Alma
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Welcome to the Alma documentation and training information section of the LTS Staff Documentation wiki. This page was last updated on May 15, 2019 with a training update.
General Alma Information
Alma login URLs
Production Alma for Harvard Key logins: https://hvd.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/mng/login?auth=SAML&idpCode=SAML_Alma
Production Alma for shared circulation desk logins: https://hvd.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/mng/login
Production Alma mobile app: https://hvd.alma.exlibrisgroup.com?auth=SAML&idpCode=SAML_Alma
Sandbox/training version of Alma: https://hvd-psb.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/mng/login?auth=SAML&idpCode=SAML_Alma_PSB
Production Leganto: https://hvd.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/leganto/nui/lists?auth=SAML&idpCode=SAML_Alma
Alma Logins
For information about requesting and updating Alma logins (both production and sandbox), visit the Request an Alma Login or Login Update page. Managers should ask staff to watch the Alma Overviews online course to learn Alma basics while requesting a login be created.
Alma Bugs or Slowness
If you are experiencing a bug or slowness in Alma, please report it to LTS staff. When submitting a ticket, please provide a screen recording of the issue. To create a screen recording, follow these instructions:
If there is a task you perform that is always slow, follow steps 1-6 below, except you only need to starting record+tracking with the actions that lead up to the task. Stop recording+tracking after the task has completed.
If there is a task you perform that is periodically slow, these are difficult to capture since they cannot be predicted, therefore we ask that you record a video of your screen while you are working for an hour or so and you expect to be performing that task multiple times. Follow steps 1-6 below.
Start a Zoom meeting with just yourself (Zoom > New Meeting), Share Screen, and Record to the Cloud (under More menu).
In Alma, under Help menu, Start Performance Tracking session. Click Yes in dialog box.
Work for an hour or so and make note of roughly what time it was when the slow task occurred, what the task was, and what record number was involved. When you capture slowness, you can end your session or you can keep working to try to catch another slow task.
When you wish to stop, select the Alma option to Stop Performance Tracking Session and Generate File.
End Zoom meeting.
Send email to lts-support@harvard-lts.libanswers.com with:
What task was slow, when it occurred record number involved
Tracking file attachment
Link to cloud recording when you get it from Zoom
LTS Support Form
As you use Alma, if you have any questions about it - no matter how big or small - please submit them via the LTS Alma Support Form at http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ois:almasupport. By asking your questions, you're helping the LTS Support Staff learn how to help you use Alma, and they can forward questions on to the Alma technical teams as needed.
Information Sources for Alma
There are multiple Alma Communication and Update Sources, including:
Documents on this wiki
Pages may still change significantly as we gain experience in Alma, and updates will be made as new features and processes are introduced. Do not print out materials - pages will continue to change.
Alma Training - Launch of Phase 3/Long-Term Training, June 2019
The Alma long-term training (Phase 3) is now complete! Please visit the Learning Alma - For Staff and Managers page for guidance on how to onboard new staff to Alma, and how existing staff can get refreshers or extend their skills.
As previously announced:
The training content is comprised of documentation pages on this Alma wiki and the Alma Overviews videos. This content is available on the wiki at any time for review and to answer questions.
The training structure in the Harvard Training Portal provides a formal sequence of pages and videos to introduce concepts in a logical order.
Courses in the Harvard Training Portal present a sequence of tasks (read a wiki page, watch a video) on a single functional topic (Circulation, Cataloging, Finance, Work Orders, etc.). These courses can be taken individually for review or as needed for new duties.
Functional area curricula are designed to provide new Harvard Library staff with comprehensive training on Alma.
Alma updates and new features will be incorporated into training/documentation as needed by the new functional working groups.
The content and structure is based on the implementation training sessions, and will continue to be refined by the working groups and LTS as staff use it.
Form a Learning Circle! Many departments and local units are meeting in small Learning Circles to talk about Alma and its impact on their work. We encourage all staff to do this, and benefit from each other’s learning. Please see the Learning Circles page on the LTS wiki for more about running a successful peer discussion group: https://harvardwiki.atlassian.net/wiki/x/bIOUAg
Guide to Alma Documentation Pages
@Emily Kelly , can you look at why the comment feature is back on in the wiki?