Alma Overviews

Alma was implemented on July 3rd, replacing Aleph/Verde/SFX and taking over the functions of Cognos. Connexion (cataloging), Aeon (special collections), and DRS (digital repository) remain in use.

Major Differences Between Aleph & Alma

Logging In

Logging in: To log in to Alma , visit this link and log in with your HarvardKey credentials. --> Alma Training Sandbox

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 which option you'd like to use, and make sure to click the box next to Remember me for 30 days. To claim your HarvardKey, recover your password, or change your personal details, visit the HarvardKey information pages.

Logging out: Alma will automatically log you out after 60 minutes of inactivity. If you work 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.

The Home Page

This is the Alma home page. Return to this page at any time by clicking the Harvard shield in the upper left corner.

Main menu bar

The main Alma menu matches the functional areas of Alma:

• Acquisitions
• Resources
• Fulfillment
• Administration
• Analytics

Location: You can set your location at any time, and may need to change it periodically to complete your work. To see what your location is at a glance, click on the Always show location box. Your location can affect what options you see and actions you take in Alma, especially for circulation, receiving, and work order functions. If you aren't able to complete a task, check where your location is set first and choose the correct location for the work you're doing.

Account icon: Click here to details about your profile and some basic usability settings (including font size and layout spread). Also click here to log out.

Tasks: After Harvard has begun to do work in Alma, the Task List will be a way of keeping track of the things that need your attention.

Gear icon: This is the configuration icon, and should only be visible to people who are able to change configuration settings.

Question mark icon: This gives you the option of different kinds of help with Alma, including the Ex Libris Knowledge Center.

More on Location

For Shared Services staff - both Access Services and ITS - it's helpful to know exactly what is and isn't affected by where your location is set.

As a general rule, if you are in Shared Services and do most/all of your work for or at one library, it's safe to set your location to that library and only change it when necessary.

For staff who often work at/with multiple libraries:

Tasks that are not limited by location:

• Searching
• Viewing most records
• Creating items (outside of the receiving process)
• Cataloging/Working in the Metadata Editor (bibs and holdings)
• Creating Orders (what matters is who you choose as the PO Owner, not your location)
• Reviewing orders or invoices
• Viewing requests on materials

Tasks that are limited or governed by location:

• Circulation, pick list, and hold shelf functions
• Receiving materials
• Initiating and working with Work Orders

DO THIS FIRST!

The first time you log in to Alma, do these two things right away. They'll improve your experience of using Alma.

1. Click Always Show Location. The location you set will change the options you see and the actions you can take in Alma. Always showing that location lets you see at a glance if you're set to the right location for the work you're doing.
   1. Click on the location icon (a map pointer) in the blue menu bar.
   2. Click on the box next to Always Show Location so that a check mark appears in the box.
   3. You're all set!
      
      
2. Add two widgets to your home page. You might choose to add other widgets later, but these two will be important to working in Alma.
   1. Click on the blue plus sign on the right side of the screen.
   2. Click on the boxes next to the first two widgets you see: Tasks and Notifications
      
      
      
   3. Click on the X in the upper right corner of this dialogue box, or hit the ESC key to close the box.
   4. You're all set.

Widgets

A widget is a small container for information on a web page. In Alma, these widgets can contain information about the Alma system (Notifications), about the library, or display charts and tables of data from the Alma database.

To add a widget to your home page:

1. Click on the blue plus sign on the right side of the screen.
2. Click on the box next to the widget you want to add.
3. Click on the X in the upper right dialogue box or hit the ESC key to close the box.

To remove a widget, click on the downward-facing arrow in the upper right corner of the widget box, then click on Remove.

Context-dependent menus

The options underneath the main menu headings will change depending on:

• Your account permissions
• Your location

For instance, if your location is not at a circulation desk, you will not see any circulation functions. If you do not have certain permission-defining roles (specific to Alma), you may not be able to see some options; if someone's primary responsibility is processing invoices, you will probably not see circulation functions.

Quick Links

To identify menu items you need frequently - or menu choices you need rarely (and can never seem to find) - hover over the name of a menu item and the outline of a star will appear. Click on that star to add that menu item to your Quick Links list.

To see your Quick Links list, click on the star to the left of Acquisitions in the persistent menu bar. The first few items in your Quick Links list will display in the bar; it's limited by the length of the titles of the items, so you may see more or fewer. You can star more than that number of items, but only the first few you star will display on the bar. Before you star, identify what your top 5-7 items are and star them first, then star any additional items you want to highlight.

Click the Return to Main Menu icon to return to the main menu.

Persistent Search

Below the persistent menu is the persistent search bar. These two items appear on every page in Alma, which means you don't need to return to the home page to start a different task. Just choose a new item from the menu or search for something (like an invoice number) to begin working on something new.

Again, the search choices are context-dependent. To search, choose a Search Type from the first column; once you choose a search type, the Search Fields will be limited to only the fields in that type of record. If you choose the search type "Invoices," you will see "Invoice Number" but won't see "ISBN" as a search field option.

Most Search Types and Search Fields are self-explanatory, and Ex Libris provides a list of more-complex search fields at the Knowledge Center.

Advanced Search: The simple search is incredibly robust, but if you require a very specific search for a group of records, use the Advanced Search.

1. Choose the Search Type from the blue box first
2. Click on Advanced Search
3. Choose the first Search Field and a comparison term for it, then input the search criteria (remember, these will be context-dependent on which Search Type you chose)
4. Click on the plus symbol to add another Search Field, and repeat.
5. Repeat until you have all of the search terms you want. It may be good to start with the most important terms and get a list of results, then add more to refine further.
6. Click Search
7. Use the facets on the left to limit the results, or sort by primary and secondary sort within the list of results
8. If you want to be able to repeat this search, click on Save Query on the right
9. To export the results as a .CSV file, click on the Export icon (a piece of paper with an arrow facing to the right)
10. Click on Clear form to start over

To customize what displays in your list of search results, and in what order, click on the Gear icon.

Read more on Search and Sets (the results of searches).

Links to other help

• include these in online wiki for topics and in handouts
• Help Menu within Alma: Highlight the benefits of using the first two choices on the Help menu: Browse Online Help and Help for This Page
• links to Alma instructional videos
  • clicking on text balloon icon to show the text being spoken to you (JW found this quite helpful)
• "Show me How" icon visible at bottom of screen (must turn on/off in Help menu)

Resource Pages

Aleph to Alma - Tips & Suggestions

Alma Glossary with Aleph Translations

Aleph to Alma "Reverse Lookup" of Terms

Aleph to Alma Field Mapping Guides

Ex Libris' documentation on the User Interface

Alma Release Notes at Ex Libris