario where Resource Sharing items inadvertently being returned to their home campus when users are not finished with them. Most of our librarians that use the Reading Room function would like the setting configurable so that they can select the option that best suits their workflow needs.
26 votesIdea is implemented as part of August release.
-
Overdue and lost loan job for "no item policy" only
We need an option to configure an Overdue and lost loan job only on items that dont have an item policy.
Most of our material have no item policy and we dont have an option to only send an overdue notification on those books. Now we also have to send to every other item policy.
In particuly this leads to overlapping overdue notifications when we have material with short loan or ILL-loans.This would be fixed with a new option to check "no item policy" in the overdue and lost loan configuration page.
46 votesIndeed, this was done in the May Release.
-
Add "Request" as a block option in Block Preferences
Currently the Block Preferences have Block options to permit Blocks on Loan and Renewals, but it would be good to include Blocks on Requests on these blocks - specifically Patron Physical Item Requests, but conceivably other requests.
For example is a Patron Limit is defined on Overdues or Recalled overdues, and the limits are exceeded, the relevant Block Preferences are triggered,
i.e.
Patron overdue limits has exceeded
Patron overdue recall limit exceededHowever, the only options on what patron services blocked are Loan and Renewal.
Requests should also be added to the options so that overdues can immediately block a…363 votesHi all, thanks for supporting this idea
Starting May 2026 release, Alma can be configured to block item requests when a patron is not eligible to loan the item based on its loan terms of use and any existing blocks on the patron.
Read more in the Release Notes: https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2026/Alma_2026_Release_Notes/2026_RN_05_Main?mt-draft=true
Best, Alma Product
-
Sort of holdings by location (A-Z) in Primo GetIt
Holdings in Primo Getit are sorted by "their proximity to the patron, according to the library IP address." [1]. This results in a random list (see screenshot).
We want a sort by library location (A-Z), because this is more intuitive in cases where many holdings exist, e.g. printed journals are distributed at many locations among the university, see example [2].
[1] https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/Alma_Online_Help_(English)/Fulfillment/080Configuring_Fulfillment/100Discovery_Interface_Display_Logic#Configuring_Locations_Ordering_Profiles
[2] https://primo.fu-berlin.de/FUB:FUB_ALMA_DS2192219470000288328 votesAdded as part October Release 2018 , please see additional information at:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/010_2018/Alma_2018_Release_Notes#Sort_Holdings_by_Location_in_Primo_Get_It -
Patron Loans - Temporary Embargo
Boston College Libraries lend a variety of technology items to members of our community - iPads, laptops, laptop chargers, calculators, etc. These items typically circulate for 4 days or 4 hours and we have a no renewals policy. However once an item is returned we have no easy way to ensure that the same patron does not return to the desk within 5 minutes and borrow the same item or like item again. What we would like to be able to do is configure Alma so that patron x cannot borrow the same or like item within x period of…
216 votesThe May 2018 Release includes:
You can now configure a re-loan limit, preventing patrons from re-loaning items that they have just returned.For more details see: https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/010_2018/08_May_2018/Alma_May_2018_Release_Notes/04Fulfillment_-_May_2018_Enhancements#New_Re-loan_Limit
-
Date parameters for user blocks and / or notes
When manually adding a block (or a note) to a user's account it would be useful to add date parameters that the block/note is active, e.g. if a user is on Leave of Absence and therefore unable to borrow to be able to state that the block starts at XX and ends on XX would reduce staff time have to manually remove that block.
This would also tie in with the planned proposal for pop up blocks/notes (on Ideas EXchange)3 votes
- Don't see your idea?