Introduction to the New Title Search Experience
User preferences and configurations remain separate. This ensures that users engaged in different searches as part of diverse workflows can customize the main actions, section displays, etc., for each search without influencing the others.
The following aspects are consistent across all title searches:
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The same bibliographic metadata fields are available for display in the record and table views.
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The same actions will be available for the record, regardless of the search type used (with actions relevant to the specific search type appearing prominently).
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All inventory information for the record will appear .
However, the key differences between the searches remain:
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The search results: While users can view all inventory types for a title, physical searches only return titles with physical holdings, electronic searches only titles with electronic inventory, and digital searches only titles with digital representations.
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The available search indexes: Physical, electronic, and digital title searches will continue to offer search options based on data specific to their inventory type.
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Unique features: Features dependent on specific inventory information (such as "Library scope" in the Physical Titles search or the "Usage type" facet in the Digital Titles search) will remain exclusive to their respective searches.
Streamlined Workflows and Capabilities
Performing Actions Directly from the Search Results
For users with appropriate roles and privileges, many workflows that previously required navigating away from the search are now accessible directly within it. For example:
- Suppressing or unsuppressing a bibliographic record from the General Information section.
- Performing actions on inventory directly from the sections and drawers, including:
- Placing a work order or toggling the missing status in the physical items section.
- Relinking or pushing holdings records to Metadata Editor in the physical holdings section or drawer.
- Activating/deactivating portfolios or testing access in the portfolios section or drawer.
The Sliding Panel
Another way the new UX keeps users in context and minimizes the need to navigate away is the sliding panel. This allows users to perform more complex operations that previously required navigating away and losing search context, as a "side quest" - seamlessly returning to the list of resources to continue their main work once they are done.
The sliding panel is used in various workflows such as editing an item, placing an order or adding a title to a collection:
The New Search Result Views
Alma's new UX aims to keep users in context, minimize the need to leave the screen to check information or perform tasks, and improve navigation and efficiency. It therefore offers users a selection of possible views, allowing each person to choose the view most comfortable to them when fulfilling their tasks. Many resources and operations are integrated directly into the search page via the details side-pane, and users can easily switch between different views of the search results:
- List View: Provides a brief view, with expandable inventory "drawers" for easy scanning while scrolling.
- Split View: Shows search results and the details side-pane side by side.
- Full Page View: Displays the side-pane only, offering more space for details.
- Table View: Displays limited information in a convenient table for easy comparison.
Display Configuration
In the new title searches, the display of search results can be configured at both the user and institution levels. For more information on user level customizations, see Customizing the Display in Alma.
Administrators can establish institutional defaults, eliminating the need for individual users to configure their display with data relevant to the entire institution. Users, in turn, have the flexibility to adjust these preferences according to their specific needs, enhancing efficiency and usability.
The available configurations include:
- Sections: Reorder or hide sections in the right pane to prioritize the most relevant information.
- Actions: Reorder or hide actions for quick access to primary actions with a single click, and easy access to other commonly used actions.
- Records: Customize which fields from the results list are displayed and their positioning, ensuring easy access to essential information for your tasks.
The fields in the first column are always displayed, fields in the second column are hidden if the list view is narrow
- Facets: Reorder or hide facets to ensure relevant tools for your work are readily accessible.
- Table: Customize which of the available metadata fields are displayed as table columns in the table view, to make working with the table more efficient.
Expanding Tabs
The inventory tabs were enhanced for better usability:
- Tabs are now color-coded by inventory type to help operators easily scan the search results.
- Users with the relevant roles and privileges can perform actions directly from the tabs
- If Expand-all is used, the tabs are loaded gradually and appear when the information is ready, so as not to delay the search results from returning.
Expanding the inventory tabs is available in the Record view only (not Table view). When opening the split view, the tabs get folded.
The Details Pane Sections
The details pane is divided into sections for enhanced navigation and usability, appearing when relevant and collapsible by the user.
Summary Section
Includes the record's title, creator, imprint and MMS ID information, along with links to related records, courses, and licenses (if applicable).
If the record is a linked community record, or a network record in consortia members, a link to the record's community/network view is also provided here.
General Information Section
Includes essential metadata that librarians may need to access easily. For librarians with the appropriate roles and privileges, it also allows for suppressing a record when necessary.
Bibliographic Record Section
Displays the complete bibliographic record, enabling librarians to review it directly from the search results. With convenient up/down arrow navigation between records, librarians can easily compare search results and identify the correct record to work on.
Enhanced Navigation and Linked Open Data Sections
The Linked Open Data and navigation features in the new search experience aim to help librarians easily access related information in external resources or their own catalog - such as linked authority records, information on contributors, other titles on the same subjects, etc.
For Consortia
When working in a network, the navigation and linked open data is derived according to the record's position, so that:
- For network records, the information on linked authority records comes from the network, and searches for records linked to the same contributor or subject are done in the network catalog.
- For local records maintained by the member, the information on linked authority records comes from the local catalog, and searches for records linked to the same contributor or subject are done in the institution's catalog as well.
Contributors Section
The new title search experience uses the creator and contributors' bibliographic headings to clearly display information for the librarian, including:
- An info card containing linked data from external resources, when available.
- A link to a contributor page with detailed information from both external resources and the local catalog, when available.
- Information on linked authority records, if they exist.
- Easy navigation to search the catalog for more resources connected to the same contributor:
- If the bibliographic heading is linked to an authority record, the search will find bibliographic records with headings linked to the same authority record.
- If the bibliographic heading is not linked to an authority record, the search will find bibliographic records with headings of the same type and vocabulary, containing the same text.
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Linked Data Info Card
The Linked Data Info Card provides more information on a person. It combines data from the Library of Congress Name Authority and Wikidata. If an info card is available (determined by the linked authority record), the contributor’s name includes an additional oval and card icon (
Info Card - popup
Info cards and Contributors pages are only shown if the record is linked to an authority for which Alma has relevant information to display. Currently, the Linked Data Info Card only appears for headings linked to the LCNAMES authority vocabulary. The Linked Data Info Card can appear in two places:
The link to the Linked Data Info Card works the same from the Summary section and the Contributors section. When selecting the card icon a popup window appears displaying information pertaining to the heading, taken from Wikidata and LCNAMES. Users are presented with a link to Wikidata within the Linked Data Info Card. Upon selecting the Wikidata link, a new tab in the browser opens with the relevant Wikidata entry. Linked Data Info Card displayed
 Wikidata page displayed in new browser tabThe Generate New Search link can be accessed from:
InfoCard - Contributors Section - Generate New Search
View Contributor Page When available, the Contributors Page displays detailed information from both external resources and the local catalog. The page appears in a sliding panel. The Contributor Page link can be accessed from the Contributors section.  Accessing the Contributors Page
From the Contributors Page, users can:
Contributors Page
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Subjects Section
The right pane includes a new section for subjects, clearly displaying subject bibliographic headings, including:
- Information on fully or partially linked authority records, if they exist.
- Easy navigation to search the catalog for more resources related to the same subject:
- If the bibliographic heading is linked to an authority record, the search finds bibliographic records with headings linked to the same authority record.
- If the bibliographic heading is not linked to an authority record, the search finds bibliographic records with headings of the same type and vocabulary, containing the same text.
Inventory Sections
The inventory sections display the record's inventory, enabling librarians to review and perform actions directly from the search. These sections include:
- A list of inventory by type (holdings, items, electronic portfolios, electronic collections, representations), showing the count of entities of each type associated with the record.
- The first 5 entities of each type, with pagination to navigate the rest if applicable.
- Search and navigation capabilities.
- Export to Excel functionality.
- The ability to perform row actions on inventory directly from the title search.
Export, Generate Search and Actions capabilities - Electronic Portfolios Section
Internal Searching, Pagination and Actions Capabilities - Items Section
Other Details Section
Includes administrative data such as usage and publishing information.
Collections Section
Shows any collections that the title belongs to, if exist.
Making it Easier to Find What You Need
In the new UX you can perform more focused searches to accurately and quickly identify the records that you need.
Facets
The Facets panel is enhanced to help you filter the search results to only see results that meet selected conditions. The new facets allow you to:
- Save Facets - users who commonly filter their search results in a specific way can now save this, so it will automatically apply to future searches of the same type.
- Select multiple values
- Exclude a value
- Search in the Facets - users can easily and quickly find the value they want to facet on
For more information, see Facets.
Advanced Search
The new advanced search supports a more powerful, refined search, including multiple search criteria and criteria groups that allows the operator to determine the "AND"/"OR" boolean condition for each group. For more information, see, Physical Holdings search.
Significant Distinctions from the Previous Searches' User Experience
Export
Exporting all or specific fields to Excel is updated in the new user interface. All the data available for export in the classic UX is still included in the new UX export, but there may be changes in column names, column order, formatting, and other aspects.
Libraries using scripts or processes with these exported files need to review the new file format and make necessary adjustments to ensure compatibility.
Thumbnails
If your region supports thumbnail display, it is suggested to configure the thumbnail behavior to "Show for all objects" in the Configuration Menu > Search Configuration > Repository Search when transitioning to the new unified titles search experience. In the new UX, each user has the option to disable thumbnails in their own view, meaning enabling thumbnails institution-wide allows users to individually select whether to view them or not. For more information, see Customizing the Thumbnail Display.