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
1015 results found
-
Converting Borrowing requests into patron physical item requests
We need a better way to convert a borrowing request into a patron physical item request, and then delete the borrowing request.
We often receive borrowing requests from patrons on books which are available in our library, other editions etc. . In those cases we may create a patron physical item request on the local title by clicking "view local", then conduct a search, then place a new request on the local material (note: we here have to type in patron and other data which were already included in the borrowing request), and then go back…249 votesAlma February release now supports converting borrowing requests to patron physical item requests.
When a borrowing request is created and a local resource matches the request, if the operator chooses to create a request, the borrowing request data automatically populates the relevant fields in the request and gives the operator the option to cancel the borrowing request.
For more information please see the release notes at:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/009_2019/Alma_2019_Release_Notes?mon=201902BASE -
Multiple file upload to single digital resource sharing request (lending)
When digitally shipping uploaded files in resource sharing, allow the upload of multiple pdfs, e.g. when a single request reference is for two ebook chapters. Similar to how you can add multiple barcodes to a single request when sending physical items. Thanks.
10 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
-
"Purchase Request Status Letter": take the sender from library address
The "Purchase Request Status Letter" takes the sender from the label "addressFrom" on the Letter configuration.
We would like to suggest that the sender for this letter would be taken from the email address of the library that manages the request.
This behaviour already exists for other acquisition letters, for exemple the "Interested In" letter.
12 votes -
PO Line: <series_statement> and <series_uniform_title> - missing 490/830 subfield v in the XML
Marc21 field 490, "series-statement", and Marc21 field 830, "series-uniform-title", are available on the Order List Letter (letter code: OrderListLetter).
However, the content is not complete :-(
Only 490|a goes to <series_statement>, 490|v - the Volume is missing.
Also 830 only provides |w as <series_uniform_title>, |v is missing.Please see example:
035 __ |a AC04654069
245 00 |a Keiner wird gewinnen |b populäre Musik im Wettbewerb |c Dietrich Helms ... (Hg.)
490 1_ |a Beiträge zur Popularmusikforschung |v 33
830 _0 |w (AT-OBV)AC00913498 |v 33 |9 O:1<series_statement>Beiträge zur Popularmusikforschung</series_statement>
<series_uniform_title>(AT-OBV)AC00913498</series_uniform_title>Please add…
158 votesHi all,
thank you for sharing and supporting this idea!
As of November 2025, the acquisitions letters now include the subfields $v of MARC fields 490/830.
Read more in the Alma Release Notes: https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2025/Alma_2025_Release_Notes?mon=202511BASE#:~:text=New%20MARC%20Subfields%20in%20the%20Acquisitions%20Letters
Best, Alma Product.
-
Hide Pickup Location on Blank ILL Article/Book Chapter Request Form
The Blank ILL article/book chapter request form requires users to select a pickup location. Many libraries do not offer pickup options for articles, they are all delivered electronically. There should be an option to turn off the required pickup location for the Blank ILL article/book chapter request form.
13 votes -
Option to define which library will serve a patron digitization request with priority
We allow patrons to place digitization requests on print journal articles. For this we use a central digitization department that serves several libraries of the institution. Since the request can be placed on the journal title it often occurs that several libraries could fulfill the request. At the moment the system picks the serving library randomly. Since our central digitization department is located at our central library, it would be extremely helpful, if we could define that items of the central library fulfill the requests with priority. This way we could eliminate unnecessary transfers of items between…
50 votes -
Ability to dismiss notes/General message in rejected lending or borrowing request
Ability to dismiss notes/General message in rejected lending/borrowing request.
When we recieve notes/general messages on rejected lending or borrowing request the only option is to delete the note/ general messages. If we want to keep the requests history, deleting messages/notes is not good.
13 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
-
Lending requests - requests shipped as physical non-returnable should automatically get status Request Completed
Now when there is an lending request in Alma and we choose the option "Ship non-returnable" then such request gets a status "Shipped physically". We suggest that such request should automatically get status "Request Completed" because it was shipped and such request is completed according to our workflow.
4 votes -
Add to the "Monitor Request" screen a filter which will allow users to see "Rejected and active" requests
On behalf of the Product management team we would like to understand the need and use cases of the following Idea (which it's need was raised by a specific library) - any comment is welcome.
When trying to delete a circulation desk user is notified: 'This circulation desk is attached to one or more requests and cannot be deleted'. User goes to the monitor request screen and does not find any request that prevents the desk deletion...
The reason is that the request was rejected but it is still active (item was not scanned)
Due to the fact the…
17 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
-
Add a facultative note to patron when rejecting purchase request
Our proposal is to add a free field text in the popup when rejecting a purchase request. This field would include a note to the user, detailing the reject reason.
This could be used by the library in several ways :
- give the link to the record in Primo for documents already available ;
- give the link to an Open Access version of the document ;
- give details about the book (out of print...).It would make communication more personal
130 votes -
Hide recent patrons in drop-down menu and make available only upon request.
Hide recent patrons in drop-down menu and make available only upon request. Although it is convenient to be able to access recent patrons' records, exposed names can lead to fulfillment errors (staff works in wrong patron account) and breach of confidentiality.
73 votes -
Add "Print Slip Report" action to the "Resource Request Monitoring" screen
The Print Slip Report function is currently available from the "Pick Up Requested Resources" and "Resource Sharing Lending Requests Task List" screens. But when a hold is placed on an item that is checked out, the returning item is automatically placed on hold and the request bypasses the "Pick Up Requested Resources" screen and shows up on the "Resource Request Monitoring" screen as "On Hold Shelf". But the Print Slip Report is not available here. It does need to be available here, as well.
"Print Slip Report" is a different action than "Print Slip." The Print Slip…
121 votesHi,
The request monitor page is not intended to be the routine working space, but rather be an interface that allows searching and fining specific requests to query about their status, and run some specific actions (such as cancel). The routine work on the requests list is intended to be done via the task lists.
Thanks,
Moshe -
Convert digitization request to purchase request
I would like to convert a request from a scanning request to a purchasing request, particularly when the permissions cost is high. I am not sure if this is a Alma or Rialto workflow, but it would be nice to do a "search in Market" to find out price and auto-reject the way we can do in Rapido. Additionally, we would like 'Pay-per-use" functionality from Alma digitization requests.
1 vote -
New UI - request pickup location
When placing a physical item request for a user the 'Pickup at' box is confusing. If you just click in the box or hit the drop-down arrow the only suggestion that comes up is 'No campus' . You then need to click on 'No campus' to get up a pickup locations list to choose from. The old UI gives 'No Campus' but also lists the other pickup locations as well. I'm told this is because the new UI groups libraries to improve the clarity of the list, but it seems to have created a backwards step in usability. Can the…
13 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
-
new purchase request notification
Please create a notification for when new Purchase Requests are submitted. Something instant and similar to the notification received when requests are submitted in Rialto would be nice.
26 votes -
Patron physical item request – automatic cancellation of requests when ‘Date Needed By’ has passed:
I suggest that if the "not needed by " date is reached then the patron request is cancelled.
The only function of “date not needed by” for patron physical item requests is to prevent items from being put into transit from other locations if the transit cannot be completed by the required date.
However this is not clear to patrons and users ask us why we send Hold available notices when they already indicated a date when they would no longer need the item.
Staff also waste time locating items that Patrons have indicated are no longer needed, only…
600 votesThe “Date needed by” field (also known as “Not Needed After”), which can be populated by the patron, was taken into account only in the “pick from shelf” workflow step, cancelling the request when the date was in the past without sending a cancel notification (since the patrons indicated that they are no longer interested).
Following this development, this behavior will be applied in other workflow steps in the request lifecycle:
Queued requests that are not yet active but are past their date needed by will now be canceled by the “Request – handle last expiration date” (to avoid recalling items to fulfill requests that are no longer relevant).
When an item is scanned in, if the “date needed by” of the request had passed, the request will be canceled.
When an item is placed on the hold shelf, if the date needed by is earlier than the regular hold… -
Add labels to Digitization request form
The following three labels are on ”Digitize Other Issue” request form, but not on the “Digitization” request form.
・almaDigitizationOther.manualDescription
・almaDigitization.volume
・almaDigitization.issueWe also want the three labels to appear on the “Digitization” request form so that patrons can specify the issue they want to digitize when multiple issues are bound.
3 votesWhere there are issues with volume/issue (and therefore a Description) then the request form is on the item level. The selection of the item is what identifies the exact volume/issue.
The ”Digitize Other Issue” option is intended to enable requesting a volume that is not catalogued and therefore cannot be selected for requesting. This is why it has explicit volume/issue fields.
-
Increase customisation options for the resource sharing request form
User experience testing that we conducted showed that most users prefer to place resource sharing requests via the resource sharing request form in Primo. Users also expressed frustration with some aspects of the form including the format of the fields. They also expected that the Library could add notices relevant to the resource sharing service to this page.
The current options for configuring this form do not allow us to meet the expectations of our users. We would like to have more options for customising the page the form is on and the form itself. Specifically we would like…
358 votesWe are looking into improvements that can be made to the Primo VE form, such as:
- Add a custom notice or message to the form
- Improve the form fields’ responsiveness to the requested format (book/article and physical/digital)
- Look into ways to enhance the configurability of the look and feel for the form
-
Converting Digitization request to RS request - The notes field from the digitization request should be added to the RS request note field
When converting a digitization request to resource sharing borrowing request. The digitization notes field should be copied to the resource sharing request note field. This would also help interlibrary loan staff know that the item was converted from a digitization request. But also many notes are added by library staff in the digitization request notes field when triaging the request. Therefore, this would be useful for the interlibrary loan staff to see on the first page of the request, rather than having to click through to the notes section.
1 voteAs of the June 2021 release, the digitization note is transferred to the resource sharing request that is created by the conversion.
The note appears in the task list – see https://www.screencast.com/t/1SyVsRmnR1S
-
Send borrowers an email when they place a request
It would be good if, when someone places a request on Primo, they could be sent an email receipt to confirm what they have requested. (This is an idea for both Alma and Primo, as I assume the email would be sent from Alma).
Not only would it be useful for users to have confirmation (a lot of webforms will send users a copy of their completed form, so people half-expect one from Primo/Alma), but it would allow libraries to include important messaging.
eg. at the moment, January 2021, we're in lockdown again, so the email could ask people…
40 votes
.jpg){kind=link}
- Don't see your idea?