Skip to Main Content

Alma E-Resources Guide

This guide provides information on managing electronic resources in Alma. The six stages of the e-resources life cycle are explained in detail, which includes: investigating new content, acquiring content, implementing service, providing ongoing access an

Activation

Activating Content

Once a new resource has been acquired and the content provider has confirmed that access is available and active, it’s time to activate the resource in Alma so it’s discoverable in Primo.

Alma assists in the ordering and activation workflow for electronic resources by automatically populating the Electronic Resource Activation Task List with newly ordered electronic resources. When a POL is created for an electronic resource, the resource is automatically added to the Electronic Resource Activation Task List.

If your library is not using the acquisitions functionality in Alma and therefore did not create a purchase order line for the newly acquired resource, it will be necessary to locate and activate the electronic collection from the CZ.

Activate an Electronic Collection: Aggregator and Selective Packages

To activate an Electronic Collection:

  1. Find the resource in the Electronic Resource Activation Task List (if a POL was created) or in the Community Zone (if a POL was not created)
     
  2. Use the ellipses to select Activate to open the Electronic Collection and Services Set Up Activation Wizard.
     
  3. In the Local Electronic Collection Information section, keep the bib record suppressed, do not enable the proxy, and enter an optional public name.Activation Wizard for Electronic Collection and Services Set Up
     
  4. Do not make any changes in the Central Discovery Index Information section.CDI section of Activation Wizard
     
  5. Check the first two boxes in the Full Text Service section: Activate this electronic collection service and Make service available.
     
  6. Check the last box for aggregator packages only: Automatically Activate New Portfolios.
     
  7. Enter an optional public name or note, and leave the Activate from Date and Activate until Date fields blank.Full text services section of Activation Wizard
     
  8. Click Next.
     
  9. Enter the appropriate linking parameters for the vendor.
     
  10. Enable the proxy, select the default proxy, and click Next.Linking properties page of Activation Wizard
     
  11. Select the appropriate Activation Type:
    • For aggregator packages, select Activate All
    • For selective packages, select one of the two following options: Activate via Excel Upload or Manually Activate Portfolios.
      Activation Type section of Activation Wizard
       
  12. Click Activate on the final page of the wizard to start the portfolio activation job.Activation Summary (number of portfolios to activate)

Manually Activate or use the Portfolio Loader (Excel file) to Activate Portfolios

If activating a selective package, it's necessary to select portfolios to activate within the collection. Two options exist to activate select portfolios: manually activate portfolios by selecting individual portfolios to activate or activate portfolios as a batch using an Excel file in the Portfolio Loader.

 

Manual Activation

  1. When activating the electronic collection, select Manual Activation as the Activation Type during the activation process.
     
  2. When the collection has been activated, locate the electronic collection in the IZ, and use the ellipses to select Edit Service.
     
  3. Navigate to the Portfolios tab.
     
  4. Search or browse the list of portfolios and check the boxes next to portfolios to activate.
     
  5. When complete, click the Activate/Deactivate button and select Activate Selected.
     
  6. Click Save.
    Portfolio tab of Electronic Services Editor

 

Portfolio Loader (Excel file)

  1. Before starting the activation workflow, prepare an Excel file of portfolios to activate. The file must follow the Portfolio Loader Template which is available from in the Portfolio Loader documentation from Ex Libris.
     
  2. When activating the electronic collection, select the Activate Electronic Collection and Selected Portfolios via Excel File Upload as the Activation Type during the activation process.
     
  3. On the Activation Wizard: File Upload page, complete these steps:
    • Select Institution as the catalog
    • Upload the file
    • Select Validate Online
    • Click Next
       
  4. Alma will validate the file to check which portfolios will successfully activate.
     
  5. On the next page, Alma will indicate how many portfolios successfully validated and how many did not. Download the Excel file of portfolios with errors as these portfolios will have to be manually activated.
     
  6. Click Activate to start the activation job.

Activate an Electronic Collection: Database

To activate a database:

  1. If using Alma acquisitions, the database will be listed in the Electronic Resource Activation Task List for activation. If not using Alma acquisitions, search the CZ for the record to activate.
     
  2. Use the ellipses to select Activate and open the Electronic Collection and Services Set Up Activation Wizard.
     

  3. Enter an optional public name and leave the bib record suppressed in the first page of the Activation Wizard. Do not change the information in the Central Discovery Index Information section. Click Next.Activation Wizard for Electronic Collection and Services Set Up
     

  4. On the next page, click Activate.Activation Summary

Activate an Electronic Portfolio

If the library acquired a single ebook, journal, or streaming film from a vendor, the single portfolio will have to be activated in Alma from the appropriate vendor and interface. 

  1. Search the Community Zone by Electronic Portfolio to locate the portfolio and the collection to which the portfolio belongs. Be sure to select the correct vendor and interface that matches the vendor and interface from which you have full text access.
     
  2. Search the Community Zone for the Electronic Collection and activate the collection as a selective package
     
  3. Select Manual Activation as the Activation Type in the Activation Wizard

 

Test Access

Note that access is tested at the portfolio-level, rather than for the collection.

  1. When the activation job is complete, click on the Portfolio List and use the ellipses for any of the portfolios to select Test Access.
     
  2. Click on the collection name to open a new window and verify that users can access full-text content.Online Services page to Test Access

    journal table of contents

Remove Electronic Collection or Portfolio from the Electronic Resource Activation Task List

If your library is using the acquisitions functionality in Alma and a POL was created for the collection or portfolio, the collection or portfolio will remain in the Electronic Resource Activation Task List until you manually remove it.

  1. Remove the resource from the Task List once you have activated it and verified that access is working correctly.
     
  2. Find the resource in the Electronic Resource Activation Task List by navigating to the Resources menu, Manage Inventory section, and click on Manage Electronic Resource Activation.
     
  3. Use the ellipses to select Done.
     
  4. If you are prompted with a message about the bibliographic record being suppressed, use the ellipses to select Unsuppress and then use the ellipses to select Done once again.
  • The collection or portfolio will be removed from the Electronic Resource Activation Task List.