Alma
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1792 results found
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Counting Searches in Alma Persistent Search Box
We know that the usage actions in Primo VE can be retrieved in Analytics to measure patrons’ various search actions. This helps library identify the strengths and limitations of current Primo VE user interface, and review it to better meet patrons’ needs.
However, there is currently NO way to retrieve search counts from Alma’s search persistent box in Analytics.
Counting Searches in Alma Persistent Search Box
Library staff often use the Alma persistent search box to search for records for various library operations—for example, locating a bibliographic record to create a PO line—across the institution and community zones (and the network zone for consortia). At times, staff also use this search box to help patrons request print books, renew loans, and perform other circulation services. It shows the usage of the persistent search box is gradually important.
Therefore, it would be beneficial if libraries could retrieve the usage records (including search counts) for the Alma persistent search box in Analytics. This would allow libraries to better understand how staff work in Alma across different operations, such as acquisitions, cataloging, managing electronic resources, collections development, promoting newly purchased materials, weeding, stocktaking, providing circulation counter services, and others (e.g. handling course materials, ILL). Such information is factual and essential for streamlining library operations and improving library support services.
I hope Ex Libris will consider providing additional Analytics fields and areas to capture search counts from Alma’s persistent search box.
We know that the usage actions in Primo VE can be retrieved in Analytics to measure patrons’ various search actions. This helps library identify the strengths and limitations of current Primo VE user interface, and review it to better meet patrons’ needs.
However, there is currently NO way to retrieve search counts from Alma’s search persistent box in Analytics.
Counting Searches in Alma Persistent Search Box
Library staff often use the Alma persistent search box to search for records for various library operations—for example, locating a bibliographic record to create a PO line—across the institution and community zones (and the…
2 votes -
Output MARCXML file (over 8GB size) from Publication Profile compress into .tar.bz2
By default, the publication profile for an XML file is compressed into a .tar.gz file. We host the exported file on our FTP server so that it can be downloaded from the BNE website. If the file exceeds 8 GB, it is not compressed. Our IT staff have informed us that compression to .tar.bz2 makes the file even smaller. We propose that, in addition to .tar.gz, it should also be possible to compress MARCXML files using the .tar.bz2 extension.
7 votes -
Encumbered Balance Amounts only link to unpaid purchase order lines
In the Summary Details of an allocated fund code, there are hyperlinked amounts listed next to Expended Balance and Encumbered Balance. We want the Encumbered Balance amount to link through to only purchase order lines that make up the total balance amount listed in the hyperlink.
Currently it links through to any purchase order line that had an encumbrance placed on it with this allocated fund code. Regardless of whether the purchase order line has already been expended and disencumbered or still has an outstanding encumbrance waiting to expend on it.
This would be helpful as it would give us an easy method to review which purchase order lines we still have outstanding expected expenditures on in the current fiscal year for each allocated fund code. Which helps us to determine more accurately the funds we will still need to spend before the end of the current fiscal year.
In the Summary Details of an allocated fund code, there are hyperlinked amounts listed next to Expended Balance and Encumbered Balance. We want the Encumbered Balance amount to link through to only purchase order lines that make up the total balance amount listed in the hyperlink.
Currently it links through to any purchase order line that had an encumbrance placed on it with this allocated fund code. Regardless of whether the purchase order line has already been expended and disencumbered or still has an outstanding encumbrance waiting to expend on it.
This would be helpful as it would give us…
6 votes -
Expose Shared License, Distribution, and Negotiation Details in the license REST API
The Alma license REST API (POST/PUT/GET /almaws/v1/acq/licenses) does not expose several pieces of license configuration that are available in the Alma UI. This prevents end-to-end license provisioning via API and forces manual UI work after every API call.
Fields currently absent from the API:
At the top of the License Details form — the "Shared License" on/off setting, and the "Distribution" multi-select controlling which sections are shared with member institutions (Summary, License Terms, Notes, Attachments).
In the Negotiation Details tab that appears for shared licenses — per-member rows containing Member Name, Price per year, Price increase (percentage), Currency, Start date, End date, Order Status, Notes, and Available Content, plus the ability to add and remove members.
Notably, the public Alma license XSD documents a "negotiation_members" element, but it does not appear in actual GET responses even for licenses that clearly have members configured via the UI.
Impact: Consortial customers using the Network Zone cannot programmatically provision, update, or audit shared licenses or their per-member pricing. Every API-created license requires manual UI steps to configure sharing, distribution, and member-level pricing. External systems cannot read this data at all.
Request: Expose the Shared License / Distribution settings and the Negotiation Details member list as both readable and writable via the license API. The member list would likely be best modeled as a sub-resource (similar to /acq/licenses/{code}/amendments or /acq/licenses/{code}/attachments), so members can be created, updated, and deleted individually.
Related idea: "Add API support for licenses with type Negotiation" (https://ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/48119375) — this may be partially or fully addressed by implementing the above.
The Alma license REST API (POST/PUT/GET /almaws/v1/acq/licenses) does not expose several pieces of license configuration that are available in the Alma UI. This prevents end-to-end license provisioning via API and forces manual UI work after every API call.
Fields currently absent from the API:
At the top of the License Details form — the "Shared License" on/off setting, and the "Distribution" multi-select controlling which sections are shared with member institutions (Summary, License Terms, Notes, Attachments).
In the Negotiation Details tab that appears for shared licenses — per-member rows containing Member Name, Price per year, Price increase (percentage), Currency, Start date,…
11 votes -
Enable Full MARC 21 Format for Holdings Data (MFHD) Editing in the Metadata Editor
We request that the Alma Metadata Editor (MDE) be updated to allow direct MARC-level editing for all fields in a Holdings Record as defined by the MARC 21 Format for Holdings Data (MFHD).
In the library industry, a "Holdings Record" is a unified data carrier. It includes the shelving location (852), but also other copy-specific fields such as donor (541), the provenance (561), and the individual item details (876-878). In the MARC standard, the "Holdings" and the "Item" are part of the same metadata record.
While we recognize that Alma’s underlying architecture treats “Items” as child entities of “Holdings”, the user-facing metadata editing interfaces should not be restricted by this internal structure.
Currently, Alma only allows us to edit a few fields (like 852) in MARC format. All other data is hidden inside a "Physical Item Editor" GUI. In addition to this GUI, we need to be able to see and edit the entire MFHD as one unified record within the MDE.
Key Examples of Failure
A. Donor Information (MARC 541)
If we have a specific donor for one copy of a book, the MARC standard says we should put that in a 541 field in the Holdings record.
Example Failure: Alma has no MARC 541 field in the Item GUI. This forces us to put donor info at the "Title" (Bib) level. This is inaccurate because Metadata at the Title level applies to every copy. If we have 10 copies but only one was a gift, the record incorrectly suggests all 10 were gifts. This ruins our data integrity.
B. Serial Patterns and Errors (MARC 853-865)
Alma uses "Templates" for serials, but it hides the actual MARC from the Metadata Editor once the items are generated.
Example Failure: If a publisher skips a volume or if legacy metadata is incorrect and multiple items in a serial need correcting, the GUI requires navigating to individual item editors, making the change, and saving the change individually rather than quickly tabbing through MARC fields, making changes, and saving once.
Summary of Requirements
We are asking for the Metadata Editor to act as a complete, bi-directional "carrier" for the MARC 21 Holdings standard. Even if Alma stores "Items" separately in the back-end, the Metadata Editor interface must not only display, but allow the direct editing of all fields as a single, cohesive record. This would ensure that professional catalogers can maintain data accuracy through a high-power MARC interface rather than a limited GUI.
This is not a permissions or "User Role" issue. Even administrative "Super Users" are restricted by this interface limitation; the issue is that existing forms simply do not allow for direct MARC-level manipulation of the full MFHD suite.
Related:
Support Full MARC21 Holdings Data Editing in Metadata Editor
https://ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/50262546-support-full-marc21-holdings-data-editing-in-metadWe request that the Alma Metadata Editor (MDE) be updated to allow direct MARC-level editing for all fields in a Holdings Record as defined by the MARC 21 Format for Holdings Data (MFHD).
In the library industry, a "Holdings Record" is a unified data carrier. It includes the shelving location (852), but also other copy-specific fields such as donor (541), the provenance (561), and the individual item details (876-878). In the MARC standard, the "Holdings" and the "Item" are part of the same metadata record.
While we recognize that Alma’s underlying architecture treats “Items” as child entities of “Holdings”, the…
3 votes -
Temporary Location Status
Alma temporary location due dates are informational only; adding configurable alerts or automated actions when those dates expire would reduce manual monitoring and improve location accuracy.
1 vote -
Have libraries' open hours as configured in Alma display in Primo or embeddable in library home pages.
We would like to display the open hours, closed exceptions, etc. that are already configured in Alma in the Primo landing page and have them able to be embedded on a library web page. That way if hours change for holidays, seasons, etc. they will be correctly shown in all locations without having to change posted hours in multiple places.
6 votes -
Add an "OA articles only" option to coverage tab in electronic portfolios.
Several autoholdings collections for journals include titles with OA content even if there is no active subscription, meaning that our only access to the journal is for the OA content. This makes it hard to provide accurate coverage information to our patrons. While we can add a public note as a workaround, it would be nice if there was an "OA only" option (maybe a checkbox) on the Coverage tab for electronic portfolios.
13 votes -
Be able to see the full email message when using Send email to partner or Send query to patron
Currently we cannot see the full context of these email messages, we only see the “body” of the email, but that does not include any pre-set text or the greeting and signature.
Staff are left guessing what information is included in the full message, and the sent messages often look poorly composed and unprofessional. It is inconvenient and time consuming to find the templates to check the complete message before sending. Knowing what the full message looks like at the moment of writing, would help staff decide exactly what to write in the email
Message.5 votes -
Be able to see the full email message when using Send email to partner or Send query to patron
Currently we cannot see the full context of these email messages, we only see the “body” of the email, but that does not include any pre-set text or the greeting and signature.
Staff are left guessing what information is included in the full message, and the sent messages often look poorly composed and unprofessional. It is inconvenient and time consuming to find the templates to check the complete message before sending. Knowing what the full message looks like at the moment of writing, would help staff decide exactly what to write in the email Message.
3 votes -
Be able to cancel, or reject, a request that is updated as shipped in error
Sometimes lenders update a request as shipped in error. Once we have confirmed with the partner that we will never receive that item, we should be able to either cancel the request, or reject it so it moves on to another partner. Currently we can only “receive” and “return”, but that creates incorrect analytics reports.
3 votes -
Add Resource Sharing partner address information to Alma Analytics
Information should include street, city, state, zip code, country, and latitude and longitude. This information is essential for creating reports showing where ILL items are coming from or going to. This would enable us to create reports showing how much borrowing and lending we do by regions, internationally, and make it possible to create maps that we can use to promote our services to patrons, library staff and university administration.
9 votes -
Request for Enhancement of the "Patron Physical Item Request" Function
We would like to request an enhancement regarding the "Patron Physical Item Request" function.
Currently, Alma recommends using the "Patron Physical Item Request" function at the title level, and customer institutions are also using the function in the same way.
When a purchase request is made, notifications for item arrival and hold requests for interested users are also processed at the title level. As a result, when multiple items (e.g., volumes/issues) are ordered under a single title, even if several items are received by the library through that order, interested users receive a notification indicating that only one item has arrived (arrival notification or hold shelf notification).In cases where multiple items are ordered under a single title, if there are interested users for that order (users who have checked "Notify user upon receiving/activation" and/or "Hold Item"), we request the following improvements:
- When the items are received by the library, a notification ("Notify user upon receiving/activation") should be sent to the interested users, informing them of the arrival of all received items associated with that order.
- When the items become available for use, a notification ("Hold Item") should be sent to the interested users, informing them of the availability of all items associated with that order.
We kindly ask that the function be modified accordingly.
We would like to request an enhancement regarding the "Patron Physical Item Request" function.
Currently, Alma recommends using the "Patron Physical Item Request" function at the title level, and customer institutions are also using the function in the same way.
When a purchase request is made, notifications for item arrival and hold requests for interested users are also processed at the title level. As a result, when multiple items (e.g., volumes/issues) are ordered under a single title, even if several items are received by the library through that order, interested users receive a notification indicating that only one item has…6 votes -
Allow cross-use of MARC21 authority fields 500 and 510
Alma currently enforces strict validation rules that restrict the use of fields 500 and 510 based on the type of authorized heading (100 vs. 110), preventing cross-usage and triggering validation alerts.
However, in real cataloguing practice (including MARC21 examples and records from the National Library of Spain), it is both common and necessary to establish relationships between different types of authorities (personal ↔ corporate) using 5XX fields. For example, a 110 record may include 500 fields linking to persons, and a 100 record may include 510 fields linking to corporate bodies.
This restriction limits the accurate representation of relationships such as membership, authorship, or institutional affiliation, and hinders authority navigation.Proposal:
• Allow cross-use of fields 500 and 510 between 100 and 110 authority records.
• Alternatively, provide a configurable option to relax this validation at the institutional level.Alma currently enforces strict validation rules that restrict the use of fields 500 and 510 based on the type of authorized heading (100 vs. 110), preventing cross-usage and triggering validation alerts.
However, in real cataloguing practice (including MARC21 examples and records from the National Library of Spain), it is both common and necessary to establish relationships between different types of authorities (personal ↔ corporate) using 5XX fields. For example, a 110 record may include 500 fields linking to persons, and a 100 record may include 510 fields linking to corporate bodies.
This restriction limits the accurate representation of relationships such…107 votes -
Package different Acquisition Types in one PO
Our library receives invoices that include a mix of line items—some with associated bibliographic records and others that are payment only (non cataloged). For non cataloged items, we create suppressed purchase order lines (POLs) using the Technical acquisition type with manual packaging. For cataloged items on the same invoice, we use the Vendor Payment acquisition type.
As a result, a single invoice often requires multiple acquisition types. Currently, Alma does not allow different acquisition types to be packaged together during PO creation. Instead, we must create the PO first and then manually add Technical acquisition lines afterward, which adds unnecessary complexity, increases the risk of error, and slows processing.
Requested Enhancement
Enable the ability to package and process multiple acquisition types at the time of PO creation, allowing a single PO to support mixed acq types more efficiently and reducing manual post processing steps.Our library receives invoices that include a mix of line items—some with associated bibliographic records and others that are payment only (non cataloged). For non cataloged items, we create suppressed purchase order lines (POLs) using the Technical acquisition type with manual packaging. For cataloged items on the same invoice, we use the Vendor Payment acquisition type.
As a result, a single invoice often requires multiple acquisition types. Currently, Alma does not allow different acquisition types to be packaged together during PO creation. Instead, we must create the PO first and then manually add Technical acquisition lines afterward, which adds unnecessary…3 votes -
Job of SUSHI Harvesting should report standard SUSHI exceptions
At the moment when running a SUSHI harvesting job, the job reports as successfull without further notice even if the vendor sends the report with an exception as described in the COUNTER API standards: https://countermetrics.stoplight.io/docs/counter-sushi-api/7ccbfsfe7nrev-exception
Example:
Alma is asked to download reports for the following timespan: begindate=2025-01-01&enddate=2025-09-30
The vendor sends the JSON file containing
"Exceptions":[{"Code":3032,"Message":"Usage No Longer Available for Requested Dates","Data":"Usage no longer retained for the following yearmonths(s): 202501, 202502, 202503, 202504, 202505, 202506, 202507, 202508, 202509"}]The Alma job closes as successfull. The months in question are marked as completed.
Expected behaviour:
Alma should either report the job as "Successfull with exception" and add the exception to the events or it should set the status of the months in question to the message given in the exception.Kind regards
Andreas BiggerAt the moment when running a SUSHI harvesting job, the job reports as successfull without further notice even if the vendor sends the report with an exception as described in the COUNTER API standards: https://countermetrics.stoplight.io/docs/counter-sushi-api/7ccbfsfe7nrev-exception
Example:
Alma is asked to download reports for the following timespan: begindate=2025-01-01&enddate=2025-09-30
The vendor sends the JSON file containing
"Exceptions":[{"Code":3032,"Message":"Usage No Longer Available for Requested Dates","Data":"Usage no longer retained for the following yearmonths(s): 202501, 202502, 202503, 202504, 202505, 202506, 202507, 202508, 202509"}]The Alma job closes as successfull. The months in question are marked as completed.
Expected behaviour:
Alma should either report the…3 votes -
Allow ERP Job to Fail Gracefully Without Updating Invoice Status
Occasionally, the ERP job “ERP export using profile Export Invoices for Payment PA” fails when it is unable to connect to the configured FTP destination. In these cases, invoices that are in the status “Waiting to be sent” are still updated to “Closed”, even though the export did not successfully complete.
This behavior creates a significant issue, as invoices are effectively marked as processed without actually being transmitted to the external system. As a result, staff must manually identify and correct these records, which is time-consuming and introduces risk of error.
It would be highly beneficial if Alma handled this failure scenario more gracefully. Specifically, when the job cannot connect to the FTP server or otherwise fails to complete successfully, invoice statuses should remain unchanged (i.e., retain “Waiting to be sent”). This would ensure that invoices are automatically included in the next successful run of the job without requiring manual intervention.
Implementing this change would improve data integrity, reduce manual rework, and make the ERP export process more reliable overall.
Occasionally, the ERP job “ERP export using profile Export Invoices for Payment PA” fails when it is unable to connect to the configured FTP destination. In these cases, invoices that are in the status “Waiting to be sent” are still updated to “Closed”, even though the export did not successfully complete.
This behavior creates a significant issue, as invoices are effectively marked as processed without actually being transmitted to the external system. As a result, staff must manually identify and correct these records, which is time-consuming and introduces risk of error.
It would be highly beneficial if Alma handled this…
3 votes -
Feature Request for Individual Interlibrary Loan Requests
We would like to request a functional enhancement regarding individual borrowing requests in the following menu:
[Alma > Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Borrowing Requests]
When a user at an Alma customer institution (e.g., a university library) submits a KERIS interlibrary loan (ILL) request via the library website, the request is received in the Alma menu above. In such cases, the staff in charge of resource sharing must separately submit the request through WILL (the KERIS interlibrary loan system).At this stage, the staff would like to send a notification email to the user confirming that the interlibrary loan request has been successfully submitted. Currently, there is a “Send query to patron” function available for individual interlibrary loan requests in Alma; however, it requires staff to manually enter the same message repeatedly each time, which is inefficient.
We would like to request an additional feature that allows staff to send a predefined or templated message to users, separate from the “Send query to patron” function.
The message content we would like to use is as follows:
“Your interlibrary loan request has been successfully submitted. Please note that even if you are among the first 10 applicants eligible for shipping cost support, you will still be required to pay the round-trip shipping fee (KRW 5,840) if the material is not collected. We kindly ask for your understanding.”
Thank you for your consideration.
We would like to request a functional enhancement regarding individual borrowing requests in the following menu:
[Alma > Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Borrowing Requests]
When a user at an Alma customer institution (e.g., a university library) submits a KERIS interlibrary loan (ILL) request via the library website, the request is received in the Alma menu above. In such cases, the staff in charge of resource sharing must separately submit the request through WILL (the KERIS interlibrary loan system).At this stage, the staff would like to send a notification email to the user confirming that the interlibrary loan request…
6 votes -
Compare All Institutions in the NZ
The Network Zone can be made more useful if it were possible to use it to quickly compare institutions by setting. A common time consuming task is to check to see which institutions have one setting or another configured and which do not. To accomplish this currently, it is necessary to either log in to each institution and click around or log in to the NZ and then using the drop down to choose an institution and click around. Either way, staff need to open up all the institutions.
Alternatively, it would be great if, for configurations that lend themselves to this, there was a button to "Compare all institutions" that would open a table listing all the institutions and the value of the chosen configuration. Making this table exportable would also be useful.
For example, the configuration, "AI Usage Profile" under Configuration -> General -> AI Features could have a "Compare all institutions" button next to Cancel and Save.
Another example, any of the "Other Settings" tables under Configuration -> Fulfillment/General/User Management/etc -> General Configuration could have a "Compare all institutions" option in the ellipse next to each row.
Having a spreadsheet that shows what value is configured at each institutions would allow consortial staff to quickly know which institutions need to be updated without having to open every institution.
The Network Zone can be made more useful if it were possible to use it to quickly compare institutions by setting. A common time consuming task is to check to see which institutions have one setting or another configured and which do not. To accomplish this currently, it is necessary to either log in to each institution and click around or log in to the NZ and then using the drop down to choose an institution and click around. Either way, staff need to open up all the institutions.
Alternatively, it would be great if, for configurations that lend themselves…
44 votes -
It's great that Ex Libris values user feedback
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1 vote
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