January Sneak Preview
The features below are currently planned for the next release. However, some of these features may, for various reasons, not be included in this month's release, but rather in a future Alma release.
Acquisitions
- Real time ordering – New Configuration - A new configuration will allow institutions to decide whether portfolios which are activated from the Community Zone as a result of orders coming into Alma from OASIS/GOBI via API will enter Alma as "Available" or as "Not available".
- PO Line Confirmation Messages - When choosing to "Create PO line" the existing pop-up window, which indicates that there is an active order and/or an existing item associated with the bibliographic record, will be enhanced to include the existing PO line's owning library and the existing item's owning library.
Resource Management
- New Metadata Improvements - The January release will see improved management of templates and a new tab layout. In addition, side-by-side editing of a primary record and a searched/browsed record will be enabled.
- Local Call Numbers - Local Call Numbers search indexes and operators will be improved.
- Inventory Import - There will be an improved user interface for the inventory import tab of import profiles. In addition, there will be support for additional fields.
Fulfillment
- New Circulation Desk Level Configuration - A new configuration on the circulation desk level will allow institutions to define the desks that can support the option to modify the return date for a checked-in item.
- 'Ship Digitally' - When a "ship digitally" request is created by the system, institutions will be able to determine that the digitization department that will be assigned according to the resource's owning library.
Resource Sharing
- Allow automation of Branch Requesting for Serial Requests - When a lending request is created, it is currently possible to either mediate the branch requesting process in case of serials/multi-volumes or have Alma automatically create a title request. It will now be possible to set the system to automatically create a pickup request to a branch library utilizing the ‘general hold’ request type.
- Refresh Linked Account in Primo VE - In a Fulfillment Network, a guest patron’s linked account will automatically be refreshed when they view their loan list using Primo VE’s My Account. This will accurately reflect the renewal options and the patrons’ up to date eligibility for requesting renewals, in cases where a block has been created or removed at the patron’s home library.
- Retry Rapid ILL Request - It will be possible to override Rapid ILL’s self-ownership check using the Alma borrowing request task list.
- Send Digitized Content to Patron - Upload file - Library staff will be able to upload a received digital document from the Alma borrowing request task list and have Alma automatically send the uploaded file to the patron’s preferred email address.
- Send digitized content to patron - Alma to Alma Shipping - When an Alma lender ships a digital document using the ‘send as link’ option, the email with the link to the digitized content will be automatically forwarded to the patron on the borrower side, even if the borrowing library has not exposed the patron’s email to the lender (using the ‘Support ADD’ option). This will enable Alma lenders to trigger emails to requesting patrons on the borrower side (that is an Alma institution) without requiring the patron’s email to be shared with the lender library.
Administration
- New Additions to Recent Entities - The January release will see some new additions to Recent Entities, including various configuration tables and profiles, making it easier for administrators to review recent changes to tables and to navigate back to the table or profile they were updating.
Analytics
- New “Year Over Year” Dashboard - A new "Year Over Year" (YoY) set of reports dashboard will be available in Alma Analytics. This dashboard will include reports which compare data of the current year with trends of the previous year, in order to gain added insight into the trends of the library. These reports will include data on physical item requests, API executions, COUNTER data, expenditures, and more. The information gleaned from this dashboard will greatly aid data-based decision making.
- New “Analytics Objects” Dashboard - A new "Analytics Objects" (YoY) set of reports and dashboard will be available in Alma Analytics. Using this dashboard, the institution will be able to gain valuable insight into how Analytics objects such as dashboards, widgets and schedules reports are (and are not) being used. This can offer an opportunity to clean up the list by removing non-used objects, and identify areas where objects are heavily used due to an interest by the staff users.