Skip to Main Content

Alma Acquisitions Resource Guide

This guide covers all aspects of the Acquisitions process, which includes setting up funds, ordering, receiving physical items, activating e-resources, and invoicing. This guide also covers Serials patterns and arrival/check-in.

Ordering E-Resources

Ordering E-Resources in Alma

You can place orders on one-time or continuous/subscription e-resources in Alma. Most likely, your one-time e-resource records are being added to Alma via an import profile. If you're using Alma Acquisitions for your one-time e-resource orders, the vendor provided MARC records can be delivered with order information attached and can be loaded via a New Order import profile. If you're not using Alma Acquisitions for one-time e-resource orders, the vendor provided MARC records can be delivered to Alma without order information via a Repository import profile. 

If you need to manually create a one-time order in Alma for an e-book, you can search the Community Zone for a portfolio, and order. You can also search the Community Zone for e-resource collections to order as a subscription. E-resource orders are different than print orders in that instead of receiving (Acquisitions > Receive), they need to be activated (Resources > Manage Electronic Resource Activation). Subscription e-resource orders are different to one-time e-resource orders in that they need to be renewed until the subscription is cancelled/ closed and the PO lines' Renewal Date needs to be updated subscription interval (annually is most common). 

  1. Ordering E-book from the Community Zone
  2. Ordering E-collection from the Community Zone (Databases, aggregators or selective packages)
  3. Manage Electronic Resource Activation 

  4. Creating PO lines for Activated E-Resources

Ordering E-books from the Community Zone

  1. Search Alma for "Electronic titles" in the CZ. Click Portfolio List for the title you'd like to order. The results will show a list of portfolios and the electronic collection they belong to. If the e-book you're ordering is on a platform that you've purchased from before; most likely the electronic collection will already be activated in your IZ. You should order the e-book that is in the correct electronic collection to ensure the URL will lead to the correct e-book for your patron once activated. Screenshot of Alma Search
  2. Click "..." > Order for the electronic collection that the portfolio you're ordering belongs to.Screenshot of Creating an Order
  3. Select the PO line type Electronic Book- One Time and PO line owner from the drop down list > Create PO line. 
  4. In the PO line summary page, select the Acquisition Method from the drop down menu in the PO Line Information box. Most likely, this will be "Purchase at Vendor System" if you are purchasing this on the vendor purchasing site, then logging order details in Alma. If you're ordering via EDI in Alma, it will be "Purchase". Screenshot of Creating a PO Line
  5. Add a Material supplier in the "Vendor Information" box. Screenshot of adding a Material Supplier
  6. In "Pricing and Funding" box, add the list price and click + Click here to add a fund. Select fund from the drop-down menu > Save. Screenshot of adding a fund
  7.  The PO Line Information, Vendor Information, and Pricing and Funding sections are mandatory. However, there are additional details that can be added to the PO line, like interested users, reporting codes, and notes. Once you're done adding all order details > Order Now or Save and Continue (if you'd like for the PO line to be packaged with other PO lines that contain the same vendor details by an Alma job). Screenshot of Creating an Order 

Ordering E-collection from the Community Zone (Databases, aggregators or selective packages)

  1. Search Alma for "Electronic Collections in the CZ. Use the facets on the left hand side to narrow your search for the correct collection type. Databases will not have portfolios. Avoid ordering or activating collections that are year specific or ones created by other institutions or consortia. Screenshot of Database Search in Alma
  2. For the electronic collection you want to activate, click "..." > Order. Screenshot of Choosing a Collection
  3. Select PO line type "Electronic Collection - Subscription", and the PO line owner > Create PO line. 
  4. In The PO line Information section, select "Acquisition Method"- most likely "Purchase at Vendor System"
  5. In the Vendor Information section, add "Material Supplier".
  6. In the Pricing and Funding section, add the "List Price", then Fund > Save. 
  7. In Renewal Information section, Keep Renewal type as "Manual Renewal", enter a Subscription from date if it's a new subscription. For this field, add when your subscription begins. In the "Renewal date" field, select the date that your subscription period will end. In the Renewal reminder period (days) field, enter the number of days prior to your renewal date that you wish for the PO line to go to the "Renew" action list for you to review. Screenshot of subscription screenIn this example, my subscription began at the beginning of 2024, and I would like for Alma to remind me of my intent to renew the subscription 60 days before 12/31/2024. The PO line will appear in my Renewal task list (Acquisitions > Renew) on November 1, 2024. 
  8. Add reporting codes, notes and licensing information as needed. Once order details are entered > Order Now.

Manage Electronic Resource Activation

Once a PO line is created on a resource found in Alma, a e-resource activation task is created. To indicate that the PO line has been received/ activated, the task will have to be cleared. 

  1.  Resources > Manage Electronic Resource Activation. 
  2. Click on the Unassigned tab, and search for the PO line or title of the resource > "...". You may need to test access, Activate, edit e-collection (Edit Resource) details, unsuppress the record etc. After you are done with activation tasks > Done. Screenshot of Electronic Resourse Activation Task List
  3. After completing the activation tasks, and clicking "Done" in the task list; the PO line will update from the status "Sent" to "Recurring Renewal"- which is the status that means the subscription is current and not awaiting action by staff. Screenshot of Recurring Renewal in Alma

For more information and help with activating e-resources in Alma, please visit the FLVC E-Resource Management LibGuide page.

Creating PO lines for Activated E-Resources

If you have already activated e-collections and portfolios and would like to create PO lines for these resources after the fact, follow the procedures below:

  1. Find activated e-resource with an Alma "Electronic Portfolios" or "Electronic Collection" search in your IZ. Once found, click "..." > Order.Screenshot of Electronic Resource in Community Zone
  2. Select the appropriate PO line type and PO line owner > Create PO line. 
  3. In the "Ordered Collections/ Items" section, the resource is connected to the PO line and is already activated: Screenshot of Active PO
  4. Continue filling in the rest of the necessary and optional PO line details. Once complete > Order Now.

The perk of creating a PO line on an activated resource is that this method does not create a task on the Manage Electronic Resource Activation task list. The PO line will transition from "Sent" to "Recurring Renewal" automatically. If it fits your workflows better, consider activating the e-resources first, then creating an order from the IZ.