Collaborative Networks

Overview

Alma supports consortia by providing a platform for working together and sharing resources, while allowing members to independently and separately manage their own library needs.

Roadmap

2024 H1	2024 H2	2025 H1
Control Imports to Network Zone Central Configuration By Central Office	Authority Control Task List - Manage Network Zone linked BIB records Support Services by Central Office Network Zone Manage Electronic Resources - Library/Campus Level	Real-Time Update of Linked Accounts User Groups in a Fulfillment Network Blocks Across a Network

2024 H1

Central Configuration by Central Office

What’s New	Highlights	Impact
Today, the central office operator needs to log in to the individual Institution Zone members' environment to configure some of the policies that are determined at a central level. The consortia central office will have more centralized operational policies.	The central office will be able to configure more policies in the Network Zone and apply them to selected members.	The central office will be able to work more efficiently, reducing time spent applying central policies.

What’s New

Highlights

Impact

Today, the central office operator needs to log in to the individual Institution Zone members' environment to configure some of the policies that are determined at a central level.

The consortia central office will have more centralized operational policies.

The central office will be able to configure more policies in the Network Zone and apply them to selected members.

The central office will be able to work more efficiently, reducing time spent applying central policies.

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Control Network Zone Imports

What’s New	Highlights	Impact
Today, importing records from a member to the NZ is currently allowed for all consortia members. The consortia central office Admin will be able to control which consortia members can import records to the Network Zone.	The central office will be able to configure which Institution Zone can import bibliographic/authority records to the Network Zone.	Enhanced control will be granted to the central office, enabling them to maintain higher quality standards for the central catalog. This increased control will facilitate improved oversight and management, ensuring the catalog meets the desired quality criteria set by the central office.

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2024 H2

Authority Control Task List - Manage Network Zone linked BIB records

What’s New	Highlights	Impact
Network members will be able to take part in managing the Network Zone Authority Control workflow from within the member's Institution Zone Authority Control Task List.	Network member will be able to view the Network Zone Zone Authority Control Task List from within the Institution Zone. Network member will be able to perform actions on Authority Control List entries.	Network members can collaborate and jointly manage authority control activity.

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Network Zone Managed Electronic Resources - Library/Campus Level

What’s New	Highlights	Impact
Today, the central office operator can manage electronic resources in the Network Zone and make these resources available for the entire network OR for member(s) Institution Zone (s). With this feature the central office operator can make electronic resources available for specific groups of libraries/campuses within the member (IZ) institution.	Configure Network Zone Available For groups based on member (IZ) institutions library/campus. Activate Network Zone electronic resources based on member (IZ) institutions library/campus. Enable Link Resolver access to electronic resources managed in the Network Zone for Institution Zone library/campus.	The central office will be able to work more efficiently by centrally managing electronic resources on behalf of libraries/campuses hosted in members Institution Zones.

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Support Services by Central Office

What’s New	Highlights	Impact
Empower the Consortia Central Office by providing support services to its members using maintenance tools and problem troubleshooting utilities.	Central office will be able to perform a defined set of maintenance and troubleshooting tasks that were typically performed by Ex Libris support.	Central office will be empowered by services that can be provided to its members .

What’s New

Highlights

Impact

Empower the Consortia Central Office by providing support services to its members using maintenance tools and problem troubleshooting utilities.

Central office will be able to perform a defined set of maintenance and troubleshooting tasks that were typically performed by Ex Libris support.

Central office will be empowered by services that can be provided to its members .

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2025

Blocks Across a Network

What’s New	Highlights	Impact
Fulfillment Network members will be able to share local blocks with the entire network.	Blocks will be copied not only from the source institution but also from the target institutions.	Libraries will be able to better consolidate their fulfillment services across the network.

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Real-Time Update of Linked Accounts

What’s New	Highlights	Impact
Linked account updates will happen in real-time.	The refresh of linked accounts across institutions will take place in real-time when the record is updated in the source institution.	Libraries will be able to make use of more up-to-date user account information across the network.

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User Groups in a Fulfillment Network

What’s New	Highlights	Impact
Institutions will be able to create different locally linked accounts dependent on the patron’s user group in the source institution.	Linked account rules will be configurable per the user group value in the source institution. This will enable assigning different user groups in the target institution based on the patron's user group in the source institution.	Network libraries will gain enhanced configurability in setting network-level fulfillment policies for different user types.

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