New Alma Menu Layout

Owned by Corinna Baksik
Last updated: Feb 26, 2021

This layout will be the default for all users beginning with the November 2020 release. The new menu layout increases your working area, improves navigation, gives you more options to customize your menus, and facilitates improved user workflows.

WATCH A TRAINING VIDEO (3 minutes)  by Ex Libris.

If you need to turn off the new layout, and use the old one, update your user profile by clicking on the user icon in the upper right of your Alma session:


Rollout timeline in production:

  • July 2020, optionally as an opt-in choice (by sending request to LTS)
  • September 2020, opt-in self-service (user preferences) 
  • November 2020, default for all users (you may opt-out if any outstanding bugs create productivity issues)
  • March 2021, default for all users (opt-out option no longer available)


Main menu relocation and Search bar changes

The Main menu is now a vertical bar on the left, which creates more vertical space on your screen. 

The Search bar is persistently at the top of the screen and is now always available. The advanced search option is now an icon. 



  • The main menu can be collapsed to make it narrower. Do so by going to the Quick Links menu (see next section) and choosing Collapse left menu. The collapsed menu will show icons and no labels. 

New Metadata Editor

  • When using the new MDE, the icon to navigate to/away from it is in the lower left corner, right above the gear icon (for administrators only). We have asked Ex Libris to move the MDE option to be in line with the vertical menu list. 
  • Quick Links can now be accessed via the top icon in the new menu (the icon is a menu with a star on it). To close the Quick Links menu, click on the icon again. 
  • A Hot Key is automatically assigned to each Quick Link item. 


  • There are 2 methods of adding items to your Quick Links:
    1. Open the Quick Link menu and use the search bar to find a menu item. Hover your mouse over the item and you will see a grey star. Click on the grey star to make it blue. 
    2. From the Main Menu, view any of the sub-menus. Hover your mouse over the item and you will see a grey star. Click on the grey star to make it blue. 
  • You can pin your Quick Links so that they persist as a new horizontal menu under the persistent search bar. To do so, open the Quick Links menu and choose the Pin option. 



Summary section

  • On all pages that have a summary section containing read-only information about the displayed entity, this section was moved to the right-hand panel (it previously display above the entity). Now you can see more dynamic information for the entity you are working with, along the static information for this entity.  (In the future it will also be possible to collapse this pane). 

  • The pane can be expanded vertically to show additional information by clicking on the Info icon. 
  • The pane can be fully collapsed to create more horizontal space: 

                                                                

  • For narrow screens, the pane is moved above the entity, in collapsed form: 


Advanced options

    • Each user can customize the Alma Main Menu by hiding links you do not need. 
    • Open the Quick Links menu. Choose the option to Customize main menu links (the wrench icon). 
    • Hide menu options by dragging them to the Hide menu area. (Changes are saved automatically). 
    • The menu links that you hid will still be available under a new ellipsis icon: 


Customizing the upper right menu

    • Choose the ellipsis option in the upper right to customize the menu: 

  • To hide icons, drag them to the Hide Icons area. 
  • We recommend hiding the DARA icon unless you are one of the few staff who needs to access it (the little robot with the number on it). 
  • You must click Save. (This varies from the customization of the left main menu configuration). 



Known issues


  • ACCESSIBILITY: New menu layout is not compatible with Chrome high contrast browser extension (i.e. the extension won't work). This is being actively addressed. 
  • PRINTING: bib record no longer in a tidy layout when printing from browser (Usersnap report)
  • NAVIGATION: after some tasks, the horizontal Quick Link menu disappears from under the top bar, and keyboard shortcuts don't work.  (Usersnap)
  • NAVIGATION: Button for new MDE in unexpected location (lower left), away from other menus (Usernap #31)

  • NAVIGATION: When returning to a list of titles from a list of holdings or a list of items, the user is returned to the top of the list.