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.
1700 results found
-
Short Loan Reminder - overdue notice doesn't display due time
The Short Loan Reminder uses the Full Overdue and Lost Loan Notification letter for the overdue reminder (sent x minutes after due time). This letter does not display the due time of loans however, and is not configurable.
88 votes -
Allow a staff to set his/her default department
We are required to choose a "current desk/department" for each login. However, since each staff usually has his/her major role, meaning he/she might most of the time work on the same desk/department. To be more friendly, it's better to have staff to set his/her own default department and select other location when necessary.
19 votes -
Alma bookings - concurrent bookings issue
Our institution wants to introduce bookings in Alma for our High Demand loans, which are 3 hours.
The main issue we’ve found is concurrent bookings, see scenarios below, with a 5 minute exclusion set up:
• A books item for 11:40-12:40 - however doesn’t borrow the item within the 5 minute exclusion
• B books item at 11:46, for 11:50-12.50
• A checks out item at 11:53, despite booking for B at 11:50
What is needed is some mechanism for bookings to expire automatically once the exclusion period is reached.
87 votes -
Ability to store & track VPAT® documents
As part of the procurement or licensing process, many libraries may request that a vendor provide a VPAT® (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) in order to indicate their compliance with Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act. It would be desirable if functionality could be developed somewhere in Alma that would allow libraries to track & report whether/when a VPAT was requested and received, which VPAT version was used, and local notes related to accessibility testing.
106 votes -
Undo receipt of item on a continuous type order for which "Keep in Department" was not checked
While it is currently possible to “un-receive” from the receiving workbench if the item is still in the Acquisitions Department, that will not be the case for our continuous orders.
There is no good option for undoing the accidental receipt of a serial issue, at least not that our trainer was able to show us in our Alma Functional Workshop.
115 votes -
Alma User Role for Editing/Deleting only Quick-Cataloged Records
Scenario:
Library staff frequently need to create records for resources using the Quick Cataloging feature. Often, those records need to be edited after creation, due to mismatching resource types, updated information, operator input errors, etc. Most of the staff using the Quick Cataloging feature are not trained as catalogers, and do not have cataloging roles in Alma.Problem:
Quick-Cataloged records are not editable by staff without cataloging roles in Alma - who are frequently the creators/managers of these records. This has led to several different workarounds at various institutions:Some institutions have given their non-cataloging staff full cataloging permissions to…
66 votes -
Multiple Quick-Cataloging Templates
Scenario:
There are multiple workflows and purposes for which the Quick Cataloging interface is used. For example, in course reserves, staff frequently need to create records for different resource formats beyond book and article. Staff at the circulation desks need to create records any time an item brought to the desk is not found in Alma, and these resources can take any form - from sound recordings on CD to equipment like laptop chargers.Problem:
Not all of these materials fit the current “book” and “article” templates provided for Quick Cataloging. To enable efficient use of the Quick Cataloging feature,…165 votes -
Enhance Convert to Resource Sharing function on Pick From Shelf List
When you don't find a requested item at your institution, it is great to be able to 'convert it to a resource sharing request' -- however that function should mark the item missing from our institution. Since pick from shelf does NOT display barcode and once we select the item to be converted to resource sharing request, it disappears from the pick from shelf list, so it is very difficult and time consuming to find the item and toggle it to missing. Also, the resource sharing request might be canceled because the item at our institution shows up as 'item…
67 votes -
Link licenses to physical resources
Allow physical resources to have an attached license similar to electronic resources.
For example, a DVD may have specific educational and/or screening rights that we would like to save as a license and link to the DVD.
41 votes -
Add History to Vendor Records
Currently, there is no tab or area in the Vendor List in Alma to note Vendor Record history, as there is for items, orders and other areas. This would greatly help us investigate any problems, issues, or track changes, especially if we have multiple people with the Vendor Manager Role activated in order to manage the various EDI, contact information, and usage data tabs.
111 votes -
Create resource sharing integration with DOCLINE
Create integration for borrowing and lending requests to be pushed/pulled to/from DOCLINE.
See https://ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/37290289-alma-to-docline-oai-pmh-integration for holdings integration to DOCLINE.
58 votes -
Improve Alma's Licence „Controlled Vocabulary“ functionality
Background (as it works now):
Under „Manage License Terms“ a field can be defined as „Controlled Vocabulary“ and the defined CV values can be selected within a License. However, these CV values are only some kind of text module / boilerplate text which are copied into a specific license field. This means: when a CV value is changed or deleted, the content of this specific field in all licenses did not change. The change must be made in each license itself. A deleted CV value is displayed in the license field as: „<CV value> (not listed)“. The CV values functionality…
25 votes -
Merge Patron Accounts API
Add an API endpoint that provides a programatic interface to the merging patron accounts functionality.
43 votes -
New type of block : booking
Currently the Block Preferences in Alma have Block options to permit Blocks on :
· Block types 01 et 02= Loan and renewals
· Block type 03= Loan and renewals and request
· Block type 04 = Resource sharing
· Block type 05 = Request
It would be good to include a type of block for Booking only. It would allow us to block Booking without blocking other services for a patron.
Right now libraries can’t choose to sanction a booking abuse without blocking every other service. It is too strong a sanction for some users.
Best regards,
Nathalie Darbon
86 votes -
Preset item policy for subscription PO Lines
Having the ability to set an item policy for a subscription PO Line would save time and trouble. Currently, when a serials item is received (checked in), one must go into the individual item record to set the item policy. Too many clicks. Also, if someone else is checking in serials, they might forget about this additional step. If someone tries to check out an item, will the person at circulation know that it is in-library use only, 3-day use or 14-day use?
75 votes -
Empty User Roles via API
We would like to be able to empty all user roles using an API call. Currently, User_Roles is the only segment that keeps untouched when the API call object does not contain any roles. This makes it necessary to keep at least one role as a parameter and it makes no sense from the API usability as it actually always returns the full user objets including empty roles arrays when we delete all roles from Alma end-point.
135 votes -
Inactive/Active change to be visible in history tab
When a users account is made inactive/active it does not currently show in the history tab. I would be extremely useful to be able to view when a users account becomes inactive.
26 votes -
Ignore call number prefix ($$k) in BROWSE SHELFLIST in Alma
Alma's Browse Shelflist function includes the call number prefix (holdings record field 852 $$k) when generating the browse list. At the University at Buffalo, we use that prefix for oversize volumes, and for a variety of other sub-locations, designations and shelving areas.
As a result, any holdings with a prefix ($$k) does not show up alongside holdings in the same call number range, essentially hiding many titles from staff who seek to browse the shelf list.
An advanced search for specific library holdings, permanent call number type, and permanent call number does not remedy this issue, as it does not…
41 votes -
Ability to convert from digital/electronic to physical request
we have encountered issues when a citation for a digital/electronic request for an article/chapter is either beyond what is permitted within copyright policy or is insufficient to determine what is needed
rather than cancel the request and have it hit the next institution on a rota, we prefer to be able to to convert the request to physical and route the entire item to the borrowing institution, much like the functionality available in ILLiad
would it be possible for there to be an option to convert a digital/electronic request to a physical request?
currently, we are required to close out…
17 votes -
Add electronic collection details to the Alma publishing
Currently both physical and digital collections are published to Primo. Because of this these data elements can be added to the display sections of the Primo UI including the collections facets (courtesy of the Primo back office rules).
Similarly the collection name is published to Primo Central and therefore can be included in the collections facet and full display Details section.
Note: The publishing should also include details showing whether the resource is a Community Zone resource or not. (It may be desirable to only include non-Community Zone collections in the Primo displays as the PCI collections is already displayed).
…
21 votes
- Don't see your idea?