Alma and interoperability:

Maximizing Alma’s role in the institutional landscape

Kevin Lin, Sue Harmer

Abstract

“Alma is a core library system but does not stand alone. This paper will examine the ease of making Alma interoperate with other systems to provide services for users. It will discuss interoperability with Primo and the Alma Premium Sandbox, the Relais ILL system using NCIP, self-check machines using SIP2, the Monitor Business Machine online payment of fines using SIP2, EDI ordering with vendors, and authentication for library users using Active Directory. Ease of set-up and maintenance, as well as issues and advantages will be discussed.”

FAST FACTS

8 FACULTIESArts & Social SciencesAustralian School of BusinessBuilt EnvironmentUNSW Art & DesignEngineeringLawMedicineScience

The Library• 5 libraries, 155 library staff• 241,000 e-books, 1.2 million print books, 81,000 online journals, < 600 active print journals• Primo since February 2009. Main user interface since July 2010. 6,508,395 Primo searches in 2013• Alma live on 4 November 2013• Other key library systems:

– Research Data Management (https://resdata.unsw.edu.au/)– Institutional Repository (http://www.unsworks.unsw.edu.au)– Faculty-based Research Repositories (http://repository.arts.unsw.edu.au/) – Research Outputs System (https://ros.unsw.edu.au)

Aleph 

Aleph and Voyager … past …

Faculty-based Research repositories (Fedora)

Institutional Repository (UNSWorks, Fedora)

Research Data (Fedora and in-house deposit)

 

UNSW publications management (Symplectic)

Resource vendors orders

MetaLib/SFX 

Group Study Room booking

Online fine payments

Self-check machines

Staff and Student systems

Finance 

Primo: 2 institutions, 7 views

Vendor online resources

PCI

Voyager 

InterLibrary loans

Ezproxy

Active Directory

Alma … current …

Faculty-based Research repositories (Fedora)

Institutional Repository (UNSWorks, Fedora)

Research Data (Fedora and in-house deposit)

 

UNSW publications management (Symplectic)

Resource vendors orders

MetaLib/SFX 

Group Study Room booking

Online fine payments

Self-check machines

Staff and Student systems

Finance 

Primo: 2 institutions, 7 views

Vendor online resources

PCI

InterLibrary loans (Relais ILL)

Ezproxy

Active Directory

Alma

Stunnel

Ease of set-up and maintenance

• Centralised location• Literally labelled• Consistency

Integration Profiles and S/FTP Connections

• AD authentication• Self Check / Online payment• EDI orders• Primo publishing

External Systems (Alma)

External Systems (S/FTP)

What works well

• Authentication • No more GUI• Primo publishing• OvP (OPAC via Primo)• NCIP

• Premium sandbox interoperability

NCIP interoperability – Primo, Relais ILL, Alma• UNSW community uses Primo to search and submit ILL

requests – NCIP LookupUser service

ochecks eligiblity before allowing the user to proceed

o retrieves user details, e.g. email address• UNSW staff process ILL requests in Relais ILL

– Relais: initiator role– Alma: responder role

oCheckOutItem, CheckInItem, AcceptItem

How it works – NCIP Lookup User

Borrowing workflow

Lending workflow

Challenges

• Working across time zones – Toronto / Jerusalem / Sydney

• Speaking a common language

• Different priorities

• Release upgrades

Lessons learned

• Resourcing• Focus shift to coordination• The Cloud and its implications• Utilizing the Premium Sandbox

Going forward

• SIP2 – Selective payment of fines / fees

• SMS• Holdings exports/updates

– RapidILL– Libraries Australia

• Continuous improvements to NCIP interoperability• More connections, e.g. Finance

END