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Table of Contents


Alma on Laptops and Desktops

Preferred Browsers

Alma works best in the following browsers, in descending order of ease:

  1. Google Chrome 
    1. Chrome keyboard shortcuts
    2. Chrome help pages
  2. Mozilla Firefox
    1. Firefox keyboard shortcuts
    2. Firefox help pages
  3. Microsoft Edge
    1. Edge keyboard shortcuts
    2. Microsoft Edge help pages

Alma is not supported in either Internet Explorer (because IE has been replaced by Microsoft Edge)

Best Practices

You can have Alma open in multiple tabs. ExL doc: Alma environment in multiple tabs

Do not refresh the browser unless absolutely necessary. If you refresh a page, you may lose search results/re-run a search, lose fields you've already entered, or go back to a previous page. Searches should be re-run to refresh results, and some monitoring pages have a Refresh option in the header section or at the top of the monitoring list.

For more, please see the Ex Libris Knowledge Center page Browser and Operating System Requirements for Alma.


Logging In to Alma

Logging in with HarvardKey:

  • If you haven't logged in with HarvardKey on your computer recently, you'll need to go through the 2-factor authentication process.

  • Choose the device - phone number, text message, Duo app device, or token - that you use to log in.

  • On your own computer, click the box next to Remember this device for 30 days. This means you'll only have to type in your username and password, not have the 2nd factor of authentication.

  • If you let your browser remember your username and password for this site, you don't need to type them in every time. Just click on the red Login button and you're all set.

  • To claim your HarvardKey, recover your password, or change your personal details, visit the HarvardKey information pages. (https://key.harvard.edu/)


Logging In Without HarvardKey

If you work at a shared desk (such as a Circulation desk) or do not have Harvard Key credentials, your login screen will look different and you will not use 2-factor authentication. Log in with the correct username and password and you're set.


Logging Out

Alma will automatically log you out after 60 minutes of inactivity.

If you log in as yourself at a shared computer, log out at the end of your shift or if you'll be off-desk for an extended period of time to protect your account.



Two-step Verficiation for Harvard Key dialog box

Non-Harvard Key Alma login screen

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Bookmarking the Alma URL

Chrome

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To create a bookmark:

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. Go to the site you want to visit again in the future.
  3. To the right of the address bar, click Star StarImage Removed.

To change the name or web address/URL of a bookmark:

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More MoreImage Removed and thenImage Removed Bookmarks and thenImage Removed Bookmark Manager.
  3. To the right of a bookmark, click the Down arrow Down ArrowImage Removed and thenImage Removed Edit.

More on managing bookmarks in Chrome

Firefox

Screenshot of how to edit a bookmark in Firefox - details come nextImage Removed

To create a bookmark, click the star in the toolbar. The star will turn blue and a bookmark for the page you're on will be created in the Other Bookmarks folder. That's it!

To change the name or web address/URL of a bookmark:

  1. To edit the details of your bookmark, click the star a second time to open the Edit This Bookmark dialog box.
    • In the Edit This Bookmark box you can change any of these details:
      • Name: This is the name that Firefox displays for the bookmark in menus.
      • Folder: Choose what folder to store your bookmark in by picking one from the drop-down menu (for example, the Bookmarks Menu or Bookmarks Toolbar). In that drop-down menu you can also select Choose... to display a list of all bookmarks folders.
      • Tags: You can use tags to help you search through and organize your bookmarks. For more information, see Bookmark Tags - Categorize bookmarks to make them easy to find.
  2. When you are finished editing, click Done to close the box.

More on managing bookmarks in Firefox

Microsoft Edge

To create a bookmark:

  1. Select the Add to favorites or reading list   button.
  2. Rename the favorite if you want, and then select Add.

To change the name or web address/URL for a bookmark:

  1. At the top right, click More MoreImage Removedand thenImage RemovedFavorites
  2. In the list of Favorites, look for the bookmark you want to edit.
  3. Right click on the bookmark, then choose:
    1. Rename to change the title of the bookmark
    2. Edit URL to change the web address for the bookmark

All Browsers

You can also create a bookmark by highlighting the text of one of the links shown below, and then left-click dragging it to your browser's Bookmarks Bar (if you have that showing, below the address bar), or to the Bookmarks menu option (if the menu bar is visible in your browser below the page title at the very top.).

Bookmarks

You can also create a bookmark by using one of the links below: 

login

Create an Alma Desktop Shortcut

If you would prefer to have a Desktop shortcut to Alma, here's how that is accomplished in Windows 10 (Windows 7 should be similar).

From your Windows Desktop:

  • Right-click on the Desktop, and from the menu that appears, choose New; then Shortcut.
    • In the next window, enter the Alma URL as the "Location". Click Next to continue.
  • Give your Shortcut a name as requested, and click Finish.
  • There should now be a new Desktop shortcut to the Alma URL. The icon will reflect your default browser (Firefox, Chrome, Edge)

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    When you click on the shortcut, your browser should open to the Harvard Key login page, or, if you are still logged in, to your Alma home page.

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    Alma on Mobile Devices

    Using Alma on a desktop or laptop is highly recommended, but there may be times when it's more effective to use a mobile tablet or smartphone. You can use both devices, but Alma is not built for this use, and may be awkward on a small screen. Also, keyboard shortcuts may be harder to use on a mobile device, especially the lack of F-keys in the Metadata Editor.

    Using a Mobile Browser

    Alma does seem to work well on a browser on a mobile device, especially tablets. It has been observed working on an iPad in the Safari browser app, but not directly in other operating systems. The Ex Libris documentation states that Alma is supported on iPad, iOS 11 or later; it does not mention Android support. Read more at the Ex Libris Knowledge Center.

    Note About the Metadata Editor: The MDE relies on F-key commands for a number of functions, especially the F3 key that is the only way to link a name authority record to a 100 field. These keys are not available on a tablet, so be prepared to have limited functionality on that device.

    The Alma App

    There is an iOS/Android app for Alma that covers two basic Fulfillment functions: Scan in Items and Pick From Shelf. It does not include any other functions, and the Scan In Items function can only be used by locations that are designated as Circulation Desks. Because of these limitations, the app is not currently being used at Harvard.

    Read more at the Ex Libris Knowledge Center - Alma Mobile.