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Alma Fulfillment Resource Guide

This guide covers all aspects of the fulfillment process. This includes maintaining all patron records, loaning materials, returning/renewing loaned materials, managing lost items dealing with fines and fees as well as course reserves.

Reciprocal / Walk-In Borrowing

Reciprocal Borrowing/Walk In Borrowing

When students, faculty, or staff come in from another institution there is an easy way to verify their status and create a new patron record for them at the desk. This record is linked to their home institution and they can see their loans from you when they log in to their home Primo account.

  1. In Alma, click on Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services.
  2. Click the Find User in Other Institution box..
  3. Choose the patron's institution from the drop down.
  4. Scan or key in their their institutional ID.
  5. If their record is found, a new screen will show fully filled out. Their expiration date will be the same as in their home record. Check and update their User Group if necessary.
  6. If their record is not found, a blank user registration form will appear. This may mean the number you scanned isn't in their record, they are not affiliated with the institution anymore, or they are only tangentially related to the institution and so are probably not qualified for reciprocal borrower privileges.
  7. Save the record.
  8. Check out their items. Item will circulate based on the User Group you gave them in their local patron record and all notices, fines, and fees will be through your institution.
  9. The next time this patron wishes to check something out, follow the same steps listed above. This will keep their record up-to-date in your system. Subsequent check outs will not make the new user registration from come up again.