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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.

Gift Acquisitions

Gift Acquisitions

The best way for adding gifts to Alma is to created a PO Line (POL) with an Acquisition Method of Gift and Material Supplier of Gift. Using Gift Acquisitions Method and Gift Material Supplier allows users to quickly access materials that have been added to the collection from a repository search and in analytics for annual reporting purposes. Gift notes can and should still be added to the MARC records per institution's policy.

Gift Acquisitions Method does not require:

  • Funds
  • List price


Streamline creating Gift POLs:

  • POL Template can be created when creating a Gift POL for the first time or at any time when creating a Gift POL

Creating a Gift Vendor:

  1. Go to Acquisitions> Acquisitions Infrastructure> Vendors
  2. Click Add Vendor
  3. Vendor Details screen opens (leave omitted fields blank)
    1. Name: Gift
    2. Code: GIFT
    3. Status: Active
    4. Currencies: [Can leave All or select USD}
    5. Libraries: [Make sure all libraries impacted are included]
    6. Vendor Type: [Select Material Supplier/Subscription Agent
    7. Click Add Under accounts:
      • Account Description: Gift
      • Account Code: GIFT
      • Status: Active
      • Libraries: [Make sure all libraries impacted are included]
      • Payment Method: [Keep Accounting Department]
      • Click Save
    8. Click Save

Creating a Gift POL Without a Gift Template

To create a gift PO Line (POL) :

  1. Search for the bib record in Alma's Network Zone (NZ)
    • If the MARC record in not in the NZ, export the bib record from OCLC into the NZ
    • If no MARC record exists in the NZ or OCLC, create a brief bib for ordering
  2. Click Order
  3.  PO Line Owner and Type screen opens
    • PO Line Type: [Select the correct POL type]
    • PO Line Owner: [Select the library that orders acquisitions for the institution]
    • Load from Template: [Leave unselected]
    • Generate barcode using sequence:  [Only select if the institution has this configured and uses it]
    • Assign Inventory Manually: [Leave unchecked]
    • Click Create PO Line
  4. Purchase Order Lines Details screen opens
    • Order Items: [Edit the location if necessary]
    • Material Supplier: [Select the Gift vendor that has been configured]
    • Acquisitions Method: [Select Gift]
    • Reporting Code: [Select reporting codes if configured and part of the institution's policy]
  5. Click Save and Continue
  6. Click Confirm
  7. Receive the item under Acquisitions>Receiving and Invoicing>Receive

Creating a Gift Template During the POL Creation

To create a gift PO Line (POL):

  1. Search for the bib record in Alma's Network Zone (NZ)
    • If the MARC record in not in the NZ, export the bib record from OCLC into the NZ
    • If no MARC record exists in the NZ or OCLC, create a brief bib for ordering
  2. Click Order
  3.  PO Line Owner and Type screen opens
    • PO Line Type: [Select the correct POL type]
    • PO Line Owner: [Select the library that orders acquisitions for the institution]
    • Load from Template: [Can be selected for Gift once the template has been created]
    • Generate barcode using sequence:  [Only select if the institution has this configured and uses it]
    • Assign Inventory Manually: [Leave unchecked]
    • Click Create PO Line
  4. Purchase Order Lines Details screen opens
    • Order Items: [Edit the location if necessary]
    • Material Supplier: [Select the Gift vendor that has been configured]
    • Acquisitions Method: [Select Gift]
    • Reporting Code: [Select reporting codes if configured and part of the institution's policy]
  5.  Save as Template when creating a Gift POL for the first time or to streamline Gift POLs
    • Click the ellipses  at the header of the Purchase Order Lines Details screen
    • Select Save as Template
      1. Template Name: [Name the template]
      2. Public Template: [Select Yes so others in the institution creating POLs can use it]
      3. Existing Template: [Do not use - only used to update an existing template]
      4. Click Save
  6. Click Save and Continue
  7. Click Confirm
  8. Receive the item under Acquisitions> Receiving and Invoicing> Receive

Creating a POL Using a Gift Template

  1. Search for the bib record in Alma's Network Zone (NZ)
    • If the MARC record in not in the NZ, export the bib record from OCLC into the NZ
    • If no MARC record exists in the NZ or OCLC, create a brief bib for ordering
  2. Click Order
  3.  PO Line Owner and Type screen opens
    • PO Line Type: [Select the correct POL type]
    • PO Line Owner: [Select the library that orders acquisitions for the institution]
    • Load from Template: [Select Gift template]
    • Generate barcode using sequence:  [Only select if the institution has this configured and uses it]
    • Assign Inventory Manually: [Leave unchecked]
    • Click Create PO Line
  4. Purchase Order Lines Details screen opens
    • Order Items: [Edit the location if necessary]
  5.  Click Save and Continue
  6. Click Confirm
  7. Receive the item under Acquisitions>Receiving and Invoicing>Receive