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.
- or
1106 results found
-
sound alert for task
Sound Alerts for Pick From Shelf Requests
Can we please have a sound alert when new "Pick from Shelf" requests arrive as we use this for Reading Room requests which need to be actioned as soon as they arrive. Sound alerts would need to optional.
It would be good to have these available for other tasks in fulfillment such as when "holds" or "lost books" are returned and another action needs to happen36 votes -
Provide MMS IDS of bibliographic records filtered out during publishing
New functionality to filter out bibliographic records when publishing was introduced with the November 2016 Alma release. When records are published with a filter to remove records which match an indication rule, a count of the filtered records (not published due to filter) is reported. However there is no list of record keys for the records which were removed by the filter. Case 00359617 was filed with ExLibris and consequently closed as it was determined this would be adding functionality so would be an enhancement request. This request is to add functionality to the completed publishing job report which…
7 votesHello All,
This idea has been closed as part of a cleanup process for ideas older than two years with fewer than 20 votes.
This cleanup process is necessary to streamline our idea management process and ensure that the most relevant and impactful ideas receive the attention they deserve. If you still feel strongly about this idea, you may submit it via the NERS process.
We value your feedback and encourage you to continue submitting and voting for ideas that you believe will enhance Alma.
Alma Product Team
-
Fulfillment: Automatic Renewal Notices / Email Letters to patrons when loans automatically renewed
Our users have requested to be notified with the new due date when an on loan item is automatically renewed by Alma. This is currently not possible and users are not aware when the item is due back until they receive a courtesy reminder 2-3 days before the due date. We would like Alma to provide the option to configure and send Auto Renewal Notices / Email Letters to users when their loans have automatically been renewed by Alma. We have Auto Renewal Activated and our users do not receive any notification that this has taken place. We would…
216 votesIt is now possible to configure the system to send notices to patrons when loans get automatically updated by the automatic renew process.
For more information see Configuring Alma Letters.
-
Enable a "Reprompt" option in Analytics
Currently, when running a prompted report, if you want to change your selections after running it, you must go back to the catalog and start over from "Run". It would be a great time savings if there were a "REPROMPT" option, which took you directly back to the prompt screen. Inclusion of a "retain choices this session" toggle and a "clear all choices" button on the prompt screen would be useful as well.
A use case would be when I am trying to determine why a particular item is hanging up on a task list or is being prevented from…
14 votesThank you all for your engagement, and special thanks to Lesli for explaining how to create "Reprompt" buttons.
We will consider the issue resolved and will not pursue further changes at this time.
Best regards,
Hadas Granot
Analytics product team
-
AFN Fulfillment Network, Add patron's home institution to the fields available on the hold shelf's display
When an Automated Fulfillment network allows for their patrons to pick up materials at any Institution in the AFN, it is possible for a patron to pick up their item at a third institution, that is neither the patron's home library, nor the item's home library.
With how Alma currently manages Linked Users, and with the fields available for display on the Active and Expired hold shelf screens, library staff at that third (pick-up only) institution are unable to determine which institution the patron is from.
This is because:
Since the patron is not a local patron to the pick-up…
208 votes -
Auto renewals resumption- block preferences
When a request is filled, all the other loans of that title each need to be manually renewed in order to restart auto renewals. These sometimes get missed, frustrating users when their loans needlessly go overdue. It's a very clunky process.
This can be done in Block Preferences, but if Not Renewable – Item has Request(s) is set to 'handle automatically, then it over-rides other requests, which completely defeats the object.
This block preference needs more granularity, so that recalls can resume auto renewing once a request is filled, without affecting requests on other titles.
3 votes -
In Alma analytics, "Physical Items" subject area, add "Process Type Status" field
We would like to easily report on how many and which items are currently under each process type status (sometimes also called "work order status"). Currently, this field is only available in analytics in the "Physical Items Historical Events" subject area, and it is difficult to extract the current status of an item. See also related NERS Requests #7177, #7242
See attached file for clarification of the somewhat confusing terminology in this area of Alma
95 votesAlready Supported ·
AdminShoshana de la Fuente
(Product Manager, Esploro Repository, Ex Libris)
responded
Dear Colleagues,
As I previously wrote, you can use the Item Work Order Department Status Change folder in the Physical Items Historical Events subject area to report on "how many and which items are currently under each process type status". For current status, you can either filter by "Work Order Next Status" is empty or by "Event End Date is Empty".
As we have not heard from you since, we understand that this covers your request.
All the best,
Shoshana de la Fuente
Senior Product Owner
Library Solutions Analytics
-
Allow library configuration to block Temporary or Permanent Move requests
University of Wisconsin Madison has a ‘Withdrawn’ library, where items are moved and suppressed, because they are deaccessioned (e.g, extra copies that are no longer needed) or lost and missing materials. We use this method for in-depth reporting for capital depreciation and other accounting measures. As these items technically don't physically exist, we would like to be able to block Temporary or Permanent Move requests (to Change the items location) on the ‘Withdrawn’ library. Currently, blocking all requests, blocks patron initiated requests, but does not prevent staff from putting in these internal requests to change location…
7 votesHello All,
This idea has been closed as part of a cleanup process for ideas older than two years with fewer than 20 votes.
This cleanup process is necessary to streamline our idea management process and ensure that the most relevant and impactful ideas receive the attention they deserve. If you still feel strongly about this idea, you may submit it via the NERS process.
We value your feedback and encourage you to continue submitting and voting for ideas that you believe will enhance Alma.
Alma Product Team
-
Integration with worldshare
Have Alma and Worldshare ILL talk with each other enough that they share updates with each other. Right now, the only thing we can do is send a new request to WorldShare. All other functions have to be done in both Alma and WorldShare: receive, return, request for renewal, and cancellation.
3 votesThe missing functionality is dependent on WorldShare development. Alma's NCIP server does enable other broker systems such as ILLiad and Tipasa to communicate actions such as receive , return, renewal and cancellation. That requires the broker system (WorldShare) to implement its end of the integration.
-
Allow the contents of MARC subfield 041 $$h to be considered for Search Index Mapping
The MARC 21 Bibliographic Tag to Search Index Mapping table (https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/040Resource_Management/040Metadata_Management/180Search_Indexes/050MARC_21_Search_Indexes) confirms that the contents of 041 subfields $$a, $$b, $$d, $$e, $$f, $$g, $$j, plus those of the 008 field positions 35-37, map to an advanced search of the Language (Title) index in Alma.
The contents of 041 subfield $$h ("language code of original"), however, do not. This discriminates against those works which are translated from an original language into the one stipulated in 041 $$a subfield.
There are plenty of titles in our stock where information regarding the language of the original material is no less…
7 votesHello All,
This idea has been closed as part of a cleanup process for ideas older than two years with fewer than 20 votes.
This cleanup process is necessary to streamline our idea management process and ensure that the most relevant and impactful ideas receive the attention they deserve. If you still feel strongly about this idea, you may submit it via the NERS process.
We value your feedback and encourage you to continue submitting and voting for ideas that you believe will enhance Alma.
Alma Product Team
-
Allow other libraries to handle digitization
Under
Add a Library or Edit Library Information>LibrariesAdd an "Allow other libraries to handle digitization" tick box similar to the "Allow other libraries to handle personal delivery"
This intention would be that the item to be digitized would not need to be sent back to the library originally listed as the managing department.
This is particularly useful for those with multiple digitization departments in different locations. It would save on postage, time taken to complete the request and reduce manual intervention and monitoring by library staff.
For further clarification: Information on- Allow other libraries to handle personal delivery is…
10 votesThank you for taking the time to share your idea with us. We truly appreciate your engagement and the thought you put into your suggestion.
While we initially hoped it might align with broader needs, the idea has not gained the traction we typically look for to prioritize development. As a result, it’s unlikely to be pursued in the foreseeable future.
That said, your feedback remains valuable, and we’re grateful for your contribution.
-
Printouts Queue: Include more info in printing queue display
Idea: Include bibliographic or request information in the display of the Printing queue. (E.g. An additional column that displays Title and/or Internal/External identifier).
Rationale: There may be multiple desks/people scanning in requests at different times; it would be helpful to be able to see which item a letter was referring to at a glance. This information is available from the "preview" option, BUT, it takes a lot of time and clicks to open each to see if it should be printed or reprinted.
7 votes -
Enable adding labels in bulk to title-level records for large sets
During large-scale projects such as: weeding/deletion, we need to mark many records with a label indicating their status.
Current Limitation:
Labels cannot be applied efficiently to large numbers of records; it is limited to 50 at a time.Requested Enhancement:
Provide a bulk mechanism to add labels to title level records beyond current limits.Benefit:
Improves efficiency, reduces manual work, and supports large collection management workflows.77 votes -
New letter for hold shelf slips
When a document is placed on hold shelf, a letter is sent to the user, but no letter is printed. Instead, we are supposed to re-use the FulReasourceRequestSlipLetter as a hold shelf slip, but that solution is not very elegant. This generate a lot of extra “action+print slip” manual labor. In the case of self service hold shelves, the hold shelf slip is aimed at the user and should contain very different information than the information needed by library staff to locate the document. Also, to protect users' privacy, we are not allowed to include any information that…
247 votesCompleted as part of Alma December release:
New Letter for Hold Shelf Slips
When enabled, the new Ful Hold Shelf Request Slip Letter (letter code: FulHoldShelfRequestSlipLetter) is printed to the circulation desk printer when the item is placed on the hold shelf, regardless of whether a pick slip was already printed. If printing fails, the item is still placed on the hold shelf but the user receives a warning message that printing failed. This way, it is possible to configure a slip for use for on hold shelf items, that is different than the slip that is used to pick up the item from the shelf.
By default, the letter has the same attributes as the Pickup Print Slip Report Letter, but it can be configured as needed.
The letter is invoked when scanning in an item and placing it on the hold shelf and when selecting the Activate next… -
Expand Course Reserves Facet/Advanced Search Functionality
When working in Reading Lists and Courses the facet filtering limits staff to a single selection in a category at time. However, many institutions have multiple terms or staff liaisons serving more than one academic department. In such cases, it would be quite helpful to allow staff to select multiple facets. The inability to multi-select prevents staff and their managers from being able view the whole picture and effectively managing the work.
If that’s not possible, we’d like to request that you expand the advanced search options for reading lists, courses, and citations to make all of the facet options…
10 votes -
Display of actions on Borrowing screen
We would like to change the order of the actions on Borrowing requests. Currently the order is:
Duplicate, Send, Send Query to Patron, Request Renew, Receive, Edit Shipping Cost, Recall, Return, General Message, Reassign.We would like to split Send and Send Query to Patron.
A possible solution is to change the name to: Patron Notification or Notification to Patron.Thanks
5 votesHello All,
This idea has been closed as part of a cleanup process for ideas older than two years with fewer than 20 votes.
This cleanup process is necessary to streamline our idea management process and ensure that the most relevant and impactful ideas receive the attention they deserve. If you still feel strongly about this idea, you may submit it via the NERS process.
We value your feedback and encourage you to continue submitting and voting for ideas that you believe will enhance Alma.
Alma Product Team
-
Scan-in items to create an Itemized Set
For many of our workflows, we have a large batch of physical materials upon which we need to perform a bulk action (e.g. place them all on a Work Order or request a Permanent Location change, etc.) The items are on book trucks and there is no Set upon which to Run a Job unless we create a new one every time as a TXT or CSV file, which then has to be uploaded to Alma. It would save a lot of confusion, plus work and training time for staff and student workers, if it was possible to use Scan-In…
11 votes -
Problems receiving documents from POL (Purchase order Line)
Since the change to Alma's new visualization, when receiving the document from the order (POL) there are two behaviors that, in our opinion, are regressions:
- When we mark the check for “Keep in department” Cataloging copy, this check is not marked for future reception. We request that this check be kept marked by default.
- When the reception date has to be entered, marking a date before the current date on the calendar is not allowed.What we are asking for is that, since this improvement that has been presented (display of all data integrated in the POL), when…
13 votes -
Add "Scan In Items" functions to "Return Items" processing
We would like to build "Scan In Items" features to the "Return Items" function, i.e. "Return Items" should be able to process requests, expired holds, and items in transit between locations the same way as "Scan In Items" does. This includes the radio button for automatically printing slips (configuration should be able to define a default)
58 votes -
Display Logic by Location
At this time you can only hide Resource Sharing Requests by Availability, Ownership, or User Groups with Display Logic. But there are times when we need to hide the Resource Sharing Requests for a location when the item is still Available.
30 votesHi,
There are two options you may consider.
1. The display logic rules hide resource sharing requests when there are available copies. However, if the location of the available items has a ‘unavailable’ type then Alma will consider the items unavailable for this rule, even though they are on shelf.
The location ‘type’ is an attribute of the physical location.
2. As mentioned in my comment, you can define general electronic requests that can help hide the resource sharing link depending on item locations. For example, assume you have a ‘Laptops’ location, and you do not want a resource sharing link to show up when searching items of this location. You can:
1. Define a dummy General Electronic Service that will show when the location is ‘laptops’.
2. Define a Display Logic Rule that hides the resource sharing link when the above mentioned service exists (i.e. when the location is…
- Don't see your idea?