Configuring Libraries

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This page describes how to configure libraries for fulfillment including services between libraries in an institution, transit time rules, resource sharing, etc.
For links to all the main fulfillment documentation pages see Fulfillment.

Configuring Fulfillment Services Between Libraries Within an Institution

To configure fulfillment relationships, you must have one of the following roles:

General System Administrator
Fulfillment Administrator

Watch the Managing Libraries and Locations video.

Fulfillment relationships define the services that one library is able to perform for another library within the same institution. For general information on working with fulfillment networks see Fulfillment Networks.

You configure fulfillment relationships on the Organizational Units Relationships Setup page (Configuration Menu > General > Libraries > Relationships).

Organization Unit Relations Setup New UI.png

Organizational Units Relationships Setup Page

Ensure that you are within the context of the institution/library whose relationships you want to configure by selecting the required institution/library from the Configuring filter on the Fulfillment Configuration page.

The following actions can be performed on this page:

Adding Organizational Unit Relationships (see Adding Organizational Unit Relationships)
Editing Organizational Unit Relationships (select Edit from the row actions list)
Deleting Organizational Unit Relationships (select Delete from the row actions list)

Adding Library Relationships

You can add organizational unit relationships.

To add organizational unit relationships:

On the Organizational Units Relationships Setup page (Configuration Menu > General > Libraries > Relationships), select Add Relation. The Add Library Relationship dialog box appears.

Add Library Relationship Dialog Box

If you select ALL in the Library dropdown list when creating the relationship, this selection only applies at the time the relationship is created.
From the Library drop-down list, select which library or libraries will receive services from the library that you are configuring.
Select the services that the library you are configuring can provide to the library selected above:
- Acquire for (available on both the library and institution levels) – The library that you are configuring is able to acquire items for the specified library. This means that you can create a PO Line with the library that you are configuring as PO Line Owner, and the ordered items can be for the specified library.
- Circulate for (available on the library level only) – The library that you are configuring is able to check in and check out items for the specified library. If this option is not chosen and a loan or return is attempted by a different library, a block on the action may be applied. For more information on block preferences, see Configuring Block Preferences.
- Deliver to (available on the library level only) – The library that you are configuring is able to deliver requested items to the specified library.
- Supply from (available on the library level only) – The library that you are configuring is able to supply items to the resource sharing library. The libraries for which you configure a Supply from relationship display in the Availability information for lending requests on the Resource Sharing Lending Requests Task List page (see Managing Resource Sharing Lending Requests), and on the Manage Resource Options page when managing fulfillment options for a request (see Managing Fulfillment Options).
Selecting All for any of these service options indicates that the library/institution being configured can provide the service for all libraries or receive the service from all libraries in the institution. If All is selected for a service but an individual library has a different value, the library’s selection will take precedence.
Select Add and Close to close the dialog box. The relationship you defined is listed under Library Relationships on the Organizational Units Relationships Setup page.

Configuring Transit Time Rules

To configure transit-time rules, you must have one of the following roles:

General System Administrator
Fulfillment Administrator

Transit-time rules enable Alma to calculate expected delivery times for fulfillment requests. When an item request is received, the fulfillment transit-time rules are checked to determine the expected transit time based on the location of the item requested, the pickup location and, in some cases, the material type of the item (for example, moving an oversized item from one library to another may take longer than moving an average-sized item). Alma uses the transit-time rules to find the copy of the requested item that can be expected to arrive at the required pickup location the soonest (see also Pickup at Shelf and How does Alma 'choose' the copy that will fulfill a request?).

There is a default transit-time rule that defines the delivery time when none of the transit-time rules is met. This default rule can be modified, but out-of-the-box it is set to a 12-hour delivery time. When you define a new transit-time rule, you can test the rule by calculating the estimated time of arrival (ETA) for a scenario in which the rule is applied. For details, see To calculate the estimated time of arrival for a resource below.

Each transit-time rule can be either enabled or disabled. By default, each new rule is enabled.

You configure transit-time rules from the Transit Time Rules page (Configuration Menu > Fulfillment > Library Management > Transit Time).

Transit Time Rules Page

Transit-time rules can be configured at the institution level only. Select the required institution from the Configuring filter on the Fulfillment Configuration page.

The following actions can be performed on this page:

Adding a transit-time rule (see Adding a Transit Time Rule)
Editing a transit-time rule (select Edit from the row actions list)
Deleting a transit-time rule (select Delete from the row actions list)
Editing the default transit-time rule (select Edit from the row actions list for the default rule)
Enabling or disabling the transit-time rule
Moving transit-time rules up or down in order of preference. The order of the rules within the list of rules is significant because Alma applies the first (enabled) rule whose input parameters are satisfied.
Calculating the ETA for a Resource (see Calculating the Estimated Time of Arrival For a Resource)

Adding a Transit Time Rule

You can add a new transit-time rule, which can be either enabled or disabled. By default, each new rule is enabled.

The delivery time that is calculated gives an estimate of when a requested item will arrive at the pickup location. This estimate can have an effect on how and when the service is provided to the requesting patron. In some cases, the patron may not be interested in the service after a particular time or date. In such a case, longer delivery times can eliminate certain fulfillment options altogether.

The material type of the physical item requested and the source (From) location of an item can also limit the fulfillment scenarios available for a given request, as they, too, may affect the speed of the transfer.

To add a transit-time rule:

On the Transit Time Rules page (Configuration Menu > Fulfillment > Library Management > Transit Time), select Add Rule. The Transit Time Rules Editor page appears.
If you want to create a copy of an existing transit-time rule, select Duplicate from the row actions menu. Once you have copied the rule, you can modify it as needed.

Transit Time Rules Editor Page
In the Transit Times Rules Editor section, specify a name (required) and description (optional) for the new rule.
In the Input Parameters section, specify an operator and enter values for the following parameters:
- From – The source organization unit—that is, the library or institution from which the item will be transferred.
  You can add several source organization units to be included in the rule by pressing Ctrl on your keyboard while selecting the relevant values.
- To – The destination—that is, the library to which the item will be delivered. The To drop-down list includes only those libraries that have a Deliver to relationship with the source location. For details on fulfillment relationships, see Configuring Fulfillment Relationships.
  You can add several destinations to be included in the rule by pressing Ctrl on your keyboard while selecting the relevant values.
- Material type – Select the type of item that is to be delivered.
- Item location – Select the physical location inside the source location from which the item will be transferred.
- Start time – Enter the time of day at which items are dispatched from the source location to the specified destination. For example, if it takes longer to move around items in the morning than in the afternoon then you can have a rule with ‘Start Time After 12:00’ and another with ‘Start Time Before 12:00’.
  Unlike an item that has been scanned in and therefore has a known hour at which it has been put in transit, there is no known scan-in time that the system can use to calculate the closest item for fulfilling a request. Therefore, when the system calculates the closest copy that can be used to fulfill a request (see Pickup at Shelf) it uses a rule with no start time, i.e. the Start Time is set to ‘At *’.
In the Output Parameters section:
- Delivery time (in hours) - time that it will take to deliver the item when the specified input parameters are fulfilled.
- Use for Hold Request Pickup Calculation - select this checkbox for the item to be considered for a request on a different campus. The checkbox is displayed only when the From and To library fields are configured and the Material Type field is Any. By default, the checkbox is not selected.
  When a hold request is created and the resource to fulfill the request is not available in the selected pickup location, Alma matches resources to the request using additional parameters, as follows:
  - Alma attempts to locate resources belonging to another library on the same campus as the pickup location.
  - If no resources are found on the same campus, multiple resources exist in different locations on the campus, or no campuses have been defined, Alma checks the Transit Time Rules. If a rule exists for this resource and the Use for Hold Request Pickup Calculation checkbox is selected, Alma chooses this resource.
  - If multiple resources have a transit-time rule, then the resource with the shortest transit time is selected.
  From and To libraries are the only input parameters in the transit-time rule that are considered for the location calculation.
Select Save. The rule you defined is listed at the bottom of the list of rules on the Transit Times Rules page.

Calculating the Estimated Time of Arrival For a Resource

You can calculate the ETA of a resource that is to be transferred from one location to another. The ETA indicates in how many hours the resource will arrive at the destination location, and is based on the transit-time rules that are defined for the source and destination locations. If none of the defined transit-time rules is satisfied, the default transit-time rule is applied. Calculating the ETA is useful in testing the rules that have been defined.

To calculate the estimated time of arrival for a resource:

On the Transit Time Rules page (Configuration Menu > Fulfillment > Library Management > Transit Time), select Calculate ETA. The Calculate ETA page appears.

Calculate ETA Page
In the Transit Time - Input section, enter the input parameters for the calculation. See step 3 in Adding a Transit Time Rule for details on the input parameters.
Select Calculate ETA. The calculated ETA is displayed in the Delivery time field.

Configuring Reshelve-Without-Transit Rules

To configure reshelve-without-transit rules, you must have one of the following roles:

General System Administrator
Fulfillment Administrator

You can set relation rules between libraries, departments and circulation desks so that transit for reshelving will not be required between certain libraries. This reduces redundant work effort by not automatically putting items in transit for reshelving when the libraries are close to each other. This does not affect other transit types, such as hold shelf, work order, and processing. For more detailed information and an example of this functionality, see Transit for Reshelving Rules and “No Transit".

The default rule has no input parameter and an output parameter set to false to put all items into transit when reshelving.

Each rule can be either enabled or disabled. By default, each new rule is enabled.

You configure reshelve-without-transit rules from the Reshelve Without Transit Rules page (Configuration Menu > Fulfillment > Library Management > Reshelve Without Transit Rules).

Reshelve Without Transit Rules Page

Reshelve-without-transit rules can be configured at the institution level only. Select the required institution from the Configuring filter on the Fulfillment Configuration page.

The following actions can be performed on this page:

Adding a reshelve-without-transit rule (see Adding a Reshelve-Without-Transit Rule)
Editing a reshelve-without-transit rule (select Edit from the row actions list)
Deleting a reshelve-without-transit rule (select Delete from the row actions list)
Editing the default reshelve-without-transit rule (select Edit from the row actions list for the default rule)
Enabling or disabling a reshelve-without-transit rule
Moving reshelve-without-transit rules up or down in order of preference. The order of the rules within the list of rules is significant because Alma applies the first (enabled) rule whose input parameters are satisfied.

Adding a Reshelve-Without-Transit Rule

You can add a new reshelve-without-transit rule, which can be either enabled or disabled. By default, each new rule is enabled.

To add a transit-time rule:

On the Transit Time Rules page (Configuration Menu > Fulfillment > Library Management > Reshelve Without Transit Rules), select Add Rule. The Reshelve Without Transit Rules Editor page appears.
If you want to create a copy of an existing reshelve-without-transit rule, select Duplicate from the row actions menu. Once you have copied the rule, you can modify it as needed.

Reshelve Without Transit Rules Editor Page
In the Reshelve Without Transit Rules Editor section, specify a name (required) and description (optional) for the new rule.
In the Input Parameters section, specify an operator and enter values for the following parameters. For all of the input parameters, multiple selections may be chosen:
- From Library – The source—that is, the library from which the item is sent. Select the operator (In List or Not In List) and one or more libraries of this institution.
- From Department - Select the operator (In List or Not In List) and the department. If one library is selected in From Library, all departments within that library are displayed. If no libraries are selected in From Library, all departments in the institution are displayed. If two or more libraries are selected in From Library, the field is disabled and no departments can be chosen.
- From Desk - Select the operator (In List or Not In List) and the desk. If one library is selected in From Library, all circulation desks within that library are displayed. If two or more libraries are selected in From Library, the field is disabled and no desks can be chosen.
- To Library – The destination—that is, the library to which the item is delivered. Select the operator (In List or Not In List) and one or more libraries of this institution.
- To Location – This field is disabled by default. If a single library is selected in the To Library field, select the operator (In List or Not In List) and one or more locations of the selected library.
In the Output Parameters section, specify the following parameters:
- Reshelve Without Transit – Select True to set the rule to reshelve an item without transit when the specified input parameters are fulfilled. Select False for all items to reshelve with transit.
- Time to reshelve (hours) – Specify the period of time in hours (or portions of hours, such as 10.5) that is allotted to place an item back on the shelf after it has been returned. During this time, Alma and Primo will indicate to patrons and librarians that the status of the item is available and awaiting reshelving. When this period of time expires, the status will show that the item is in place on the shelf.
  
  Watch the Reshelving Items Time video (2:07 min).
Select Save. The rule you defined is listed at the bottom of the list of rules on the Reshelve Without Transit Rules page.

When an item is scanned in to a location other than its owning library, Alma checks these rules. If there is no transit relation between the current location of the item and its destination, the item is set to In Transit. Otherwise, it is set to Item In Place.

Configuring Parameters of a Resource Sharing Library

To configure parameters of a resource sharing library, you must have one of the following roles:

General System Administrator

Libraries within an institution or campus may be configured to have relationships where they enable patrons to check in or check out resources at another location, send items back and forth, or acquire (purchase) items on behalf of each other. If a library is configured to do this for libraries at other institutions (and not only within the institution), it is known as a resource sharing library.

See Configuring Parameters of a Resource Sharing Library for more information.

See Adding a Library for more information about configuring libraries.

Configuring SIP2 Bin Rules

To configure rules for self-check machine bin usage, you must have one of the following roles:

General System Administrator
Fulfillment Administrator

You can configure rules that determine the sort bin for each item returned via a SIP2 (self-check) machine. SIP2 is the Standard Interchange Protocol v2, which provides a standard interface between a library's automated circulation system and a self-check machine. The sort bin is a field in the protocol that determines into which bin (a physical bucket inside the SIP2 machine) that a returned item is placed.. You can set the field according to rules based on various values, such as the destination library and the call numbers.

For more information on self-check machines, see https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/alma/integrations/selfcheck.

You configure rules for self-check machine bin usage from the SIP2 Bin Configuration Rules page (Configuration Menu > Fulfillment > Library Management > SIP2 Bin Configuration).

SIP2 Bin Configuration Rules Page

Self-check machine bin usage rules can be configured at the institution level only. Select the required institution from the Configuring filter on the Fulfillment Configuration page.

The following actions can be performed on this page:

Adding a SIP2 bin configuration rule (see Adding a SIP2 Bin Configuration Rule)
Editing a SIP2 bin configuration rule (select Edit from the row actions list)
Deleting a SIP2 bin configuration rule (select Delete from the row actions list)
Enabling or disabling the SIP2 bin configuration rule

Adding a SIP2 Bin Configuration Rule

You can add a SIP2 Bin Configuration Rule.

To add a SIP2 bin configuration rule:

On the SIP2 Bin Configuration Rules page (Configuration Menu > Fulfillment > Library Management > SIP2 Bin Configuration), select Add Rule. The SIP2 Bin Configuration page appears.
If you want to create a copy of a SIP2 bin configuration rule, select Duplicate from the row actions list. Once you have copied the rule, you can modify it as needed.
In the upper Input Parameters section, enter a name and description of the SIP2 Bin Configuration rule.

In the lower Input Parameters section, specify the components of the input parameter (Name, Operator, and Value). A set of input parameters may look like this: Destination Library=ArtLibrary.

The available Name field values (that is, the criteria which determine when the SIP2 Bin Configuration rule is to take effect) and their respective values are described in the following table:

SIP2 Bin Configuration Rule – Input Parameter Values
Name	Value
Destination library	The libraries in the institution. For details on adding a library, see Configuring the Institution and Its Libraries.
Destination circulation desk	The circulation desk. For details on configuring circulation desks, see Configuring Circulation Desks.
Destination service units	The departments within the institution, such as work-order departments and digitization departments. For details on configuring work order departments, see Configuring Work Order Departments.
From call number	The call number from which you specify the rule to take effect when the item’s call number is numerically greater than the indicated value.
Is requested	Indicates if the resource has been requested (Yes or No).
Lexicographical From call number	The call number from which you specify the rule to take effect when the item’s call number is lexicographically (in other words, alphabetically) greater than the indicated value. For example, 2 > 10 > 1 in lexicographic order.
Lexicographical To call number	The call number from which you specify the rule to take effect when the item’s call number is lexicographically (in other words, alphabetically) less than the indicated value. For example, 1 < 10 < 2 in lexicographic order.
Reshelf item location	The library within the institution where you want to reshelve the item. For details on adding a library, see Configuring Libraries.
Self check circulation desk	The circulation desk where you want to perform the self check. For details on associating a self-check machine with a circulation desk, see Self-Check Machines.
To call number	The call number from which you specify the rule to take effect when the item’s call number is numerically less than the indicated value.

Select Add Parameter. The set of input parameters is added to the list of parameters for the SIP2 Bin Configuration rule.
Repeat the previous two steps to add all of the required parameters for the rule.
All the input parameters must be fulfilled for the rule to be applied.
In the Output Parameters section, enter a bin number – the number of the bin in which the self-check machine is to place the item. Ensure that the number here matches the number of a bin configured on the SIP2 machine.
Select Save to store the new rule. The rule displays on the SIP2 Bin Configuration Rules page.
If you have defined more than one rule, use the Move Up and Move Down arrows to set the order of the rules. The order of the rules is important, as the system will apply the first (and only the first) appropriate, enabled rule.