Learning Alma - For Staff and Managers

Owned by Jennifer Koerber (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Jun 28, 2019
3 min read

Training Overview

New staff: Go to the Functional Curricula section on this page

Current staff: Review the Alma Overview Online Courses and Functional Area Trainings in Sequence

Managers: Review the Alma Overview Online Courses section, especially the Information for Managers


Alma Overviews Online Courses

The Alma Overviews Online Courses are video- and documentation-based introductions to the basics of Alma and general functional training. They are designed to provide an introduction or refresher to the Alma unified resource management system and how it has been implemented at Harvard Library. Each course covers a different area, and is made up of Alma wiki pages and video segments accompanied by the script.

These courses can be taken individually or as part of functional area curricula - see the list below.

To register for and begin a course:

  1. Find the course in the training portal or follow a link below
  2. Click Launch in the training portal
  3. Begin working through the course

Visit the training portal to view all available Alma Overviews Online Courses.


Tasks

Each course consists of tasks that must be completed in order. Some tasks are required to complete the online course, others are optional.

Confirm with your manager which 'optional' tasks are required for your work; since these courses are for all staff across the library, we needed to make some tasks "optional" in the portal.

To complete a task:

  1. Click on the task in the training portal
  2. Click on the URL link, or read what the task asks you to do. The URL will open in a new tab or window, depending on your browser settings.
  3. Read the page or watch the video and make sure you understand the information
  4. Go back to the training portal and click Mark Complete

(click to view a larger image)


Information for Managers

Managers should work through training with staff or student workers in their departments. 

  • For new staff, we recommend the Functional Area Curricula below
  • For existing staff - either as a refresher or for new work responsibilities - courses may be suggested individually

The recommended sequence is:

  1. Staff should read/view a task in the Alma Overviews Online Courses, in the sequence presented.
  2. Staff should discuss the content of each task with their manager or other staff in the department, to see how Alma processes interact with local workflow.
  3. Managers should follow up with informal 1:1 training if needed.
  4. Staff then move on to the next task until the course is complete.


Functional Area Trainings In Sequence

Alma Overviews

These classes are required for all staff, regardless of job functions. They are fundamental for understanding Alma as a system and how to perform searches that are part of every functional area.

Cross-Functional Topics

There are a several topics that cut across Fulfillment, Acquisitions, and Resource Management:

Fulfillment (Circulation, Patron Services, and Course Reserves)

Acquisitions

Resource Management (Cataloging & Related Topics)

Alma Analytics


Functional Area Curricula

Any of the courses can be taken individually, but there are also functional area curricula to make it easier to onboard new staff. Managers can ask staff to enroll in a functional area curriculum, which automatically registers staff for all courses in that sequence. Staff do not have to repeat the basic courses between curricula; the training portal tracks course completion, so staff only need to progress to the newer courses.

Acquisitions Curriculum - choose a Path from the drop-down: one for Physical Materials, one for Electronic Materials

Fulfillment Curriculum - choose a Path from the drop-down: one for Circulation Desk/student workers, one for all other Fulfillment areas

Resource Management Curriculum - one path

Finance Curriculum - one path