New Patron Services User Interface

The interface will be redesigned to leverage new layout capabilities and provide a fresh and improved user experience.

In this phase of the UI rollout, the new UI will not be activated by default, but it will be possible for institutions and individual users to activate it if they choose to do so.

Quicker and more effective work at the circulation desk, using a cleaner and improved personalized Patron Services page.

It will be possible to configure the system  to send a new email to the patron when hold shelf renewal takes place.

​Updating the expiration date for items on the hold shelf will allow resending a notification letter with the new expiration date. 

Patrons will be better updated about the status of their hold shelf items, without requiring manual library staff work.

Notices will be automatically sent to patrons when their loans are automatically renewed.

Patrons will receive a notification when a loan is renewed by the system.

This new option will make it easier for patrons to track the status of their loans.

Waiving fines based on additional criteria or based on  an input file.

It will be possible to waive fines based on additional criteria, such as a users set or a date range. In addition, it will be possible to waive a known set of fees that are listed in an Analytics report.

Enhanced flexibility in processing fees that have been identified as waived fees.

In addition to being able to set the "Not Needed After" field as mandatory on the request form, it will also be possible to set a default policy for this field.

It will be possible to hide the "Not Needed After" field from the Primo VE request form and have Alma use a date that is set by a library policy.

Improved efficiency for request queues. The library can set highly requested items  to have short expiration dates so they do not get sent to the hold shelf if time passes until they are fulfillable.

It will be possible to run a job on a set of users to purge them.

​Purging users will be possible not only based on the purge date, but also as a triggered action on an identified set of users.

This new option will make it easier to clean up user data based on various criteria used by the library.

Option to set expiration dates for proxy users.

When creating a proxy patron, it will be possible to set a date after which the proxy user will no longer be able to receive fulfillment services on behalf of the sponsor.

No need to manually manage the expiration of proxy users that are set up on a yearly basis.

An option to set the system to block requesting items that have loan policies or a block that prevents loaning the item.

A configurable parameter will support setting the system to check the patron's permissions to loan. If the patron cannot loan the item, requesting will also not be allowed.

Improved request service for library patrons, by not be able to request items they are currently blocked from loaning.

Improvements with using a proxy patron account in Manage Patron Services.

It will possible to easily identify a proxy patron at the circulation desk and choose the sponsor on whose behalf an item is checked out. 

Improved efficiency of proxy-patron management at the circulation desk.

An option to configure a warning that pops up when the Change Due Date is used on a recalled loan. 

It will be possible to set the system to warn if a due date is changed at the circulation desk for a recalled item.

Better loan service clarity by preventing manual change of due dates for already recalled items.

An option for staff to override policy related blocks that prevent placing hold requests.

A button on the Alma request form will  enable staff to override requestability/limit hold policies. Clicking the button will enable submitting the request while overlooking the preventing policy.

More flexibility in handling requests by having the option to override a situation where the request is not possible because of request policies.

The system will maintain an ongoing link between the role profile and the user record.

Any further changes to templates will automatically affect the roles of the linked user.

Easier and more efficient updating of role templates. 

An option to toggle "Missing" status will be available even if the item is currently not available.

The option to toggle "Missing" status will be available from the items search result and from the items list even if the item is currently not available.

Easier and more efficient missing status toggling. 

An additional ID will be added to requests. The institution will be able to control different attributes of the ID.

A new request ID will be assignable to requests. The institution will be able to set the maximum number after which the ID will reset, as well as a prefix and a padding option for the ID.

Better control over the IDs that are used to sort request lists.