Alma
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91 results found
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Add patron due date to Resource Sharing information
On the Borrowing screen for Resource Sharing requests it would be nice to see the patron's current due date in addition to the request due date for requests that are checked out to patrons. This could be an optional field to be added to the Resource Sharing Task List.
3 votesThe user's loan due date is now being display on the borrowing request.
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Add User Statistical Categories as a Parameter in Fulfillment Units Rules
We would like the ability to add user statistical categories as input parameters when configuring Fulfillment Units. This will allow us to apply additional terms of use (TOUs) to certain subsets of User Groups.
Right now, we are able to configure Fulfillment Unit rules based on User Groups (i.e. Student, Staff, Community Member, etc.). However, there are certain subsets of users within these groups (for example, a student that is part of a scholarship program, learning community, or major) that we would like to apply different TOUs to. We can identify these users with Statistical Categories and if we could…
29 votes -
Allow Online Services Order to include electronic collections with public name overrides
Currently the Online Services Order documentation includes the following note: "This feature will not order electronic collections that have a value in the Public name (override) field. To use this feature, you must remove the override." Overrides are important for simplifying Primo/Primo VE display so that users are not faced with overly complicated resource descriptions. Online Services Order is a critical tool for improving linking behavior. We need this tool to accommodate electronic collections with public name overrides.
70 votesPublic name override was not taken in consideration in the online services order sorting, this issue is fixed as of Alma January release
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Pop-up note when patron has something on the hold shelf
When scanning the patron's barcode or searching for a patron in Manage Patron Services, can a pop-up notification be configured to alert staff that there are items held for the patron on the hold shelf?
Currently, you have to look at the User Notes section on the right hand corner of the screen and it's gray text that does not draw attention. You can also look in the request tab if it is dog-eared but it will display all requests statuses; not just when an item is on shelf ready for pick up.
Since patrons don't always check their email…
164 votesNow in Alma introducing a redesigned Manage Patron Services UI to leverage new layout capabilities to support a more streamlined workflow at the circulation desk.
For more information on working with the new circulation desk see Managing Patron Services - New Layout.
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Please add Description field to all three tabs in Patron Services page: Loan tab, Return tab, and Request tab
Currently, there is no Description field in Patron Services page. Library staffs are not able to immediately recognize which issue, volume, or number is loaned, returned, or requested by a patron at a glance in three tabs at this page.
When circulation desk staff help patron to check or see their loans in Loan tab, Description field is not visible.
Or, if a patron requests different issues under the same title at a time, when he/she comes to circulation desk and wants to pick up his/her requested items, library staff will need to spend more steps to check the Description…364 votesA new ‘Description’ column can be added to the list of loan items in the Manage Patron Services page. The column shows the value of the physical item’s ‘Description’ field.
for more information please see Alma July release notes:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2021/Alma_2021_Release_Notes -
Remove the gender field
Entirely remove the gender field (from staff-facing patron data form) or allow us to grey it out so it is not collected. There is no need to collect gender information about library patrons. This is a matter of equity and inclusion.
2 votesIt is now possible to configure the fields that appear in the patron registration and the Edit User forms.
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Enable customer-defined order of locations in the Get It menu
Currently, the locations in the Alma resolver (Get It menu) are not sorted in a consistent, meaningful manner. There is a "use IP best locations ordering" option, but this option is insufficient for many institutions. For instance, in many cases, users are off site or not in a library building, and many institutions do not reserve IP addresses for specific buildings. There is also an alphabetical option but often the size or significance of locations doesn't fit well into an alphabetical listing (for example a small branch starting with A or B might sort ahead of a large Central Library).
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13 votesNow customers can define a list of libraries and list of locations within a library in a prioritized order, and have this order reflected in Primo or Primo VE search results. This enables more meaningful sorting of locations in the Get It menu.
For more information please see Alma December Release Notes:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2021/Alma_2021_Release_Notes -
Daytime options for automated Alma notice jobs which involve patron notifications
We recently had a call from a distressed parent who had been woken by a late night notification due to an Alma notice being sent to them.
Whilst appreciating that jobs are scheduled later to catch lower utilization of the system, would it be possible to have some options for all jobs which feature patron-facing notifications to be run between 9.00am and 9.00pm e.g. Courtesy Notices and Handle Loan Renewals job.
32 votesIt is now possible to use functions in XSL version 3 or lower for letters configuration.
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Add policy to prevent Booking requests over closed days
On behalf of the Product management team we would like to understand the need and use cases of the following 'Planned' feature - any comment is welcome.
Currently, Alma users and Primo patrons can create booking requests in Alma which span over several days, if user tries to book items on closed library days, and the time frame is under the max length policy - Alma will adjust the book start and end time, without checking if the resulting time-span is more than the max length.
This means that patrons can create booking requests that span an entire period a…0 votesNew assertions are now available for the Closed Library Booking Management policy to allow institutions to prevent seats being booked for time periods when the library is closed.
For more information please see Alma November Release Notes:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2020/Alma_2020_Release_Notes -
Cursor to be automatically positioned in the field
We found the problem about “Quick printing”.
When printing slips during “Scan in Items” using “Quick Print”, we have to position the cursor in the “Scan Item Barcode” field every item.
We think it is a bothersome step, and would like to skip.We suggest that the cursor to be automatically positioned in the “Scan Item Barcode” field.
1 voteDear community,
When printing slips using quick print the positioning of the cursor is done automatically once the print dialog box closes.Thanks,
Alma Product Managment -
New notification letter when expiry date is updated
When updating the expiry date for items on hold shelf, we miss the opportunity to resend notification letter with the new expiry date. We are aware of the resend notification functionality, but this will not include the new expiry date.
424 votesA new notification letter when expiry date is updated is now available in Alma.
For more information see Updating the Expiry Date for Requests and Letters.
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Add column for printout queue to Printers Configuration screen
Please add a column to the Printers Configuration screen so that users can immediately see that which printers are printout queues.
1 voteIn the November 2019 Release, an indication was added to the printers list. More details can be found here: https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/030Fulfillment/080Configuring_Fulfillment/110General#Configuring_Printers
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Please make the new Print Queue available to Fulfilment Operators
The Print Queue is a great addition to ALMA but only having it available to Fulfilment Administrator is difficult. We would love you to make the print queue available to Fulfilment Mangagers and Fulfilment Operators. This would significantly improve it's efficiency.
4 votesIn the November 2019 Release, the use of the printout queue was opened for all users.
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Improvements to request form when article is not available electronic or in print
If an end-user has found an article in Primo, but the library does not have access electronically and the library has the print journal, but not the correct item/issue the end user gets a very slim request form and the request in Alma does not have enough information to fulfill the request.
If the library does not have the print "mother"-item then the user would get the resourche sharing request form. This form is much more user friendly than the other forms.
If the end-user is out of luck the library has the journal in print, but not the correct…
601 votesThe following fields are now available in the Hold Request and Digitization Request forms configuration tables, and can be added to the General Hold/ Request Another Issue and the General Digitization / Digitize Another Issue requests in Primo (for holdings with no items or serial holdings):
Volume
Issue
Part
Chapter
Publication date
Chapter/Article Title
Chapter/Article Author
Start Page
End PageFor more information plaese see Alma November Release Notes:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2020/Alma_2020_Release_Notes -
Check for attachments in the Digitization Process
When managing Digitization Requests, there is no control in the last step (when files or URLs are attached) that a file or URL has effectively been attached or correctly uploaded. If operator clicks on 'Done', the request is completed without any alert!
If no file or URL has been attached when the operators clicks on Done, the requester receives a letter with no attachment or URL for download. Waste of time and bad service provided...
There should be a control before clicking on Done, at least one file or one URL should be attached before the request gets completed. At…59 votesIn the August 2019 Release the following change was done:
In the digitization process, a new confirmation message displays when neither a file nor a URL was supplied.
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Displaying request notes in the pick from shelf list
Request notes sometimes contain important information, but are well hidden from staff. To read them, they need to print a resource request slip, export a print slip report, check (edit) every single request, or use resource request monitoring, processes that waste paper and time.
Wouldn't it be nice to have comments displayed directly in the Pick From Shelf list? Or at least some sort of warning that yes, there is a note added to this request? And also in the Alma mobile app.
485 votesAs part of Alma June release notes:
On the Pick from Shelf list, if one or more request notes exist, they are now displayed aggregated together with a “|” (pipe symbol) in between each request. Only notes for active requests that are being picked by the current circulation desk are displayed. The notes of the active request are presented in the Pick Up Requested Resources page in no specific order. If you click the link for the request queue, all requests are displayed along with a new column that displays the request notes
For more information please see:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2020/Alma_2020_Release_Notes -
Generate Transit Slip when it goes to work order department assigned to Circulation Desk instead of simply saying "Manage Locally."
Currently when an item is received for a work order department assigned to a circulation desk the staff member gets a message that says "manage locally." However, there could be multiple work order departments assigned to a circ desk and so a transit slip should print showing the staff member where that item needs to go to. Even though it might be managed at that circ desk, the staff member still needs to know who to give that item to so a transit slip should print showing which work order department that the item needs to go to.
3 votesAs of the March release, when returning an item on the Return Items page, if the next step is a locally managed work order, the next step now displays both the next step and the work order type—for example ‘Manage Locally – Preservation. See Scanning Items.’
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Provide patrons notification of reasons for failure to renew a loan
Please note: this idea is not ours originally. We voted for this as an institution as part of the first round of NERS 2018, where it was Req ID 5782. I noticed that it isn't in Ideas Exchange now (or at least I don't think so).
Quoting the original description: 'We would like it to be possible to notify users when they have an item on loan that cannot be renewed, and to explain the reason to them so as to avoid confusion to patrons. Reasons may include: - because it is requested, - the patron has reached their expiry…
127 votesThe Courtesy Notices now includes the last renew status and date in its XML. This can be used to notify the patron why the last automatic renew failed.
For more information please see Alma December release notes. -
On the Monitor Request page order the owning library and pick up location facets by A-Z
We would like the libraries listed in the Owner and Pick up Location facets in the Resource Request Monitoring page to be ordered by A-Z as we have a long list of libraries and this would make it easier to scan the list and find them. The Owner and Pick up Location are ordered by A-Z in the Borrowing Requests page already and this is much easier for us.
52 votesAs of teh January 2019 release, the values of the pickup location and owning library facets are sorted alphabetically on the Requests Monitoring page.
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Direct link access from a citation to a reading list
User Story/Case
A streamlined workflow is required to provide direct access to reading lists from a citation. The current workflow is overly complicated and requires to much clicking.
Description
When digitised files are ready to be be attached to a reading list, staff must first access the relevant citation by navigating to Alma > Fulfilment > Course Reserves > Citations, then find the citation, attach the file and mark the citation as ‘Completed'.The next step in the workflow is to access the Reading list which requires staff to navigate to Alma > Fulfilment > Course Reserves > Reading List…
85 votesA link is now available from the citation page to the reading list. In addition, a link is available to each course in the courses tab on the reading list page.
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