Alma Configuration Form Meeting

© 2017 Ex Libris | Confidential & Proprietary

September 14, 2018

Alma Configuration Form MeetingSUNY


Reminder -> Start Recording

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• Configuration Form Overview

• Fulfillment in Alma

• Configuration Form

• Documentation & Next Steps

• Optional Tabs (Extended Forms)

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AGENDA

© 2017 Ex Libris | Confidential & Proprietary© 2017 Ex Libris | Confidential & Proprietary

Configuration Form Overview

Purpose of the form:• Gather information used to establish rules and behavior• Evaluate current policies & possibly streamline• Starting point for configuration• One-time process used to load configuration• You can make changes in Alma – nothing is set in stone!

Purpose of this meeting:• Review Required Tabs• Make sure everyone understands the basic fulfillment structure

within Alma• Answer any other questions

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Configuration Form Overview - Process

✓Pre-populated with data from Migration form (ExL)✓Fill-in focusing on required tabs/fields first (SUNY libraries)✓Validate form (SUNY libraries)✓Return DRAFT by week of October 1 (SUNY libraries)✓Proof and revise (ExL + SUNY libraries)✓Final due October 12 (SUNY libraries)✓Config loaded when test load is delivered (ExL)

✓Test & adjust configuration during implementation ✓After Certification, you add and adjust as needed

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Configuration Form Overview – Config Retained at Cutover

Configurations & some data are retained at cutover:

• Internal Users with type “STAFF” & their roles• Migrated Internal & External users type “PUBLIC” - only roles

are retained• Libraries & Locations Codes• Vendor records including those manually added to Alma• All configuration done during implementation – including

configurations for 3rd party integrations

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Configuration Form Overview – Required Tabs

Recommended order of completion:

Fulfillment: location types & patron types Libraries: libraries & open hours Printers Circ Desks Locations Users Policies, TOU & Rules Acquisitions Resource Management General: time zone & system date format

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Configuration Form Overview – Optional Tabs in Extended Form

Recommend that you leave blank until after we cover more of the functionality in the functional calls and the workshop

Booking Additional ResShare Libraries Licensing Work Orders Create Controlled Vocabularies/Assign Controlled Vocabularies Translations

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Configuration Form Overview – Tips

• Fill out in order listed in previous slides

• If a drop down is present – Use it! Don’t type!

• Use guide and this deck for clarification on format

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AGENDA


Fulfillment in Alma

• Fulfillment includes circulation

• Alma uses location-based approach

• Assumption: items shelved in same location circulate more or less the same for given user groups

• Alma uses the item status (item policy) to define exceptions

• Migration is good time to evaluate lending policies and simplify to make easier on staff and users

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Fulfillment in Alma

• Location Types = Fulfillment Units in Alma• Fulfillment Units contain locations• Each Fulfillment Unit contains a series of rules governing circulation

policies• These rules can use user group, item policy, location, material type,

process type, and job category as inputs➢The Configuration Form groups “User Groups” into “Patron Types”

ALL user groups will be available within Alma to create more granular polices

➢The Configuration Form uses ONLY item policy to define Exception Types which will be applied to ALL locations and for ALL patron types

• Each rule has a “TOU” as an output – a TOU is a collection of circulation policies (Loanable, Renewable, No Overdue Fine, etc.)

• See: FL-03 Fulfillment Units video (8 minutes)

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https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Training/Alma_Essentials_(New_UI)/G_Administration_Fundamentals_(New_UI)/E_FL-03_Fulfillment_Units_(New_UI)







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AGENDA


Configuration Form – Fulfillment Tab

Location Types – Become Fulfillment Units in Alma• Group together locations whose materials circ in the same way

(loan, fines, requests, holds)• Populates dropdowns in the Locations Tab and the Policies, TOU &

Rules Tab• You will map locations to location type in the Locations Tab• Max of 5 groups (just for Config Form can add additional in Alma later)• Choose name from dropdown or enter something of your choosing

On Shelf Request Policy – Sets default requesting & pickup point behavior for on-shelf materials by location type

• These can be overridden for location/patron combinations via the On Shelf Request Policy column of the Policies, TOU & Rules Tab

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Patron Types• Patron Types only exist as a grouping mechanism on this form –

you will use User Groups in Alma• Works with Location Type to determine lending policies• Group together User Groups for whom materials circulate the

same way• Max of 4 (just for Config Form)• Populates the Patron Type field in the Users Tab & the Policies, TOU and

Rules Tab• Choose name from dropdown or enter something of your choosing

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Item Exception Types• Use to create exceptions to the normal fulfillment (lending and

requesting) rules set up for Location Type/Patron Type combo• Max of 5 (just for Config Form)• Populates drop-downs in Item Policies Tab and Policies, TOU & Rules

Tab• Item Policies Tab maps exception types to item codes

• Exception Types are applied to ALL Fulfillment Units. More granular exceptions can be set up in Alma later. • In Alma, you will be able to create exceptions based on User Group,

Material Type, Item Policy, Location, Process Type, and Job Category

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Item Exception Types (cont.)• In Fulfillment Tab, indicate the Item Exception Types

• In Item Policies Tab, translate Item Code and Item Description to the Exception

• In TOU Tab, enter the lending policies

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Auto Renew Rules• Define by library, user group and/or combination• Auto renewal can save users and staff time• Notices & Renewals are controlled by Courtesy notice job

• General Tab “auto_renew_loan_days” enter number of days before due date when courtesy notice is generated or auto renewal occurs

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Overdue & Lost Loan Rules• Overdue Profiles: Each profile determines when an overdue notification is sent

and how the patron is notified• Lost Loan Profiles: Each profile determine when an item is marked lost & how

patron is notified• Can define multiple profiles by library, patron type, or combination of both• More granular rules can be created in Alma after your test load

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Request Recalls• Indicate which system actions should trigger a recall if the item is currently on

loan

Block Preferences• Defines whether system generated blocks may be overridden (and by whom)

or handled automatically➢Suggestion: “Override by All” for most of these during

implementation while you’re figuring out your workflows and policies

Request Pickup Configuration• Defines which request types:

• Show in the Pick From Shelf list? Suggest: Y• Consider missing when they expire? Suggest: Never

➢Be careful with this! If a student puts in “tomorrow” for the “Need by” date in a Physical Item Request and you consider items lost by the request expiration date, the item will likely be marked lost

• How long a request can be on the Pick From Shelf list

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Configuration Form – Libraries Tab

Campus – we can configure in Alma if needed• Used to connect libraries to campus• Can be used to note user affiliation• Can be used to define request pickup locations• Can be used to manage access to e-resources• Define name and code

1. Libraries• Code and Name must be present• Prepopulated from Migration Form• Fill in address only if library needs an additional address• Add IP address ranges for each library (OK to copy/paste)

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Configuration Form – Libraries Tab

2a. Standard Hours • Include for every library (needed for circ/used to apply due dates)• yyyy-mm-dd date format• Military time format

2b. Exceptional open dates/hours = Extended Hours Schedule• Example: Normally open 8am to 5pm• Open from 6am to 9pm during Finals

2c. Exceptional closed days/hours = Shortened Hours; Closed for Holidays• Example: Normally open 8am to 5pm• Open from 9am to 12pm the week after Finals

2d. Fixed Due Dates• Enter any dates that you want to use as fixed due dates (e.g., End of Term)

3. Circulation relationships between libraries (multi-library institutions)• By default, a library can deliver to and circulate for all other libraries at your institution• Enter library code for any library whose materials can only be checked out and returned at

that library

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Configuration Form – Printers Tab

• Alma uses email printing• If you don’t have email-enabled printers, you will use…

• A dedicated email address for printing• External software (Outlook, Namtuk, or Thunderbird) • Note: In order to automatically print, the external software must be

configured. If using Outlook, in order to automatically print, Outlook must either be open, or installed on the server.

• Choose your Library from the dropdown • Assign a unique code, name, and put in the email address your

printer will use• This Populates the Printer dropdown lists on the Circ Desks Tab

• Want to get a head start on external software for printing?• https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/blog/Printing-in-Alma• https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/blog/outlook-as-a-print-proxy• https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/blog/Alma-Printing-via-Outlook• Note: PaperCut will not work – it does not print emails(only images &

attachments)

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Configuration Form – Circ Desks Tab

Circulation Desks• Use the DEFAULT_CIRC_DESK as the main circ desk for each

library (keep code & assign a name for each library)• If required, define additional circulation desks for each library

in this tab• See “Circ Desks Tab” section of the Configuration Form Guide

for details on each option• Primary – Can send/receive items to/from other libraries?• Pick from shelf – Does the desk retrieve on-shelf items?• Choose the relevant Printer Code from dropdown• Choose whether loan/return receipts should be sent from this desk

Automatic (Pick Slip) Printing Rules• Fill in if you want individual Pick From Shelf slips to print

automatically (instead of using list) – one row for each circ desk

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Configuration Form – Locations

• All locations must be represented – including those to be deleted

• Prepopulated from Migration Form• The first four columns are mandatory:

A. Library codeB. Location codeC. Location Name D. Location Type (becomes Fulfillment Unit – must match Location

Types defined in Fulfillment Tab)

• Use dropdown menus to complete form (do not copy/paste)

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Configuration Form – Locations

Define:• External name of location• Circ desk – use dropdown

➢Check out, check in, reshelve? • Is this location actually stored in a remote storage facility (the

integration is defined lower in the tab)• If it serves as the default acquisitions location (only 1 per library)• Suppression• Call number type • Accession placement (note: if set-up, becomes required in all

holdings records for this location)

Remote storage facilities (optional)• Define code, name, and priority• Transit scheme

• Deliver to the circulation desk that serves the location OR let the requester choose a pickup location?

• Does digitization happen at the remote storage location?

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Configuration Form – Users

• Combines your user groups into Patron Types (defined on the Fulfillment Tab)

• Will be used on the “Policies, TOU & Rules” Tab

• Patron Limits• Defined by patron type –Use dropdown to update groups• Used to block loans and/or renewals

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Configuration Form – Item Policies Tab (Optional)

• Prepopulated from Migration Form with your Item Types

• Map your existing Item Type to an Item Exception Type• You created Exception Types on the Fulfillment Tab• Exception Types apply to ALL user groups & across ALL Fulfillment Units

➢Example: Anything with an item type of “CD” circulates for 3 days, for ALL patrons, regardless of what location the CD is shelved

➢ If your situation is more granular (i.e. CD’s at the reference desk circulate for 3 days to Faculty members only), this will be an exception that we will set-up manually in Alma after you get your test load

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Configuration Form – Policies, TOU & Rules Tab

• Defines your BASELINE circulation policies (loans and requests) for physical items

• Consider consolidating lending rules (evaluate and condense rules)

1. Institutional Default Values• Must fill in each cell in the default line!

2. Institutional Policies & TOU• All possible Location Type/Patron Type combinations must be

represented in Section 2• If value for a cell matches the value you filled in the default

line– leave the cell blank

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• Column C: Circulatable• Column D: Recallable• Column E/F: Loan Length/Period

➢“Exact Days” will use the system time from when the item is checked out as the due time

Example: a 7 days item loaned at 10:15 am on Tuesday, Dec. 1 will be due at 10:15 am on Tuesday, Dec. 8

➢“Days” gives the user until closing time on the due date

• Column G/H: Requested Item Length/Period➢Due date of an item with a request on it (for high use items)

• Column I/J: Recall Length/Period➢ If an on-loan item is recalled, the new due date will be the date the

recall was placed plus the Recall Period.

• Column K: Renew Fee• Column L: Lost Item Fine (Non-Refundable)

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• Column M: Lost Item Replacement Fee➢The Replacement Cost of the Item. Note: If the replacement cost is

recorded in the item record, the item record replacement cost will be used. If the item record DOES NOT have the cost, then this default will be used.

• Column N: Lost Item Replacement Refund Ratio• Column O: Maximum Fine

➢Maximum Overdue Fine for this item

• Column P/Q: Overdue Fine Amount/Period• Column R/S: Recalled Overdue Fine Amount/Period

➢Do you apply different fines if an item has been recalled? If not, leave this at 0/NONE. The values from Columns P/Q will be used.

• Column T/U: Grace Length/Period ➢ If items are not returned within the Grace Period, fines are applied

retro-actively

• Column V: Renewable

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• Column W/X: Max Renew Length/Period➢The total amount of time user may have item (includes length of original

loan)➢Example: 7-day loan + 2 7-day renewals = max renewal length of 21 days➢None = Unlimited Renewals

• Column Y: Closed Hour Management➢KEEP – No Change to Due Date➢BACK – Shorten the due date to previous (or current) open day➢FORWARD – Lengthen the loan (due at opening)➢FORWARD END OF DAY – Lengthen the loan (due at closing)

• Column Z/AA: Block When Overdue Length/Period➢This is punitive (the user will be blocked AFTER the overdue item is

returned)

• Column AB/AC: Max Overdue Block Length/Period➢How to handle a calculation of Overdue Loan Block's expiry date

• Column AD: Requestable

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• Column AE: Cancelled Recall Due Date➢Automatic Renewal / Restore Original Due Date / Keep Due Date

• Column AF: Pickup Locations➢ In Library / In Institution

• Column AG: Hold Shelf Period• Column AH: Digitizable• Column AI: Requestable for physical resource sharing• Column AJ: Requestable for digital resource sharing• Column AK: Request Priority• Column AL: On Shelf Request Policy

➢Over-rides the default set on the “Fulfillment” Tab

• Column AM: Personal Delivery• Column AN: Personal Delivery Fee• Column AO: Automatically Convert to Resource Sharing• Column AP: Reloan Limit Length• Column AQ: Reloan Limit Period

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3. Exceptions• Enter the policies for any exceptions you established• MUST fill in each cell for the exception type (does NOT inherit

from the default row)• One line for each exception defined on Fulfillment tab

4. Outgoing Requests to Other Institutions (you as borrower)• Recommend – Leave this blank for now

5. Incoming Requests from Other institutions (you as lender)• Recommend – Leave this blank for now

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Configuration Form – Acquisitions Tab

• Must set one currency as your default

• Acquire For: defines which library can acquire material on behalf of other libraries

• Served Libraries: defines which library can receive materials on behalf of other libraries

• General Purchasing Behavior: Require Manual review/approval of orders and invoices• Alma is designed to automate review and approval processes• Y = manual review/approval required • Recommend setting this to ‘no’ – we can make the policy more strict as

you test your workflows, if needed)

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Configuration Form – Resource Management

Barcode Generation (optional)• Recommend “None”

Local 9XX fields to index• Provide field and name

Call Number Parsing• Used for spine label printing• Routines listed in Alma Configuration Form Guide /Resource

Management Tab section (pages 65-70)

Active Metadata Registry • Alma supports MARC21, UNIMARC, and KORMARC bib formats• Activate format(s) used • Select/mark preferred (becomes default)

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Configuration Form – General Tab

Recommended Settings• “force_location_selection_on_login” = False❖“time_zone” = Eastern• Acquisition_accrual_mode = false• Invoice_skip_erp = true (we’ll change this to ‘false’ after ERP

integration is configured)• Call Number Type = 0 for LC• Subfield separator = $$❖System_date_format• auto_renew_loan_days (when courtesy notices will be sent)• Remember_last_loan_display = true (this allows your circ

workers to default to their preferred loan display)

• Should_anonymize_item_loan• View_historical_loans_in_primo• Additional Anonymization options

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https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/Alma_Online_Help_(English)/Fulfillment/080Configuring_Fulfillment/110General#Configuring_Anonymization


Configuration Form – Data Validity Checks Tab

• Run it!

• Finds common errors and points you to them

• Fix errors found

• Re-run until errors are corrected

• Have problems – Ask!

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AGENDA


3rd Party Integrations

• Chapter 23 of the Configuration Guide• Complete form by October 31 (return to ExL) & think about

how to prioritize • Setups done during implementation are retained at cutover!• Best to test integrations as much as possible during

implementation • Don’t wait until go live to configure and test essential

integrations!• Need setup done – let me know!

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Documentation

Alma Configuration Form Documentation• Alma Configuration Form Guide• Alma Configuration Form Sample

This presentation (posted to BC)

Populated Configuration Form(s)

Knowledge Center Videos• Configuration During Implementation Series• FL-03 Fulfillment Units (8 min) – CRITICAL to watch

Optional Videos• Booking Requests (7 min)• Work Orders (8 min)

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https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Implementation_and_Migration/Implementation_Guides

https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Training/Implementation_Tutorials/02_Configuration_During_Implementation

https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Training/Alma_Essentials_(New_UI)/G_Administration_Fundamentals_(New_UI)/E_FL-03_Fulfillment_Units_(New_UI)

https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Training/Alma_Essentials_(New_UI)/F_Fulfillment_(New_UI)/04_Booking_Requests_(New_UI)

https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Training/Alma_Essentials_(New_UI)/E_Resource_Management_(New_UI)/05_Work_Orders_(New_UI)


Next Steps

Draft Config Form(s) due week of October 1➢ExL will proof and discuss observations with SUNY libraries➢SUNY libraries will update form as needed

Final Config Form(s) due October 12

EXL will load the config form to your environments upon receipt of test loads from Migration Ops➢Any obvious issues will be corrected with the form➢Other changes will be made manually for remainder of

project

3rd Party Integration Form(s) due October 31➢Indicate your intentions for implementation in column G

and any related comments in column I

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Next Steps

Additionally, gather the following information which we (SLC/EXL) will collect in near future:

Proxy base URL(usually looks like http://proxy.insitution.edu/login?url=)

IP of proxy server

Proxy test credentials(if you are able; helps us verify e-resource access)

Connexion username (looks like 100-000-000) and password (to configure External Search Profile)

Logos (Dimensions next slide)

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http://proxy.insitution.edu/login?url


Next Steps

Logo samples and dimensions

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Site-wide Logo 69 pixels (width) x 26 pixels (height)

Login Page Logo 110 pixels (width) x 36 pixels (height)

Email Logo 400 pixels (width) x 30-70 pixels (height


Questions?

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AGENDA


Optional Tabs (Extended Form)

• Optional tabs – leave blank until discussed with functional reviews:• Booking• Additional ResShare Libraries• Licensing• Work Orders • Create Controlled Vocabularies/Assign Controlled

Vocabularies• Translations

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Configuration Form – Booking Tab

• Defines rules for booking physical resources• Allows patrons to reserve resources for their use at a specific

time in the future• Similar arrangement & entry method as the TOU Tab – establish

default – configure exceptions• Example Uses:

• Study rooms• Equipment• Reserve Media

• Complete only if you intent to manage booking of resources in Alma

• Recommendation: Set up later (in Alma Test Load)• Booking Requests training (7 min)

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https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Training/Alma_Essentials_(New_UI)/F_Fulfillment_(New_UI)/04_Booking_Requests_(New_UI)


Configuration Form – Additional ResShare Libraries

• Used only if more than one library is needed for Resource Sharing

• Recommend – Leave this blank for now

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Configuration Form – Licensing Tab

• Sets/orders license terms (ILL, Fair Use, etc.) to display in Alma/Primo

• We can have a separate call to go over setting up licenses and configure in the test load

• DO NOT complete if you filled in 360RM Migration Form

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Configuration Form – Work Orders Tab

• In Alma, work orders…• Are internal, item level requests used for tracking items that are ‘not on

shelf’• Allow communication of status to staff & patrons

• By default, each library will be provided with an Acquisition/Technical services work order and you will have one institutional Digitization Work Order

• Recommend: Leave this blank for now – we will address customized work order types & statuses later

• Work Orders Video (8 min)

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https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Training/Alma_Essentials_(New_UI)/E_Resource_Management_(New_UI)/05_Work_Orders_(New_UI)


Configuration Form – Controlled Vocabularies Tabs

• Create Controlled Vocabulary & Assign Controlled Vocabulary tabs work together

• These are cataloging shortcuts• Establishes drop-down menu for use in Alma’s MD Editor• Controlled Vocabulary creates text• Assign Controlled Vocabulary Tab connects to metadata profile &

subfield• 041a, 245h, 310a and 655a fields come predefined• Example: the 337a (media type)

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Questions?

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[email protected]

Documents

Alma Configuration Form Meeting