Current ILS Coordinators

Meeting Agendas and Recordings

Go Live Documentation

•  Switch to Go Live Timeline

Ex Libris Documentation

• Alma Glossary: translates Aleph lingo into Alma lingo

Training Sessions Available from Ex Libris

Getting to Know Alma

Alma Essentials

Primo VE Training

Ex Libris' Main Training Site

Institution Clean Up Documents

Item Status and Collection Clean Up

All Item Status and Collection Clean Up Documents should be returned to FALSC as soon as possible with a deadline of October 14, 2020.  Please send completed forms to help@flvc.org. Please send questions to ccogar@flvc.org.

The Excel spreadsheet contains a report of each Sublibrary/Collection/Item Status combination with a count of the number of items in each as of 8/26/2020. This spreadsheet is what I used to create the document and it can be used by you to look at your data and sort and view things in whatever way you wish. It is just informational.

Based on the spreadsheet, the Word document contains lists of item statuses, collections, and sublibraries that could be cleaned up, removed, or in some cases renamed based on the information in the spreadsheet. The Word document has spaces for your institution’s staff to say whether the proposed clean up should yes, go ahead, or no, do nothing at this time. 

The Item Status and Collection Clean Up Document has a few tables. They are not labelled but your sublibraries, collections, Item Status numbers, and Item Status Descriptions should be easily recognizable. The last number is the count of items with that sublibrary/collection/item status. You can view where these came from by looking at the spreadsheets. The other columns that contain xxx15 and xxx16 are codes that will help us do the clean up, these can be ignored. 

For Item Statuses and Collections that only have a few items using them, I have asked if you would like to clean up and delete. There is enough information to run General Retrieval Reports to take a look at these items and update them to a new Item Status or Collection. Please run these reports if you would like me to delete the item statuses or collections. 

There may be some collections that have no items but that you know you have holdings attached to them. If you know that there are holdings attached (for example you don't create items for periodicals so your PER collection is "empty") please respond "no" to deletion. 

Borrower Status Clean Up

Borrower Status Clean Up spreadsheets are now posted below (10/5/2020). Please download, complete, and return them to help@flvc.org before November 20, 2020. 

Each of your institution's borrower statuses are listed in the spreadsheet by description and code. For each of them we have given a count of the number of patrons that have that borrower status (the count includes expired patrons) and have added whether the patron status is loaded by the patron load. For each borrower status that IS NOT loaded by the patron load, please let us know: 

• If it is still in use. 
• If it is not still in use let us know if we can clean it up and then remove it from your list.
• If you want to clean up and delete the borrower status please let us know which borrower status you would like to change the remining patrons to. 

The last column of the spreadsheet refers only to the rows that are highlighted in yellow. If the borrower status is highlighted in yellow and still in use by your institution, please describe how you use this borrower status. This is for informational purposes as there may be better ways to use the new functionality of Alma to accomplish the same work flow in a more streamlined way.

To find all patrons with a particular Borrower Status in Aleph: 

You can run the Patron List Report.

In ALEPH click Services à Reports à Patron List

Type in a filename next to “Output File” – all one word and in lowercase.

Leave Sublibrary with “All” checked

Choose the Patron Status you want

To get all the patrons:

                Make Privileges Expire after: 00/00/0000

                Make Privileges Expire before: 00/00/0000

Click the Submit button.

The completed report will show up in your Task Manager file list. It might take a little bit.

Please send any questions to Chrissy Cogar at ccogar@flvc.org.

Staff User Roles in Alma

Updated 11/17/2020

FALSC is asking all institutions to identify all library staff that will need a user account in Alma and assign the roles to each account which will allow staff to do their work. These accounts will be created in the Full Testload instance of Alma in February 2021 and will be retained when the system goes live in July 2021. To assist in this process, please use the following documents:

• Alma Staff Roles Worksheet - Download this worksheet to your computer and complete it as instructed. When finished, please submit the completed worksheet to the FLVC Help Desk via email at help@flvc.org.
• Alma Staff Roles Worksheet Instructions - This document explains how to fill out the worksheet correctly.
• Alma Role Profiles - This document lists the roles that will be created in Alma and functions assigned to each role.

Worksheets are due January 15, 2021. If you have any questions, please contact the FLVC Help Desk at help@flvc.org.

PRIMO VE Configuration and Customization Forms

Introduction

This document is designed to assist ILS Coordinators and library staff in providing input about their institution’s local Primo VE view. Ex Libris has a Configuration form (spreadsheet) with multiple tabs. These instructions only relate to the two Primo tabs on the spreadsheet: Primo VE – Configuration and Primo VE – Digital Collections. Previous vanguard Primo VE spreadsheets will not be used.

Ex Libris has streamlined the initial release of Primo VE for the Full Test Load. Many configurations will initially be identical across all 40 institutions in order to facilitate troubleshooting during data review. Everything can be changed during the Full Test Load or after go live.

The deadlines for submission of these forms to FALSC are listed below. FALSC needs a few days to review the submissions before sending them to Ex Libris by our deadline.

• Draft Configuration forms - January 11, 2021
• Final configuration forms – January 18, 2021

FALSC’s deadlines to submit the configuration forms to Ex Libris are a few days after these. We need a few days to review the submissions and clarify entries as needed.

There are other configuration and customization options that each institution can add to their interface later. Useful documentation from Ex Libris explains the various options identifies some of the configuration options, not all of which are being requested now.

Please indicate your institution’s preferences on the two Excel spreadsheets that are listed below.

• Primo VE - Configuration Form
• Primo VE - Digital Repository Configuration Form

Return the completed spreadsheet tabs and a logo meeting all specified size requirements/file type by email to help@flvc.org or cmccraw@flvc.org.

Primo VE - Configuration Form Instructions

Row 3. Provide a Logo - The requirements for the logo are:

• The file format of the image must be .png or svg.
• The height of the image cannot exceed 100 pixels.
• The width of the image cannon exceed 300 pixels.
• The size of the image cannot exceed 30KB.

Row 4. Side bar (facets) - Choose one, either left or right.

Row 7. Search box – Do not complete at this time. All 40 Primo interfaces will have identical scopes to start with. The scopes can be adjusted later.

Row 8. Do you want to restrict the ability to search Course Reserves to specific groups of users? (Ex Libris documentation: In general, most Ex Libris customers (such as academic libraries) do not need this functionality.)If yes, identify the users.

Rows 10-12. Do you want a search profile to search EBSCOhost databases? – choose Yes or No and provide the list of databases to be searched. Refer to EBSCO’s database codes short names list. FALSC obtained the credentials from EBSCO. For more information, see https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Primo/Product_Documentation/020Primo_VE/022Search_Configuration/010Configuring_Search_Profiles_for_Primo_VE#Defining_a_Scope_for_a_Third-Party_Index).

Rows 14-16. Do you want a search profile to search Worldcat? – Choose Yes or No and provide the requested credentials. For more information, see https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Primo/Product_Documentation/020Primo_VE/022Search_Configuration/010Configuring_Search_Profiles_for_Primo_VE#Defining_a_Scope_for_a_Third-Party_Index

Rows 18-28. Facets. Indicate which facets to “keep as is” or “hide facet”. Do not relabel any facet yet. Add the order in which you want the facets to appear. Ex Libris recommends showing all facets at first, with two exceptions:

1. Collections facet. Ex Libris recommends the Collection facet be hidden.
2. Location facet. Ex Libris also suggests the Location facet be hidden. This is the facet we discussed during an ILS Coordinators meeting which has multiple occurrences of GEN, CIRC, etc.

Rows 30-34. The Full Record View has three sections: View Online, Get it, and Details. Provide a new label for the section indicated or leave as is.

Rows 36-43. Full Record View—Details Section—Additional fields. Do not complete at this time.

Rows 44-54. Main menu links. These are the links across the top of the Primo interface. Ex Libris’ documentation describes the main menu links. For each link listed, indicate whether it should be enabled or not. Indicate the order in which the link should appear across the top of the view

Rows 56-60. Customized links. In addition to the Main Menu links listed above, it is possible to add your own links to the menu that can take your users to external sites or pages. Indicate any customized links you would like to appear. For example, if you would like a LibGuides Databases A-Z to be listed, provide the requested information.

Rows 62-78. Browse list options. Indicate which Browse searches you would like or do not complete if you don’t want a browse search.

Rows 80-91. Record actions. Indicate which record actions to enable and their order. “Add/remove record to Favorites” is always enabled by default and is always an up front action and is always the first in order.

Rows 93-96. General attributes. Select the languages desired from the list of languages offered in the cells’ dropdown menus. English has already been entered as the default. Ex Libris cautions that the languages are applied globally and will also appear as choices in Alma. You can define up to six additional interface languages.

Rows 99-105. Local resource types. Do not complete this section.

Primo VE – Digital Collections Instructions

Completing this spreadsheet is optional. This spreadsheet applies to digital collections or to LibGuides if the institution desires to harvest those. Springshare’s web site which describes OAI-PMH harvesting is here: https://ask.springshare.com/libguides/faq/804. Only submit one collection.

• Complete the top section.
• Row 4. Use the institution’s acronym or name in the name of the collection, such as UCF Stars. If identifying a LibGuide on the spreadsheet, name it [institution name] LibGuides , such as FSCJ LibGuides
• Do not complete the bottom section if submitting a LibGuide or a digital collection.

Patron Load Status for Each Institution

Below is listing of each institution and where FALSC stands with their patron load process. Approved means that the institution is ready to send files to FALSC once we go-live on July 13th. This list will be updated periodically.

Last Updated: June 9, 2021.

Number of institutions Approved = 39
Number of institutions who are in process = 1

Cash Export Status for Affected Institutions

Below is listing of each institution that currently uses FALSC's Cash Export Service (also called the Bursar Report) with Aleph and the progress each has made in testing the new service in Alma. Technical specifications have been shared with each institution.

Last Updated: April 19, 2021.

Number of institutions who have completed testing = 3
Number of institutions who are in process = 6

Setting Up OCLC Connexion with Alma

For libraries that have a current OCLC Cataloging and Metadata subscription, they will want to set up their OCLC Connexion interface so that records can be sent directly to FALSC's Alma Network Zone (NZ) or the library's Institution Zone (IZ). Below is a link to a document that outlines how to set up this configuration with both the OCLC Connexion Client and the OCLC Connexion web interface. [Note: FALSC highly recommends libraries use the OCLC Connexion Client, if possible. It has more functionality than the web interface. It is very easy to download, install, and configure.]

During the process of setting up this service, staff will need to contact FLVC Help Desk (help@flvc.org) and ask for their institution's configuration password.

OCLC-Alma Information Document

Item Process Status Clean Up

In Aleph, Item Process Statuses were usually used to designate items as undergoing a "behind the scenes" process in cataloging, acquisitions, or circulation. Adding an IPS to an item made it easy to find them using Aleph's reports.

Alma does not use Item Process Statuses and instead uses Work Orders and Work Order Statuses to keep track of items requiring processing. In Alma, instead of running a report to find items that require work, they are available in a list and can be retrieved with just a few clicks.

Below are links to two documents:

• Finding Records with Item Process Statuses in Alma - This Word document explains how to find and handle records with item process statuses. In some cases, items may need to be moved to a work order or to another location. Step by step instructions are given. Please feel free to consult with FALSC via the Help Desk if you need advice or assistance on what to do.
• List of Item Process Statuses - This Excel spreadsheet lists all of the Item Process Status codes for each institution. (The colleges are listed first in the spreadsheet, then the universities.) Please use this as a reference to identify all of the items in your library's collections that currently have an Item Process Status.

As always, please contact the FLVC Help Desk at help@flvc.org if you have any questions.

Alma Configuration Progress

Printing in Alma:

Setting Up and Managing Printout Queues, Quick Printing, and the Alma Print Daemon

Printouts Queue

Every circulation desk in Alma has a default printer assigned to it with printout queue functionality enabled.  With this configuration, when printouts such as letters and slips are generated they are sent to the printout queue where they can be previewed and sent to a physical printer.  

Printing from the Printouts Queue

To access the printouts queue go to Admin > Printing > Printouts Queue. You must have the Printouts Queue Manager role to access this menu.  Contact the help desk at help@flvc.org to request adjustment to your roles.  

The Printing Queue displays a list of all printouts generated within your institution. In the gray area to the left of the screen there are facets for printer and source.  At the top of the printouts list there are filters for letter and print status.  You can choose multiple letters to print or cancel.  Alternatively, you can preview, print, or cancel individual letters by clicking on the ellipsis at the end of the row.  

Enabling Quick Printing

Alma can be set to automatically open the print dialog box when a printout is generated.  This allows you to send a printout to a physical printer without navigating to the Printouts Queue.  To enable this, open the Location dropdown in the top right of the screen and click on the box next to “Enable quick printing.”

Sending Printouts to a Printer via Email
Alma can be configured so that printouts are sent directly to an email enabled printer.  This can work in conjunction with the printout queue so that printouts are sent directly to the printer as well saved in the queue.  Contact the help desk at help@flvc.org to enable this functionality.

 
Alma Print Daemon

The Alma Print Daemon is an optional program that is downloaded to a local workstation that can be used to manage printouts.  It checks one or more selected printout queues at regular intervals (this value is set in minutes) for printouts that are in Pending status.  It then sends these printouts to a local printer defined within in the print daemon.  The Alma Print Daemon has similar functionality as Quick Printing.  However, the print daemon allows you to set a local printer so you do not have to choose it each time a printout is generated.  

Instructions on how to install and configure the Alma Print Daemon can be found in the Ex Libris documentation How to set up and use the Alma Print Daemon. For Step 1, contact the help desk to receive your API Key and then proceed to Step 2.

Receipt Printers

Generating printouts on non-standard size slips of paper may require modifications to the letters templates.  Contact the help desk at help@flvc.org to discuss specific needs for your printers.  

Reciprocal Borrowing/Walk In Borrowing

Reciprocal Borrowing (called Walk In Borrowing in Alma speak) has been turned on in Alma. This functionality will replace the website used to verify university and college borrowers.

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 barcode or 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 no 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.

Return Anywhere

Occasionally patrons return item to the wrong institution. There is a way to return these items now so that they are no longer on the patron record record.

1. In Alma, click on Fulfillment > Return Items.
2. Next to "Item Owner" choose the item's home location.
3. Scan the barcode.

Important: Always scan the item without choosing a home location first. This ensures that the item is not a UBorrow loan.

Note: If your library decides that you do not want to check in items from other institutions or that you do not want other institutions to check in your library's items, please contact the FLVC Help Desk and request this functionality to be turned off.

Other Functionality (Do Not Use)

There is another new drop down menu that can be found using Managing Patron Services. It is found after you scan for the patron. It allows you to check out an item from another institution to the patron. In effect, it creates a reciprocal borrower account in the other institution. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS FEATURE. It cannot be disabled without disabling Return Anywhere.

Status of Surveys Received

To make sure libraries are turning in the required surveys that FALSC has been sending out to the ILS Coordinators during the implementation, we've created the following chart that lists when each survey has been received. FALSC staff will update periodically.

Last Updated: June 9, 2021.

Yes

ILLiad, Tipasa and OCLC Integration

We are working on getting your “last resort” suppliers, ILLiad, Tipasa and OCLC Worldshare setup so that requests that unfilled in the FL40 can continue.  

College Libraries 

Here is a link to a spreadsheet, that was initial used when the college libraries transitioned from Primo to Mango, to collect information about how you would like unfilled UBorrow requests to be handled, Survey about OCLC Worldshare setup.

• Refer to the FCS tab of the spreadsheet

Each institution’s representative must check the spreadsheet to either make sure the information is correct, or fill in the needed information.

Depending on the setup at your library:

• Some of you will have a link to ILL on your Library’s site,  (Link)
• Others prefer to have requests submitted via email,  (Email Address)
• Some prefer to have patrons come to the Circ desk for assistance, or do not offer traditional ILL services (Text only)

This information will come into play in Alma when the patron receives the Request Cancellation Letter.

The text of the letter will be:

The item you requested on (date) is currently unavailable through UBorrow. However, it may be available through Interlibrary Loan. (Bib information of the requested item).

To submit a request…

• click on the following link: (Link) to continue the request.
• send an email to (Email Address) for assistance.
• please come to the Circulation Desk for assistance. (Text Only)

Libraries using Tipasa will use this same workflow as well at Go-Live

University Libraries 

The process for integrating ILLiad into Alma as a Supplier of Last Resort involves setup in both Alma, and ILLiad. 

To get an idea of the setup, here is a link to the documentation from ExLibris, Setting up the Alma ILLiad Partner of Last Resort Integration

The basic steps are:

• Setup ILLiad as a Partner, add to Rota, setup TOU, Policy and Rules (FALSC will setup)
• In ILLiad Configure the API key.  We'll need each University Library desiring to use ILLiad as a last resort supplier to setup this part.  
• Click here for detailed Instructions
  • If you need the ILLiad base URL, refer to the SUS tab of the Survey for UBorrow Functionality

Please update/check the Survey or send in the ILLiad API Key and URL to the HelpDesk, help@flvc.org, no later than Jun 28, 2021.

How to Return UBorrow Loans

Link to spreadsheet of  Aleph UBorrow, Borrowing and Lending Loans:

For SUS: University UBorrow loans from Aleph

For FCS: College UBorrow loans from Aleph

Because UBorrow loans migrated from Aleph do not have any accompanying information with it, returns of loans will need to be managed manually.

The workflow for the University and College Libraries will differ slightly because the Universities use ILL-XXX (request number) as the temporary item barcode at the Borrowing library. The Colleges use the actual item barcode at the Borrowing Library.

Library staff will be able to have Read-Only access to Aleph to be able to view outstanding requests, or may refer to the provided spreadsheet of outstanding UBorrow loans.

Borrowing Workflow

NOTE: The relationships between the borrowing and Lending in AlephILL have been broken and UBorrow loan bib records have been suppressed. Therefore, you may see error messages during the process. Most of these can be ignored. Please email the FLVC Help Desk at help@falsc.org if you are unable to complete the steps below.

1. When the patron returns a UBorrow loaned item, staff should Checkin the loan:
   • Fulfillment > Under Checkin/Checkout > Return Items
   • Scan in barcode > OK
2. Withdraw the temporary item record in your institution.  Depending on the workflow at your library/institution, you may not have the necessary role in Alma to withdraw items.  You may want to provide a list of UBorrow barcodes to your Cataloging department to be withdrawn from the database, or contact the HelpDesk to request the needed, Physical Inventory, role to be able to withdraw items. 
3. Below are the steps:  
   • Search for Physical items > Barcode (ILL-XXXX for universities), (Lender book barcode for College Libraries)
     
      
   • Then withdraw the item record - See Below
     
      
4. Return the item to the Lender. You will most likely need to either refer to the provided spreadsheet of outstanding UBorrow Loans or look up the item in the read-only AlephILL client.

Lending Workflow

1. After Receiving the returned item in the mail, Return in Fulfillment to remove the Lending loan from the Borrowing library patron account.
2. Both University and College Libraries should be able to easily return the item using the actual item barcode.

• This will change the Availability status of the title in Primo from, On Loan to Available.

Please contact the FLVC Help Desk at help@flvc.org if you have any questions.