Discovery and E-Resources Guide

E-Resources Management

Use these links to jump to different sections on this page.

Documentation originally created in 2021-2022 by the Electronic Resources Unit at the University of Florida. Adapted in 2023 for FLVC.

Search for the collection in the IZ using the Electronic Collection search. Confirm that your institution does not already have this database or a version of this database activated.

If you think the database may be a part of a statewide subscription, search for it in the NZ using the Electronic Collection search. Confirm that FLVC does not already have this database or a version of this database activated for your institution.

If the collection is not in your institution's IZ or activated for your institution in the NZ, search for it in the CZ using the Electronic Collection search. 

From this list, choose the most appropriate collection.  If you’re not sure which one to choose, consider the following: 

• If possible, try not to activate collections that include a specific year, unless your institution really does only subscribe to that year’s collection. 
• Check the “modification” and “creation” dates and try to choose collections that have been modified more recently. 
• Do not choose collections that have been created specifically for other consortia; you’ll see a lot with acronyms like “JISC” or “BIBSAM” or “BACON”. 
• You can activate collections contributed by other institutions after a thorough review – have they been around for a while? Have they been updated recently/frequently? 
• If the collection has portfolios, test a few of the portfolio links. Are the links good and leading to the correct portfolio? 

Select Activate.  

On the next screen, you'll have several customization options. Here are a few to consider: 

• Public name (override): Change the way the name of the collection appears in the links list in a record.
• Level URL (override): For databases, it's generally best to activate the collection first, see what the system level URL is, and update if needed. 
• Mark bib as suppressed: If you check this box, the collection-level record will be hidden from Primo VE search results. For databases, it usually makes the most sense to uncheck this box so that you will have a record for the database in Primo VE. IMPORTANT: If you are activating CDI for a database, you must leave the collection-level record unsuppressed.
• Electronic Collection Proxy Enabled: If your institution uses OpenAthens, choose Yes or No depending on the type of collection. If your institution uses EZProxy, choose Yes and select "Default." 
• Library: Optional, depending on your institution. Some institutions have configured a specific location for eResources or Acquisitions.

You may also see CDI options if the database has CDI records. Most databases in Alma rely on the CDI for more granular discovery because they do not contain portfolios. For more information about CDI activation options, see FLVC's CDI LibGuide.

Select Next, then Activate. 

Search All Titles in the IZ to test if the database-level record is displaying in Primo and has a working level URL. Select Display in Discovery. 

Documentation originally created in 2021-2022 by the Electronic Resources Unit at the University of Florida. Adapted in 2023 for FLVC.

Search for the collection in the IZ using the Electronic Collection search. Confirm that your institution does not already have this collection or a version of this collection activated.

If you think the collection may be a part of a statewide subscription, search for the collection in the NZ using the Electronic Collection search. Confirm that FLVC does not already have this collection or a version of this collection activated for your institution.

If the collection is not in your IZ, search for it in the CZ using the Electronic Collection search.  

From this list, choose the most appropriate collection.  If you’re not sure which one to choose, consider the following: 

• Have you already activated other titles in one of the collections?  To check, look for the little IZ house icon next to the collection name in the CZ.   
• If possible, try not to activate collections that include a specific year, unless your institution really does only subscribe to that year’s collection. 
• Check the “modification” and “creation” dates and try to choose collections that have been modified more recently. 
• Do not choose collections that have been created specifically for other consortia; you’ll see a lot with acronyms like “JISC” or “BIBSAM” or “BACON”. 
• You can activate collections contributed by other institutions after a thorough review – have they been around for a while? Have they been updated recently/frequently? 
• If the collection has portfolios, test a few of the portfolio links. Are the links good and leading to the correct portfolio? 

Once you’ve chosen the best collection, click Activate.  

On the next screen, you'll have several customization options. Here are a few to consider: 

• Public name (override): Change the way the name of the collection appears in the links list in a record.
• Mark bib as suppressed: If you check this box, the collection-level record will be hidden from Primo VE search results. It makes sense to check this box for collections to which you do not have full access so that users don't navigate to the database expecting to have full access to all of the content.
• Electronic Collection Proxy Enabled: If your institution uses OpenAthens, choose Yes or No depending on the type of collection. If your institution uses EZProxy, choose Yes and select "Default." 
• Library: Optional, depending on your institution. Some institutions have configured a specific location for eResources or Acquisitions.

Under Full Text Options, check "Activate this electronic collection service" and "Make service available."

If you have access to the full collection and will be activating all of the portfolios, check "Automatically activate new portfolios." If not, leave that box unchecked.

On the next screen, for full-text service: 

If your institution uses OpenAthens, choose Yes or No depending on the type of collection. Some collections will work with the OpenAthens proxy while others use the OpenAthens redirector. If you're not sure, try turning it on and testing a few records in Primo. 

If your institution uses EZProxy, choose Yes and select "Default." 

For some collections (EBSCO, ProQuest, and Gale are some examples) under full-text service, you will see an option for linking parameters. Here, you should enter your customer ID, location ID, or other ID depending on the vendor. If you're not sure what information you need to put in, please reach out to the Help Desk at help@flvc.org. Check out this spreadsheet for the most common vendor configurations. This spreadsheet will also specify whether or not you should use the OpenAthens proxy.

On the last screen, choose "Activate All" to activate the entire collection. If you would like to activate specific portfolios, choose either "Activate electronic collection and selected portfolios via Excel file upload" or "Manual activation - activate electronic collection and manually select portfolios." 

Search for this collection in your Institution Zone by using an Electronic Collections search to confirm it has been activated. Then, go to the Portfolio List, select a portfolio, and click the three dots in the upper right corner to click "Display in Discovery." Test a few portfolios and ensure they are linking correctly. If not, try making changes to the proxy settings (by turning the proxy off). 

From the collection search page, click “Edit Collection” if you need to add proxy information or a level URL or make other collection-level changes.  

Documentation originally created in 2021-2022 by the Electronic Resources Unit at the University of Florida. Adapted in 2023 for FLVC.

First, confirm that your institution does not already have this ejournal activated by searching for the title and ISSN in your IZ using an All Titles search. If you think the database may be a part of a statewide subscription, also search for it in the NZ. 

Once you have determined it is not already activated, search for the journal in the Community Zone using an All Titles search. If possible, search using the ISSN, as this will provide more accurate results. Click “Portfolio List”.   

From this list, choose the most appropriate collection.  If you’re not sure which one to choose, consider the following: 

• Have we already activated other titles in one of the collections?  To check, look for the little IZ house icon next to the collection name in the CZ.   
• If possible, try not to activate collections that include a specific year, unless your institution really does only subscribe to that year’s collection. 
• Check the “modification” and “creation” dates and try to choose collections that have been updated more recently. 
• Do not choose collections that have been created specifically for other consortia; you’ll see a lot with acronyms like “JISC” or “BIBSAM” or “BACON”. 
• You can activate collections contributed by other institutions after a thorough review – have they been around for a while? Have they been updated recently/frequently? 

Once you’ve chosen the best portfolio, click "Activate." 

Unlike with collections, you will not see an activation screen for the activation of an individual journal. You will instead see that the journal successfully activated. The journal is now in your IZ.

Next, search for the ISSN or title in your IZ. Click the three dots in the upper right corner of the portfolio and choose "Display in Discovery." Test the link. If you already had the collection activated in your IZ, you probably have already set it up as your institution needs. If it's a newly activated collection, make sure your collection settings are updated. Journals will inherit the collection settings, so you do not need to adjust each of these settings for every individual portfolio. To update collection-level settings, perform an Electronic Collection search for the collection title or ID.

For example, the Western Journal of Communication is activated in three collections in my IZ: an EBSCO database, a ProQuest database, and Taylor and Francis.

I just activated the Taylor and Francis title, and when I tested the T&F link using "Display in Discovery," it wasn't working. My next step is to search for the Taylor & Francis Journals Complete collection, go to Edit Collection, and check my settings. 

Here are a few collection-level settings to consider: 

• Public name (override): Change the way the name of the collection appears in the links list in a record.
• Level URL (override): For databases, it's generally best to activate the collection first, see what the system level URL is, and update if needed. 
• Mark bib as suppressed: If you check this box, the collection-level record will be hidden from Primo VE search results. For databases, it usually makes the most sense to uncheck this box so that you will have a record for the database in Primo VE.
• Library: Optional, depending on your institution. Some institutions have configured a specific location for eResources or Acquisitions.

Lastly, you will want to go to Edit Service. Click the three dots next to Edit Collection, then choose Edit Service > Linking.

Here, you will see the option to enable the proxy. If your institution uses OpenAthens, choose Yes or No depending on the type of collection. If your institution uses EZProxy, choose Yes and select "Default." 

On this tab, for certain collections (such as EBSCO, ProQuest, and Gale), you may see options for linking parameters. Here, you should enter your customer ID, location ID, or other ID depending on the vendor. If you're not sure what information you need to put in, please reach out to the Help Desk at help@flvc.org. Check out this spreadsheet for the most common vendor configurations. This spreadsheet will also specify whether or not you should use the OpenAthens proxy.

When activating a new resource, it can be confusing to figure out what linking parameters to enter. FLVC maintains spreadsheets of this data for each institution in the state. You can consult the Link Resolver Masterlist (linked below) for more information about linking parameters for different vendors. If you have questions about your institutional code or can't figure out why the linking isn't working for a collection, please reach out to FLVC at help@flvc.org.

In general, if you are activating a collection and it asks you to enter additional parameters, such as a LOC_ID, that means you probably need to add it. 

In general, if you have entered an institutional ID somewhere in the linking parameters, you likely won't also need to turn on EZProxy: OpenAthens. 

In general, if you aren't sure what to select, try turning on EZProxy: OpenAthens and see if it works. 

If you choose to leave the collection-level bib for a database unsuppressed, you will need to ensure the level URL is correct. 

Why would I want to leave the collection-level bib unsuppressed? 

• For Database-type collections, I need to leave the bib unsuppressed in order for the CDI to be activated. 
• For collections my institution fully owns, I may want the collection-level bib to be discoverable so that users can locate information in multiple ways. For example, if my institution subscribes to the entirety of Communication and Mass Media Complete, I'd like them to be able to go to the main database from Primo in addition to discovering article-level content in Primo.

To check the level URL, first do an All Titles search for the database. Then click the three dots in the upper right hand corner of the title-level record and choose "Display in Discovery": 

Is there a link present in the record? Does it work? If the link is missing, or takes you to a marketing page or an otherwise incorrect URL, you'll need to add a level URL override. 

To do this, go to Edit Collection and navigate to the Additional tab. 

This example is missing a level URL. Because I would like to keep the collection-level bib unsuppressed, I'll add a link to the Level URL override. You may be able to use the link from your institution's A-Z Database List or a link previously provided by the vendor. You may even be able to Google the resource to find the link.

Once I add this link, assuming my collection-level linking settings are all correct, the link in the collection-level bib will function. 

Mark bib as suppressed: If you check this box, the collection-level record will be hidden from Primo VE search results. It makes sense to check this box for collections to which you do not have full access so that users don't navigate to the resource expecting to have full access to all of the content.

For databases, it usually makes the most sense to uncheck this box so that you will have a record for the database in Primo VE. Additionally, CDI results for database type collections will not show in Primo unless the bib is unsuppressed.

If you activate the collection and then want to change whether you suppress or unsuppress the collection-level bib record, first do an All Titles search for the database. 

Click "Edit Record." 

Go to the Record Actions menu and check or uncheck "Suppress from Discovery."

Save and Release the record.

Verify that the record is now displaying in Primo by clicking the three dots and choosing "Display in Discovery."

To delete a collection in Alma, first search for the collection in your IZ. Then, select the three dots in the upper right corner and choose "Delete."

You will then see a pop-up that says "Handling bibliographic records without inventory" with three options. Choose "Delete bibliographic records."

Similarly, for single journal titles, search for the journal in your institution's IZ. Go to the Portfolio List. Choose the portfolio you'd like to delete. Click the three dots and select "Delete."

You will then see a pop-up that says "Handling bibliographic records without inventory" with three options. Choose "Delete bibliographic records."

Things to keep in mind: 

• When deleting collections with CDI content, note that CDI records can take up to 72 hours to fully disappear from Primo. The links will disappear immediately, but the records may remain until the records are reindexed. 
• You can delete titles with attached POLs. The POLs will remain, and will still be able to provide records of how much money was spent despite the resource no longer being accessible.