Ex Libris Alma and Primo (Library)
Product Information
| Category | Library |
| Sub-category | ILS, LSP, Discovery |
| Website | http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/category/AlmaOverview http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/category/PrimoOverview |
| Product version | N/A (Hosted, SaaS) |
| Documentation | http://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/ |
| API Documentation | https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/ |
About Ex Libris Alma
Alma is the solution your library needs as the focal point of learning and research at your institution. Designed to handle all resource types, Alma supports library collaboration and helps you optimize your user experience and collection with rich analytics.
Alma is designed to ensure that your entire collection can be managed through a single interface and that you can continue to serve students, instructors, and researchers with a collection optimized for their needs. With Alma you can manage all the resource types your collections include within a single interface, including electronic, print, and digital. In addition, Alma fully supports the collaboration crucial for your institution in the modern academic environment with built-in support for different levels of consortium arrangements. Alma’s active user community, open standards, and rich collaboration capabilities allow your library to benefit from the experiences and innovations of other libraries worldwide.
About Ex Libris Primo and PrimoVE
In the age of overwhelming quantities of information and ubiquitous search engines, library patrons have come to expect a quick, user-friendly and personalized discovery experience. Libraries, for their part, need to cater to different users, while clearly demonstrating the impact of their services.
Ex Libris Primo empowers libraries to shape the discovery experience, providing students, faculty and staff an intuitive, end-to-end service, and maximizing the value of library collections.
Integration Overview
The campusM integration with Ex Libris Alma and Primo provide users the following functionality:
- Search for library resources and view a record's metadata details
- View and manage account information; including loans, requests, fines and favorites/eShelf (favorities/eShelf is available in Primo only)
- Optional basic title-level requesting for physical material for pickup in item owning library
- Optional library open hours
- Link out to university-defined webpages
Integration Method
- API
Prerequisites
There are several prerequisites to the campusM integration with Primo and Alma:
| Prerequisite | Additional Information |
|---|---|
| Provide your Alma domain (e.g. https://api-xx.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com) | How to check which Alma URL an API key is connectedto |
|
Provide an Alma API key for the following functional end-points:
|
It is recommended that the Alma API key and the Primo API key be different keys. |
| Provide your Alma institution code (e.g. 01XXXX) | |
|
Provide a Primo / PrimoVE API key for the following functional end-points:
Primo-ONLY
|
It is recommended that the Primo API key and Alma API key be different keys. |
Provide Primo search parameters including:
|
https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/primo/apis/webservices/rest |
| Authentication |
The integration presumes the username/userid of the logged in campusM users are typically the same as the username/userid managed in Alma. IMPORTANT! - If the username/userid of the campusM users will not exist in Alma, contact your Ex Libris support/service representative to discuss relevant solutions to allow mapping of usernames/userids. |
Provide a minimum of three (3) Test users and credentials containing comprehensive and typical data, including the following:
|
The test accounts should allow testing the integration according to the Suggested Testing Guidelines. i.e. should support authentication / log into the app as the test account been provided and run complete end-to-end testing of the integration functionality. |
Note that campusM integrates with the Alma-Primo environments set against the API key. As many Sandbox environments are not aligned with Production, and since the users testing will typically be test users and limited and targeted tests, it is recommended to provide the API keys to work against Alma and Primo production even for initial campusM Sandbox app testing. However, if the users or extent of testing you will do during the campusM Sandbox testing will be expansive and your Sandbox environment represents a full replica of production, then it would be advisable to avoid any impact on your production Alma and Primo systems to first set Alma and Primo API keys that first interact with the Alma and Primo sandboxes during testing on the campusM Sandbox, followed by API keys that interact with Alma and Primo production when deploying to campusM production.
User Experience
The Alma-Primo library integration offers two types of tiles (live or static) available for the institution to choose from based on their preference and overall branding and UX guidelines. The live tile options and default include:
- # of loans
- # of overdue loans
- Total amount of fines/fees (two decimal places + currency)
- To pick up (# of ready on hold shelf processed requests)
- Sliding list of any already overdue or upcoming overdue loans (default, but configurable threshold: due within 7 days or overdue)
| Property | Live Tile | Static Tile |
|---|---|---|
| Default Size | 2x1 | 1x1 |
| Minimum Size | 2x1 | 1x1 |
| Suggested Design |  |
 |
Screenshots
Landing Page
Primo Embedded Search Primo Link out Search
My Account
Search
Facets (Search)
Sample Requests
| Sample Primo / PrimoVE Brief Search Request |
|---|
|
https://api-{REGION}.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo_library/libweb/webservices/rest/v1/search?q=any,contains,{SEARCH_QUERY}&view=full&vid={VIEW_NAME}&inst={INSTITUTION_NAME}&scope={SCOPE_NAME}&apikey={API_KEY} {REGION}=na, eu, or ap Additional optional parameters: &lang={LANG_CODE} &tab={SEARCH_PROFILE}For PrimoVE Institution will provide the highlighted parameters. Please see prerequisites form.
|
| Sample Primo Favorites API Retrieval (Primo-Only) |
|---|
|
https://api-{REGION}.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo/v1/eshelf/{TEST_USERNAME}?apikey={API_KEY} Institution will provide the highlighted parameters. Please see prerequisites form. |
| Sample Primo Configuration API Retrieval (Primo-Only) |
|---|
|
https://api-{REGION}.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/translations/vid={VID}?lang={LANG_CODE}&apikey={API_KEY} Institution will provide the highlighted parameters. Please see prerequisites form. |
| Sample Alma User Account Retrieval |
|---|
|
https://api-{REGION}.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/almaws/v1/users/{TEST_USERNAME}?apikey={API_KEY}&format=json Institution will provide the highlighted parameters. Please see prerequisites form.
|
| Sample Alma User Loan Retrieval |
|---|
|
https://api-{REGION}.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/almaws/v1/users/{TEST_USERNAME}?apikey={API_KEY}&format=json Institution will provide the highlighted parameters. Please see prerequisites form.
|
| Sample Alma User Requests Retrieval |
|---|
|
https://api-{REGION}.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/almaws/v1/users/{TEST_USERNAME}?apikey={API_KEY}&format=json Institution will provide the highlighted parameters. Please see prerequisites form.
|
| Sample Alma User Fines/Fees Retrieval |
|---|
|
https://api-{REGION}.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/almaws/v1/users/{TEST_USERNAME}?apikey={API_KEY}&format=json Institution will provide the highlighted parameters. Please see prerequisites form.
|
| Sample Alma Bib Requests Retrieval |
|---|
|
https://api-{REGION}.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/almaws/v1/almaws/v1/bibs/{MMS_ID}/holdings/{HOLDING_ID}/items/{ITEM_ID}}?apikey={API_KEY}&format=json Institution will provide the highlighted parameters. Please see prerequisites form.
|
| Sample Alma Open Hours Retrieval |
|---|
|
https://api-{REGION}.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com//almaws/v1/conf/libraries/{LIBRARY_CODE}/open-hours?apikey={API_KEY}&format=json Institution will provide the highlighted parameters. Please see prerequisites form.
|
| Sample Alma Library Retrieval |
|---|
|
https://api-{REGION}.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/almaws/v1/conf/libraries?apikey={API_KEY}&format=json Institution will provide the highlighted parameters. Please see prerequisites form.
|
Offline Functionality
Not supported.
Configuration Options
Pre-requisite and configuration options should be defined in the Configuration worksheet available linked from this article.
| Configuration Item | Options |
|---|---|
| My Account | Institutions can choose which of the following to display:
|
| Title Requests | Institutions can determine whether basic title-level requesting is allowed (where the pickup library is equal to the owning library of the requested item). Whether this is turned on or not, end users will have the option to view the additional request options the library provides by linking out to the full view services page. |
| Favorites | Favorites (eShelf) may be optionally included in scope (default is included, except PrimoVE) |
| Open Hours | Institutions can optionally choose to show Library Opening Hours for today's hours (of their main library) on the opening splash page of the integration and can link to all library opening hours additionally. |
| Search Results Metadata Fields | Institutions can choose which of the Primo (PNX) metadata fields will be presented on the search results page. By default the fields presented are:
|
| Full Display Record Metadata Fields | Institutions can choose which of the PNX metadata fields will be presented on the full record display page. By default the fields presented are:
|
| Fields for other Full Record Display | Other full record displays can add/remove allowed fields |
| Labels | Labels may be optionally overridden or translated |
| Link |
|
Suggested Testing Guidelines
The following acceptance criteria is recommend to be used as part of the testing and approval process:
- User can search and review results. The results should be similar to those provided on the Primo web user interface
- User can facet/filter their search results based on the provided facet areas
- User can click on a record to view additional metadata information
- User can click on the Account tab to view current number of loans, active requests, fines (and favorite records, if included)
- User can click on the loans and an individual loan to view additional information
- User can renew loans
- If favorites included, user can add search result records to the favorites and remove them
- User can optionally request and cancel a title-level hold request (when the pickup library is equal to and allowed in the item's owning library)
- User can link out to the Primo/Alma GetIt/ViewIt service page for other services such as availability, request (physical) or view online (electronic)
- If Opening hours included, user can view each library's opening hours for the coming week
- User can use the links to navigate to institution-defined webpages