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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.

Pick Lists and Hold Shelves

Pick List (or Pull List)

As materials are requested, they appear on a pick (or pull) list. This list organizes the materials so they can be efficiently found and sent to fill requests.

 

About Pick Lists

  • The Pick List updates in real time and can be printed at any time, including multiple times a day, if desired.
  • You can print a report with all items, or you can print individual slips.
  • The list can also be exported to Excel for further sorting/processing.
  • In Alma, there is no distinction between Not on Shelf, Lost, or Missing, so when you see Missing below, you can assume it means Item not in place/on shelf.
  • Any requests that are not filled within 7 days are automatically marked as missing.

 

To Create a Pick List

  1. Go to Fulfillment >> Pick from Shelf
  2. If needed, use the facets on the left to limit the pick list (to a call number range, to be sent to the same destination, for the same request or material type, etc.)
  3. Click Print Slip Report
  4. The dialog box gives you three choices:
    1. To print the results, click the Printer button, select the specific printer, then click Send
    2. To download the results, choose the preferred output format (XML or Excel) and click Download
    3. To email the list to someone, select User at the top, select a user, and click Send
      1. Note: the user you are sending to must be part of the "include" list for that specific Pick List
  5. Using your printed lists, pull the items from the stacks and return to the desk
  6. Go to Fulfillment >> Return items
  7. Scan the barcode of each item(s) physically pulled
    • For missing items, follow the steps below
  8. Proceed according to local workflows to transfer materials or to place on hold shelves.

 

Marking Items Missing on a Pick List

  1. Confirm the items are Missing, that is, they were not found in the stacks, re-shelving, etc.
  2. Go to Fulfillment >> Pick from Shelf
  3. Locate the first missing request/title. You can do this by scrolling through the list or using the facets on the left to limit what's being viewed from the pick list
  4. On the item's record, click on Mark as Missing (if not visible, click on the row action item list icon (the ellipsis) and choose Mark as Missing.)
    Note: You will be prompted that it will mark the entire holding as missing, but this will only mark the items on that holding (your current location) as missing.
  5. The request now moves to the holding at the next available institution library, if any. If there are none, the patron will receive an email informing them the request was not filled. It will not trigger a Resource Sharing request automatically.

Hold Shelves

Alma Fulfillment has two hold shelf options: Expired Hold Shelf and Active Hold Shelf.

Most work will be done on the Expired Hold Shelf (to move materials on to their next destination), but you may have reasons to check the Active Hold Shelf periodically to confirm what materials should be there.