Keyboard Shortcuts

Owned by Jennifer Koerber (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Mar 31, 2020 by Corinna Baksik
4 min read

Keyboard Shortcuts ("Hot Keys")

Alma is a browser-based / web-based platform and is designed to be used within a graphical interface, where you click options using a mouse or trackpad.

That said, there are many keyboard shortcuts for browsers which will work when using Alma. In addition, Alma itself has shortcuts in different workspaces to streamline activities. The lists below contain frequently-used shortcuts to change font size, move around the page, etc.

Browser Keyboard Shortcuts For Chrome, Firefox, and Edge

Moving around on a page

  • Space bar - 'scroll' down the page
  • Tab - moves through 'active' objects (usually links) on a page
  • Up/down arrows - move up and down in a drop-down list or browser history
  • Home - Go to the top of the web page
  • End - Go to the bottom of the web page
  • CTRL + F - Search the web page

Viewing and reloading pages

  • CTRL + (plus sign) - Zoom-in / make the font size bigger
  • CTRL – (minus sign) - Zoom-out / make the font size smaller
  • CTRL + 0 - Reset zoom
  • F11 - Go Fullscreen
  • Esc - Stop the loading of the web page

Tabs and windows

  • CTRL + T - Open a New Tab
  • CTRL + W - Close current tab
  • CTRL + SHIFT + T - Open previously closed tab
  • CTRL + TAB - Switch between open tabs
  • CTRL + 1 to 8 - Switch to the tab of the corresponding number from left to right
  • CTRL + 1 - Switch to the first tab
  • CTRL + 9 - Switch to the last tab
  • CTRL + N - Open a new browser window
  • ALT + F4 - Close the current browser window. This keyboard shortcut works across Windows.

Less useful in Alma

  • Backspace or ALT + Left Arrow - Go back
  • ALT + Right Arrow - Go forward
  • ALT + Home - Open the home page

Browser-specific shortcuts

For additional shortcuts for each browser, visit the browser's Help section:

Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/keyboard-shortcuts-perform-firefox-tasks-quickly

Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/157179?hl=en

Microsoft Edge: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13805/windows-keyboard-shortcuts-in-apps#edge

 

Alma - Global Keyboard Shortcuts

General Actions

  • F2 – Open/close the main menu navigation bar

    • Use the right/left arrows to jump to other areas of the main menu navigation bar. Use the up/down arrows to focus on navigation links in the visible area.
  • / – Place your cursor in the persistent search box, or in a secondary search box (see Facets, Filters, and Secondary Search) if one exists on the page.

  • Shift + F2 – Open the Alma home page

  • Alt + B – Click Back button

  • Alt + N – Click Next button

  • Alt + E – Click Edit button

  • Alt + S – Click Save button

  • Alt + C – Click Cancel/Close button

  • Ctrl + Alt + S – Open the Scanning interface

  • Alt + R – Open the Returns interface

  • Alt + P – Open the Pick From Shelf interface

  • Alt + W – Open the Patron Workbench

For updates, check back at the Ex Libris KnowledgeBase.

List Navigation

  • Alt + > (or Alt + . (period) if . is on the same key as >) – Next 

  • Alt + < (or Alt + , (comma) if , is on the same key as >) – Previous

  • Alt + [ – First page

  • Alt + ] – Last page

For updates, check back at the Ex Libris KnowledgeBase.

Alma - Patron Services

On the Patron Services page:

  • Alt + 1 – Opens the Loans tab
  • Alt + 2 – Opens the Returns tab
  • Alt + 3 – Opens the Requests tab
  • Ctrl + Alt + D – Same as clicking Done; returns to the Patron Identification page to enable searching for another patron (see Selecting a Patron)

On the Manage Item Returns page:

  • Ctrl + Alt + R – Return patron items
     
  • Alt + Ctrl + L – Opens the patron identification page (see Selecting a Patron)
  • Alt + Ctrl + C – Clears the list of returned items
  • Alt + Shift + X – Returns to the Alma homepage

For more, visit the Ex Libris KnowledgeBase.

Alma - Metadata Editor

Many of the keyboard shortcuts available in Aleph are also available in the Metadata Editor.

General Navigation:

  • Alt + right arrow - Next page
  • Alt + left arrow - Previous page
  • Arrow up/down - Moves the cursor up/down field by field in a record
  • Arrow right/left - Moves the cursor to the right/left across the field, subfield, indicator, and content information

File Menu: (Alt + f)

  • Alt + N - New
  • Ctrl+Alt+S - Save draft
  • Ctrl+S - Save record
  • Ctrl+Alt+R - Save and release record
  • Ctrl+Shift+R - Release record
  • Ctrl+D - Delete record
  • Ctrl+Q - Exit (without saving any changes)

Edit Menu: (Alt + e)

  • F8 - Add field
  • Ctrl+F6 - Remove selected field row
  • F9 - Add sub-field
  • Ctrl+Alt+E - Enhance record
  • Ctrl+E - Expand from template
  • F4 - Generate author number
  • F6 - Split editor
  • F7 - Full screen
  • Ctrl+F - Open form editor
  • Esc - Close form editor
  • Ctrl + X to cut, + C to copy, + V to paste
  • F3 - Link to suggested authority record

Tools Menu: (Alt + t)

  • Ctrl+Alt+H - Add holdings record
  • Alt+O - Add local portfolio (electronic resource)
  • Ctrl+Alt+O - Create PO Line and exit
  • Ctrl+M - Find matches to a bib record
  • Ctrl+I - View inventory on a bib record
  • Ctrl+Alt+H - Add another holding to bib record
  • Alt+I - Add item
  • Ctrl+Alt+B - From holding, view bib record
  • ALT+U - Update from bib record

For a full list of shortcuts and toolbar icons, visit the Ex Libris KnowledgeBase.

Metadata Editor keyboard shortcuts: PDF Document on Google posted by BibSys (Norwegian library system). All commands work as of Oct 2017. This document has some keyboard shortcuts not listed in the ExL MDE page.

Link to suggested
authority record
F3