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Let’s look at the rest of the home page.
Persistent Search
Below the main menu is the persistent search bar – so named because it appears on every page in Alma. The Searching module of this Overview course will demonstrate the many ways to search in Alma, but let’s quickly review the basics of the persistent search bar now.
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Once you’ve chosen your Search Type and Search Criteria, type in the term or phrase you want to search for, then hit Enter or click on the magnifying glass. The results will display below the search bar, and you can limit by facets on the left or sort your list.
Advanced Search
The simple search is incredibly robust, but there is an Advanced Search to select multiple criteria and quickly get a specific set of results.
Additional Search Options
For both basic and advanced searches, you can click on Save Query on the right to save the search query to re-run in the future and get current results.
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We will review facets, sorting, exporting, and customization in the Searching module of the Alma Overviews course.
Recently-Used Information
Because you log in to Alma as an individual, it will remember what you recently did or what you recently looked for. This makes it faster to go to the same place or conduct the same search. Look for the “clock running backwards” icon to indicate recently-used information.
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In a search: If you click in the search field or start typing, Alma will suggest terms you’ve searched for before. This is useful if you need to find something again a few days later. Note: You can’t delete these terms, and if you clear your browser form information, they will disappear.
Widgets
At the bottom of the home page is a space for you to add widgets. A widget is a small container for information on a web page. In Alma, these widgets can display information about the Alma system or the library, or charts and tables of data from the Alma database.
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The first time you go to any page, take a moment to just move your cursor around the screen over different links and buttons and icons. Let Alma tell you what they’re for, and then refer to your training for how to use them.
Context-dependent menus
Throughout your training in Alma, you’ll see that many screens will change depending on options you select. These are called “context-dependent options” – the options change depending on the context you’ve chosen. We saw this with the criteria for search types and another example comes when making a request, the first question asks what kind of request you’re making, and the next fields change depending on what you choose.
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The idea of these context-based menus is to 'tidy up' your workspace. Again, if you can't see a function you need to do your job, let your manager know immediately. We want you to be able to do your work.
The Back Button
The best way to move back a page in Alma is to use the on-screen back arrow, not the back icon in your browser. This is because if you use the browser button, Alma might refresh your search results page or the fields you were working on. If you use the back arrow or a back button on the page, like this, Alma knows where you’re trying to get back to and will take you there.
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