Alma
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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.
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1697 results found
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Improvement in Borrowing request search
When searching Borrowing Requests, we would like the ability to make keyword search and to be able to search for barcodes.
This would enable staff to work more efficiently, since they would have the ability to search across indexes, and search specific requests with a barcode.
32 votes -
The ability to sort the "List of Items" by "Copy ID" or "Item Call Number"
Adding "Copy ID" and "Item Call Number" to the "Sort routine" in the "List of Items would be very helpful for us. We catalog various types of equipment to loan out to students. The equipment has a Permanent Call Number which designates the type of equipment and where the equipment is from using a code. Each piece of equipment belonging to that bibliographic record has an item call number so being able to sort by item call number or copy ID would make our life easier. Thank you.
49 votes -
"Display in Discovery" from any screen in Alma
Make the Display in Discovery action available in any screen/view of a record in Alma, not just in a repository search or in portfolio lists. There is often the need to see how a resource displays in Primo when working in an item, orders, and other areas of records.
60 votes -
Option to add user details to Pick from Shelf & in export list
For institutions that manage requests differently depending on User Group or other values in the user record, it would be useful to have this info displayed with the rest of the request data in a pick from shelf list. Alternatively it would be useful to have this data in the export list so that staff managing these requests have this additional data to hand.
34 votes -
Do not automatically highlight search terms
After completing a search in the persistent search box, the inputted text remains in that field. When clicking back into the persistent search box to edit this text, all of the text is automatically highlighted. This often results in accidentally deleting the entire search phrase when attempting to edit it slightly, or at the very least having to pay extra careful attention to click twice into the search box to un-highlight before editing. Removing auto-highlighting would streamline the process of editing searches and alleviate the frustration of many accidental deletions.
24 votes -
Clear Process Type (Transit) of all Items in Set with Job
Often books get skipped during scanning-in and are reshelved while still having a process type of "Transit." This leads to hundreds of materials over time in the stacks showing as not in place. A set with only these items can be created, but a bulk clearing of this field isn't yet possible.
Any of these would work:
1. create a job that clears the Process Type (specifically books marked Transit that have already been reshelved but were skipped during the regular scan-in process)
2. scan-in all items in a created set
3. scan-in multiple barcodes at once (separated by ;…26 votes -
Confirmation Notice for Curbside Bookings
Alma has allowed for the Booking Request feature to be set-up and modified as a means to provide curbisde service or make appointments. However, it appears that no letter exists to confirm the appointment day/time with the user, which would be most helpful in providing user instructions, cancellation information, contact numbers, etc. I propose that this letter be added to enhance communication and expectations especially during this challenging time of changing services and delivery options. Thank you!
19 votes -
Cost Per Use *by fund* Report for Electronic Collections (Databases)
Problem: We are looking for a way to run a cost usage report by fund that includes titles with the PO Line Type ‘Name of Electronic Collection - Subscription.’
Description: Our library evaluates cost per use of all serials by fund. We have been able to run a cost per use report by fund for our print and electronic journals. We run into a roadblock, however, when we try to generate a report on the cost/use of a database by fund.
The E-Inventory Cost Usage report includes all titles with the PO Line Type Name of ‘Electronic Journal -…
38 votes -
Option to Return Items Without Filling Patron Requests
Items checked in that have patron requests on them are automatically placed on hold shelf and the patron is immediately emailed. Currently Ex Libris allows a delay for the notice for a maximum of 999 minutes, which is often not long enough. Sometimes materials come back that need repair, updates, or to be quarantined. This can take varying amounts of time. It would be ideal if the system would allow us to have the option to check materials in without triggering the hold process, so we may complete any necessary steps we need to before an email is triggered to…
39 votes -
Create a Set of Inventory from a Title Set
It would be very useful to be able to take a set of titles, and convert it into a set of inventory attached to those titles. Specifically, I would like to create a Portfolio set from a set of Electronic Titles. I have regular need to move groups of portfolios from one local e-collection to another. I have only a list of ISBNs to start with, which I use to create an itemized Electronic Titles set. However, moving portfolios requires a Portfolio set, which can only be created with Portfolio IDs. It is very cumbersome to arrive at the appropriate…
52 votes -
Add Day or Week embargo option
When setting Coverage Information, current embargo options are to enter a number of months or years. Some publishers have a 2 week, or 14 day embargo; we cannot enter embargo information for these. Adding a Day and/or Week option would allow this information to be added.
39 votes -
Batch deleting PO's
There is currently no system job to delete PO's. These have to be done manually using the Acquisitions>Purchase Order>Delete PO function individually in ALMA.
We have 1000's of old orders migrated from our legacy system that are no longer required. We also now only keep 7 years worth of orders in line with current financial practice and so would like to be able to set a job to batch delete at rollover into the new fiscal period.
258 votes -
Allow Jobs to Accept CSV files
There are many instances where we would like to run a job like the change physical items job for a list of barcodes where the variable is not the same for each barcode. For example, I'd like to add provenance codes to a list of barcodes, but each barcode could have one of 15 different codes. So it would be great to be able to upload a CSV or TSV with two columns - one with barcode and one with the provenance code for that barcode.
20 votes -
Making Copy to Community / Network / Institution configurable
When searching for authoritiy records, there are options to copy an authority to Network or to Community or even to the Institution zone.
We understand there may be institutions and consortia administrating different kind of vocabularies at different levels, but this is not the case for all. We see in our consortium too many mistakes due to catalogers selecting the wrong button when importing a record. We therefore strongly suggest making all these options configurable, so that it will be possible to hide the buttons.
45 votes -
Support automatic weeding of holdings in the Swedish national catalogue
The Swedish national Ex Libris user group (ElugSWE) would like Alma to integrate with the Swedish national catalogue (Libris), so that when a bibliographic record is deleted in Alma, the corresponding holding record is deleted in Libris.
(We have discussed this idea with the local Ex Libris representative and also a customer success manager, and were recommended to submit it to Idea Exchange.)
This integration exists for multiple other library systems, and it would be really welcomed if Alma could match them on this.
The integration would need to make use of Libris API:s, documented here:
https://github.com/libris/librisxl/blob/master/rest/API.md
The sections most…
24 votes -
Resource Sharing Electronic Locate for Borrowing article requests
A borrowing article request is stopped for local ownership when the library has an electronic database that may have coverage for the journal.
Currently, the borrowing locate local ownership check does not check the year, volume, or issue in the article request to determine if the library has access to this specific year in the database. The borrowing locate does not check for embargo status.
Because the citation year is not checked for local ownership, requests are stopped from being automatically sent to lending libraries that have the article. Library staff must spend time checking if their library has access…
65 votes -
Hide timestamp in patron facing contexts
Add an option to allow the library to decide whether or not timestamp should be shown in patron facing contexts, for example in the Primo Get It for items on loan or items waiting for reshelving.
Examples:
- “Awaiting reshelving until 27/05/2020” instead of “Awaiting reshelving until 27/05/2020 7:02 PM”
- “On loan until 14/07/2020” instead of “On loan until 14/07/2020 22:00”40 votes -
View all PAID invoices
Right now there is no easy way to see all of the recently paid invoices after they return from the ERP. Our business office needs to verify that they were, in fact, paid. We are using an analytics report but this is non-optimal
13 votes -
In addition to LCSH, LSNAF, MeSH, GND and VIAF, Wikidata is at least an another good source to enrich the bibliographic information.
ALMA currently adds URIs of 5 authoriities sources to enrich related bibliographic records. It is a good way for patrons to "crawl from one data description to another" if we push the information to Primo. Those 5 sources are good. However, information coming from Wikidata or Wikipedia seems nowadays to be more accessible and acceptable by the users. We suggest ALMA should add URIs of Wikidata (or the like) , so the users can retrieve more information on related entities.
23 votes -
Online payment - Transaction ID optional
Actually, when choosing Online as payment method, the transaction ID is mandatory. We would like it to be optional, for our staff to be able to validate a payment without having to fill out this ID when on the circulation desk.
24 votes
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