How To: Fulfillment in Alma

Overview

Comments and questions on these steps are welcome; please email .

updated 5/25/2022

Required Roles

  • The options available under the Fulfillment menu are dependent upon your assigned user roles. Your list of options may be different than the screenshots included below. If you do not have the necessary options, you will need to work with your institution's User Administrator to be assigned the appropriate roles for your work.
  • To complete Fulfillment tasks outlined in this document, you must have one or more of the following roles:
    • Circulation Desk Manager
    • Circulation Desk Operator
    • Circulation Desk Operator - Limited
    • Physical Inventory Operator

Overview of Fulfillment Tasks

These topics are covered below:

  • How to log into a Fulfillment workstation and change locations
  • How to bring up a patron record and check items out
  • How to look up a patron without an ID card
  • How to add a patron to the database
  • How to set up a proxy borrower and check out an item by proxy
  • How to check in items
  • How to check an item in or out when the barcode is missing or illegible
  • How to create a work order
  • How to create a record for check out
  • How to set an item status to "missing"
  • How to manage patron blocks
  • How to manage fines and fees
  • How to manage patron notes
  • How to manage patron requests
  • How to manage item holds
  • How to manage the pick from shelf list
  • How to move an item
  • How to add a "Fulfillment Note" to an item
  • How to count browse uses (In-house use)

Documentation from Ex Libris

Thank you to Shelly McDavid of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for providing the groundwork for this how to page.

expand / collapse all

  1. Using an internet web browser, navigate to Alma at https://i-share-xxx.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/mng/login, replacing "xxx" in the web address with your institution's three-letter code.
  2. Login to Alma according to your institution's guidelines.​

    Upon login, a popup may appear asking you to choose the desk or department from which you are working. If this happens, continue to step 3. If no popup appears, skip ahead to step 6.
     

  3. Click on the drop-down arrow.
    An image of the "please choose your current desk/department" box
  4. Select the appropriate desk/department from the drop-down list. Please note that this image is for training purposes only. Your institution's selections will be different.
    An image of the "please choose your current desk/department" box with the drop-down menu open
  5. Once you have chosen your desk/department, click on the "Select" button.
    An image of the "please choose your current desk/department" box with the main circulation desk selected and the "select" button highlighted
  6. Desks/departments are also known as locations. If you want to verify or change which location you are logged into, look in the upper right hand corner. If the task bar looks like
    1. this: An image of the icons in the upper right of the Alma screen. proceed to step 7.
    2. this: An alternative image of the icons in the upper right side of the Alma screen proceed to step 8.
  7. To verify which location you are logged into, hover your pointer over the location icon in the upper right of the screen. A temporary pop-up should appear displaying your current location.
    An image of the upper right side of the main Alma screen with the location icon highlighted
  8. To toggle between An image of the icons in the upper right of the Alma screen. and An alternative image of the icons in the upper right side of the Alma screen, click on the location icon or statement to display a drop-down menu.
    An image of a portion of the main Alma screen with the location drop-down menu displayed
  9. Check or uncheck the "Always show current location" box.
    An image of the main Alma screen with the location drop-down deployed and the "Always show current location" option highlighted
  10. If the "Always show current location" box is checked, the task bar will look similar to An alternative image of the icons in the upper right side of the Alma screen. If it is unchecked, it will look like An image of the icons in the upper right of the Alma screen..
  11. If you would like to change your location, click on the location icon/statement and deploy the drop-down menu. Then to display the available location options, click on the drop-down arrow.
    An image of a portion of the Alma screen with the drop-down menu displayed and the drop-down arrow highlighted
    An image of a portion of the main Alma screen with the location drop downs deployed
  1. Log into Alma, and select the appropriate Circulation location.
  2. At the side of the main Alma screen, select "Fulfillment".
    Side navigation bar on the the main Alma screen with Fulfillment highlighted
  3. From the resulting menu, under Checkout/Checkin, select "Manage Patron Services".
    The side menu bar of the main Alma screen with a view of the Fulfillment menu and Manage Patron Services highlighted
  4. The Patron Identification screen will open.
    An image of a section of the Patron Identification screen
  5. At this point patron records can be brought up three different ways:
    • scanning the patron's identification card barcode;
    • looking up the patron by name; or
    • looking up the patron by identification number.
  6. If the patron is a local patron, proceed to step 7.
    If the patron is from another I-Share institution, check the "Find user in other institution" box and proceed with the steps outlined below.
    An image of the Patron Identification screen with the "Find user in other institution" box checked and highlighted
    1. Click on the drop-down arrow on the right of the "Institution" box to display the list of options.
      An image of the Patron Identification screen with the "Find user in other institution" box checked and the drop-down arrow in the Institution bar highlighted
      An image of the Patron Identification screen with the "Find user in other institution" box checked and the Institution drop-down menu deployed
    2. Select the appropriate institution from the list.
      An image of the Patron Identification screen with "Find user in other institution" checked and an institution selected
    3. Enter the patron's name or identification number and select "Find User".
      Please note:
      • When searching for patrons from another institution, the name or ID number must match exactly and cannot apply to more than one account at that institution.
      • If the patron has a common name, you will need to enter an ID number instead (Primary ID, Institution ID, or Barcode).
        An image of the Patron Identification screen with the "Find user in other institution" box checked, an institution selected, a patron's name entered, and the "Find User" button highlighted
    4. If the I-Share patron already has a user record saved to your Institution Zone, their record open automatically to the Loans tab and you can proceed to step 7.
      If the I-Share patron does not have a user record saved, the Quick User Management screen will open.
      An image of the Quick User Management screen
      1. Many fields may auto-populate, but make sure that all fields marked with a red star An image of the red star indicating that a field is required have been filled out correctly.
        These required fields include:
        • First name
        • Last name
        • Primary identifier
        • User group
        • Expiration date
        • Purge date
        • Email types
        • Address types
        • Address line 1
        • City
        • State/Province
        • Postal code
      2. Click on the "Update User" button.
        The Update User button, highlighted
  7. The patron record will automatically open to the Loans tab.
    A fictitious patron's loan screen
  8. At this point items can be checked out to the patron by:
    • scanning the item's barcode;
    • manually entering the item's barcode; or
    • looking up the item in the catalog.
  9. After selecting the item and entering/pressing OK, item is now checked out to the patron.
  10. When you are finished checking items out to the patron, click the "Done" button.
    A section of the Loans screen with the "Done" button highlighted
  1. Navigate to Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services to bring up the Patron Identification screen.
    An image of a section of the Patron Identification screen
  2. Begin typing in the patron's name or ID number into the "Scan patron's ID or search for patron" box to bring up a list of patron accounts.​
    An image of the Patron Identification screen with a partial patron name entered into the search box and a drop-down list of options deployed
  3. Alternately, use the "Select from a list" function.
    An image of the Patron Identification screen with the list icon of the "Scan patron's ID or search for patron" bar highlighted
    1. Clicking on the "Select from a list" button brings up the Find and Manage Users screen.
      An image of the Find and Manage Users screen
    2. This screen offers you additional options for searching for patron accounts.
      An image of the Find and Manage Users screen with the All drop-down arrow highlighted and the menu deployed
  1. To add a patron to the database, navigate to Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services to bring up the Patron Identification screen.
    The Patron Identification screen
  2. Click on the "Register New User" button.
    The Patron Identification screen with the Register New User button highlighted
  3. The Quick User Management Screen will open.
    An image of the Quick User Management screen
  4. Fill out all fields marked with a red star: An image of a highlighted red star. These required fields include
    • First name
    • Last name
    • Primary identifier
    • User group
    • Expiration date
    • Purge date
    • Email types
    • Email address
    • Address types
    • Address line 1
    • City
    • State/Province
    • Postal code
  5. If the patron will not be included in future Student Information System (SIS) uploads, skip to step 6. Examples of this type of patron include alumni, community members, and internal accounts for library staff. If the patron will be included in future SIS uploads (i.e. students, faculty, or staff who have joined the institution since the last upload), continue with step 5.​
    1. Double check that you have entered data into the "Primary identifier" field correctly. This is important because this is the field that the SIS uploads use to match patron data.
      An image of the "Primary identifier" field isolated and highlighted
    2. Navigate to the "User Management Information" section.
      An image of the "User Management Information" section of the Quick User Management screen
    3. Change the "Patron has institutional record" from "No" to "Yes".
      An image of the "User Management Information" section with "Patron has institutional record" highlighted
    4. The "User Management Information" screen will change. You will not need to change anything. Skip to step 7.
      An image of the "User Management Information" section after the "Patron has institutional record" has been set to "Yes"
  6. Patrons who will not be updated by SIS load will need to have a password set for them. The patron may choose a password while you are creating their account, or you can choose a temporary password and check the "Force password change on next login" box. They will be able to use this password and their user ID (also known as the Primary Identifier) to log into Primo VE.
    An image of the "User Management Information" section with "Patron has institutional record" set to "No", values entered into the "Password" and "Verify password" fields, and the "Force password change" box checked
  7. Click on the "Update User" button.
    The Update User button isolated and highlighted

A webinar is available:

Three Libraries Present Three Ways to Set up Patron Proxies in Alma: Webinar presented by the CARLI Resource Sharing Committee, 4/22/2022


One option described above:
Setting up a Local Circulation patron to be a proxy borrower for another patron:

  1. Navigate to Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services to bring up the Patron Identification screen.
    The Patron Identification screen
  2. Look up the record for the patron you want to make a proxy borrower.
    An image of the Patron Identification screen with a example patron selected in the "Scan patron's ID or search for patron" field
  3. On the resulting Patron Services screen, click the "Edit User Info" button.
    A section of the Patron Services screen with the Edit User Info button highlighted
  4. On the resulting Quick User Management screen, click on "Full information".
    A section of the Quick User Management screen with the words Full information highlighted
    If you do not see "Full Information" on the screen, click on the arrow to the right of the stylized "i" and beneath the "Update User" button.
    The arrow next to the stylized i and underneath the update user button, highlighted
  5. On the resulting User Details screen, select the "Proxy For" tab.
    An image of a section of the User Details screen with the "Proxy for" tab highlighted
  6. Click on "Add Proxy For" to bring up the "Proxy for" drop down.
    An image of a section of the User Details screen with the words "Add Proxy For" highlighted
    An image of the deployed "Add Proxy For" drop down
  7. Look up the patron you would like to be set up with the proxy borrower and click on the "Add User" button.
    An image of the "Proxy for" drop down with a value entered in the user field and the "Add User" button highlighted
  8. Click on the "Save" button.
    A highlighted Save button

To delete a proxied patron from a user account:

  1. Navigate to the "Proxy For" tab using step 1-5 of the above section.
    An image of a section of the User Details screen with the "Proxy for" tab highlighted
  2. There will be a list of people the patron is a proxy for. To delete one from the patron's record, click on the ellipsis to open the menu, then click "Delete".
    An image of the "User Details" > "Proxy For" screen with the ellipsis highlighted
    An image of a deployed menu with a single option of "Delete"
  3. Click on the "Save" button.
    A highlighted Save button

To check out an item to a proxy borrower:

  1. Navigate to Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services to bring up the Patron Identification screen.
    The Patron Identification screen
  2. Check the "Use proxy" box, then look up the patron who will be checking out materials on behalf of someone else.
    An image of the Patron Identification screen with the "Use proxy" box checked and highlighted
  3. A "Proxy for" field will appear. To change from one proxied person to another, click on the drop down arrow to show everyone for whom the patron has permission to act as a proxy. Once the correct person is selected, click on "Go".
    An image of the Patron Identification screen with the "Proxy for" field visible and the drop down menu and "Go" buttons highlighted
  4. The Patron Services screen for the proxied patron will appear, with a line showing who is checking out material on their behalf. At this point you may check out materials as usual.
    An image of the Patron Services screen with the "Proxy by" field highlighted
  5. When you are finished checking out items to the patron, click the "Done" button.
    A section of the Loans screen with the Done button highlighted
  1. To renew items for a patron, navigate to Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services to bring up the Patron Identification screen, then look up the patron's record.
  2. Confirm that the Patron Services page has the "Loans" tab highlighted, then change "Loan Display: Loans of this session" to "Loan Display: All loans" by clicking on the drop down arrow and selecting "All loans".
    An image of a Patron Services screen with the "Loan Display" field highlighted
    An image of the Loan Display drop down menu with the drop down arrow highlighted
  3. To renew selected items, click on the boxes on the left of the items you want to renew, then click on the "Renew Selected" button.
    An image of a "Loan Display: All loans" screen with a selection box and the "Renew Selected" button highlighted
  4. To renew all of the patron's items, either click on the "Renew All" button or select all of the items and then click on the "Renew Selected" button.
    An image of the "Loan Display: All loans" screen with the top selector box and the "Renew All" button highlighted
  5. Items are now renewed. You may either continue to other tasks within the patron record, or click the "Done" button to exit.
    A section of the Loans screen with the Done button highlighted

There are two workflows for checking in items.

Checking in items for a single patron

  1. Navigate to Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services to bring up the Patron Identification screen, then look up the patron's record.
  2. On the resulting Patron Services screen, select the "Returns" tab.
    A section of the Patron Services screen with the Returns tab highlighted
  3. Scan the item barcode, or enter it manually and click "OK".
    A section of the Patron Services screen with the Returns tab engaged, a barcode entered, and the OK button highlighted
  4. Successfully checked in items will be listed below "Returns of this session".
    An image of a Patron Services screen displaying a successful check in
  5. When you have finished checking in items, you may either continue to other tasks within the patron record, or click the "Done" button to exit.

Checking in items for multiple patrons

  1. Navigate to Fulfillment > Return Items.
    A section of the main Alma screen with the Fulfillment menu deployed and Return Items highlighted
  2. The Manage Item Returns screen will open and you can then scan or enter items to be returned.
    The Manage Item Returns screen
    1. If you would like to credit items as having been returned at an early date or time, enter the preferred date/time in the "Override return date and time" field or click on the calendar icon, choose a date and/time, and click "Apply".
      An image of the "Override return date and time" field with the calendar drop down menu deployed and the calendar and "Apply" buttons highlighted
      This check in date/time will apply to items being returned until you click on the "X" in the "Override return date and time" field to revert to the current values.
      Override return date and time field with the X highlighted 
    2. If your workstation is used by multiple people or is in a location where the screen may be seen if you step away, for the sake of patron privacy you may wish to clear the list of returned items without exiting the check in screen. To do this, click on the "Clear List" button.
      A section of the Manage Return Items screen with the Clear List button highlighted
  3. When you are finished checking in items, you can navigate to a different screen or click on the "Exit" button.

If you come across a missing or illegible barcode while checking an item in or out, you will have to manually look up the item. The procedure for this is the same in both cases, though the overall screens will look slightly different.

  1. If the item's barcode is missing or not working, you can manually look up the item with the "Select from a list" button next to the "Scan item barcode" field.​
    The checking in screen:
    An image of the Manage Item Returns screen with the "Select from a list" button highlighted
    The checking out screen:
    An image of the Patron Services screen with the "list" button highlighted
  2. An additional Physical Items screen will open, allowing you to select from the "Choose search index", "Choose search scope", and "Advanced" menus.
    An image of the Physical Items screen with multiple features highlighted
  3. Locate your correct item record and click on the Title/Author to populate the "Scan item barcode" field.​
    An image of an item record with the title and author (War and peace / Leo Tolstoy) highlighted
  4. Click on the "OK" button to check the item in/out.
    An image of the "Scan item barcode" field with a barcode entered and the "OK" button highlighted
  5. You will need to create a work order for the item to route it to the appropriate department for a new barcode. This workflow is described in the next section.

Work orders are created when an item needs a new barcode, needs repairs, or otherwise needs attention. There are many ways to create a work order in Alma; here we list three that may be useful while working in the Circulation Department.

Checking out

  1. If while checking out items you find one that needs attention, click on the ellipsis under "Loan Notes" once the item has been scanned/entered.
    An image of a Patron Services screen with an ellipsis under Loan Notes highlighted
  2. Select "Work Order" from the drop down menu.
    An image of the Loan Notes drop down menu with Work Order highlighted
  3. The Place Item in Process screen will open. In the "Process Type" field, click on the down arrow to open the drop down menu.
    An image of the Place Item in Process screen, with the down arrow icon in the Process Type field highlighted
  4. Select the department to which you want to route the item.
    An image of the Place Item in Process screen with the Process Type drop down menu deployed
  5. Since the item is not on the shelf, check the "Do not pick from shelf" box. Make a brief note of what action is to be taken in the "Note" field. Select the Managing Department from the drop down menu.
    An image of the Place Item in Process screen with the Process Type, Note, and Managing Department fields populated and the Do not pick from shelf box checked
  6. Click the "Submit" button. The item remains checked out to the patron, but it is now flagged to be routed to a work department when it is returned.
    An image of a portion of the Place Item in Process screen with the Submit button highlighted
  7. When the item is returned, a pop up screen will appear telling you where to send the item.
    The items destination is pop up screen

Checking in

  1. If while checking in items you find one that needs attention, click on the ellipsis under "Loan Notes" once the item has been scanned/entered.
    An image of a returned item line with the ellipsis under "Loan Notes" highlighted
  2. Select "Work Order" from the drop down menu.
    An image of the "Loan Notes" drop down menu with "Work Order" highlighted
  3. The Place Item in Process screen will open. In the "Process Type" field, click on the down arrow to open the drop down menu.
    An image of the Place Item in Process screen, with the down arrow in the "Process Type" field highlighted
  4. Select the department to which you want to route the item.
    An image of the Place Item in Process screen with Technical Services selected as the Process Type
  5. If the item is in hand and not on the shelf, check the "Do not pick from shelf" box. Make a brief note of what action is to be taken in the "Note" field. Select the Managing Department from the drop down menu.
    An image of the Place Item in Process screen with data entered into all fields
  6. Click the "Submit" button and send the item to the appropriate work department.
    An image of a portion of the Place Item in Process screen with the Submit button highlighted

Found item

Follow these steps if you find an item that needs to be routed to a work department and you are not checking the item in or out.

  1. On the main Alma screen, set the first search parameter to "Physical Items". The other parameters may be set as appropriate for finding the item's record.
    A section of the main Alma screen with the first search parameter box highlighted and displaying the phrase Physical items
  2. Locate the item's record, then click on the ellipsis on the right side to bring up the "More actions" menu.
    An image of a search result with the ellipsis highlighted
  3. Select "Work Order".
    An image of the "More actions" drop down menu with "Work Order" highlighted
  4. The Place Item in Process screen will open. Proceed as outlined in steps 3 - 6 in the above section.
    An image of the Place Item in Process screen

In the event that an item shows an "Item not found" error message during the check out process, follow these steps to create a basic record.
An image of the error message "Item not found"

For titles that have an existing catalog record

  1. Click on "Create Item".
    An image of a section of the check out screen with "Create Item" highlighted
  2. The Choose Holdings Type screen will open. Select "Existing" and click on the "Choose" button.
    The Choose Holdings Type screen with the Existing option selected and highlighted and the Choose button highlighted
  3. The Quick Cataloging screen will open. Type in the title of the item you are looking for, or use the "List" option to search.
    An image of the Quick Cataloging screen with a partial title entered into the title field and the list icon highlighted
  4. If you find the correct record, make sure that the Title, Barcode, and Location fields are filled in. If you do not find the correct record, cancel out of the screen and use the "for titles that do not have an existing catalog record" workflow instead.
    An image of the Quick Cataloging screen with the title, barcode, and location fields highlighted
  5. Click the "Save" button.
    An image of a section of the Quick Cataloging screen with the Save button highlighted
  6. The item is now checked out to the patron and a work order has been created to route the item to cataloging upon its return.
    An image of the Loans screen showing an item on loan to the patron
    An image to the Request Queue screen showing an active request to route the item to Technical services

For titles that do not have an existing catalog record

  1. Click on "Create Item".
    An image of a section of the check out screen with "Create Item" highlighted
  2. The Choose Holdings Type screen will open. Select "New" and click on the "Choose" button.
    An image of the Choose Holdings Type screen with the New option and the Choose button highlighted
  3. The Quick Cataloging screen will open. Fill out the required fields of Title, Barcode, and Location. Additional fields are optional.
    An image of the top half of the Quick Cataloging screen with the Title and Barcode fields highlighted
    An image of the bottom half of the Quick Cataloging screen with the Location and Barcode fields highlighted
  4. Click the "Save" button.
    An image of a section of the Quick Cataloging screen with the Save button highlighted
  5. The item is now checked out to the patron and a work order has been created to route the item to cataloging upon its return.
    An image of the Loans screen showing an item on loan to the patron
    An image to the Request Queue screen showing an active request to route the item to Technical services

Note: Item records must have a shelf status of "Item in place" in order to have the Missing status assigned manually.

  1. Search for the item record using the persistent search box set at the "All Titles" search.
    The persistent search box set to All titles
  2. When you find the correct record, click on the ellipsis on the right side to bring up the "More actions" menu. (Note: Users who do not have a Cataloger role will not see the Edit Record button. This typically moves the Items button to the top of the list.)
    An image of an title record with the "more actions" ellipsis highlighted
  3. Click on "Items".
    An image of the More actions drop down menu with the Items option highlighted
  4. On the lower right, click on the ellipsis for the item you want to set as missing.
    An image of a List of items screen with an item's ellipsis highlighted
  5. Select "Toggle Missing Status". The item is now recorded as missing.
    An image of the List of items screen with a drop down menu deployed and Toggle Missing Status highlighted

If the item is no longer missing you can change the status back again by following the steps above, or by checking the item in.
The Manage Item Returns screen with a pop up stating that the check in item's missing status was removed

Checking items out to a patron that is blocked

If you attempt to check out items to a patron that is blocked, a pop up will appear when you enter their ID/name.
An image of the patron identification screen
An image of the Blocks pop up screen

Depending on your permissions, you will have either two or three options.

  1. Click "Cancel" to exit the screen without further action.
    The Blocks screen with the Cancel button highlighted
  2. Click "OK" to view the patron's record.
    The Blocks screen with the OK button highlighted
  3. If you have the appropriate permissions, click "Override" to ignore the block and check out items to the patron as usual.
    The Blocks screen with the Override button highlighted
    Alternately, while viewing the patron's record you can override the block by attempting to loan an item as usual. A pop up similar to the first will appear. Click "Override".
    The Loan blocked screen with the Override button highlighted

Applying a patron block

  1. To apply a patron block, begin by searching for the patron record, outlined in the section "How to look up a patron without an ID card". Then on the Find and Manage Users screen, click on the ellipsis under "Notes".
    An image of the Find and Manage Users screen, with the ellipsis highlighted
  2. A drop down menu will open. Click "Edit".
    An image of the Notes drop down menu with Edit highlighted
  3. The User Details screen will open. Click the "Blocks" tab.
    An image of the User Details screen with the Blocks tab highlighted
  4. With the "Blocks" tab selected, click on "Add Block".
    An image of the User Details screen with the Blocks tab selected and Add Block highlighted
  5. The "Add Block" pop up will open. The "Block description" field is required; select a value from the drop down menu. If desired, enter information into the "Expiry Date" and "Note" fields. Click "Add and Close" if this is the only block you want to apply to the patron's record. Click "Add" if you would like to apply more than one block.
    An image of the Add Block pop up with the Block Description field and the Add and Add and Close buttons highlighted
  6. Click "Save". The patron's record is now blocked.
    An image of the User Details screen with the Save button highlighted

Removing a patron block

  1. To remove a patron block, begin by searching for the patron record, outlined in the section "How to look up a patron without an ID card". Then on the Find and Manage Users screen, click on the ellipsis under "Notes".
    An image of the Find and Manage Users screen, with the ellipsis highlighted
  2. A drop down menu will open. Click "Edit".
    An image of the Notes drop down menu with Edit highlighted
  3. The User Details screen will open. Click the "Blocks" tab.
    An image of the User Details screen with the Blocks tab highlighted
  4. Patron blocks will be displayed. Under "Active", toggle off any blocks you want to stop applying to the patron's record.
    An image of the User Details slash Blocks screen with the active toggle highlighted
  5. Click "Save".
    An image of the User Details slash Blocks screen with the Save button highlighted

Paying a fine

  1. If a patron has a fine, you can facilitate its payment from the Patron Services screen. Navigate to Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services to bring up the Patron Identification screen, then look up the patron's record as if you were going to check out items to the patron.
  2. ​​You can see the amount the patron owes in the "Active balance" section under the patron's name.
    An image of the Patron Services screen with the "Active balance" section highlighted
  3. If the patron would like an email of their circulation activity, including fines and fees, click "Send Activity Report".
    An image of the Patron Services screen with Send Activity Report highlighted
  4. If they would like to pay at this time, click the "Pay" button.
    An image of the Patron Services screen with the Pay button highlighted
  5. The Payment Details screen will open. Select the payment method by clicking on the drop down arrow and choosing from the menu, enter how much the patron wishes to pay at this time in the "Payment amount" field, then click the "Send" button.
    An image of the Payment Details screen with the Payment method drop down arrow, the Payment amount field, and the Save button highlighted
  6. The fine is now recorded as having been paid. You may continue helping the patron from the Patron Services screen, or click "Done" to exit.
    An image of the Patron Services screen with a dialog box displayed and the Done button highlighted

Applying a fine to an account

  1. To apply a fine to a patron account, or to otherwise manage patron fines, begin by looking up the patron with the fixed search bar.
    The fixed search bar
  2. On the User Details screen, select the "Fines/Fees" tab.
    An image of the User Details screen with the Fines slash Fees tab highlighted
  3. Click "Add Fine or Fee".
    An image of the User Details screen with Add Fine or Fee highlighted
  4. The "Fee Type" and "Fee Amount" fields are required. Select the fee type from the drop down menu, and enter the fee amount manually. Populate any additional fields as necessary.
    An image of the Add Fine or Fee screen with the Fee Type drop down arrow and Fee Amount field highlighted
  5. If you are adding more than one fine/fee, click the "Add" button. If you are finished adding information, click the "Add and Close" button.
    An image of the Add Fine or Fee screen with the Add and the Add and Close buttons highlighted
  6. The Fine/Fee is now charged to the patron. Click the "Save" button.
    An image of the User Details screen with the Save button highlighted

Waiving Fines or Fees

  1. Certain fines and fees may be waived. To do this, navigate to the Fines/Fees tab in User Details and select the fine/fee you would like to waive.
    An image of the Fines slash Fees tab of the User Details screen with the item select checkboxes highlighted
  2. Click on "Waive Selected".
    An image of the fines slash fees tab of the user details screen with Waive Selected highlighted
  3. The Waiving Fine/Fee screen will appear. The "Waiving Reason" field is required. Click the drop down arrow to deploy the option menu and select the appropriate waiving reason. Populate the other fields as needed.
    An image of the Waiving Fine slash Fee screen with the waiving reason drop down menu arrow highlighted
  4. Click the "Waive" button.
    An image of the Waiving Fine slash Fee screen with the Waive button highlighted
  5. The Waive Confirmation screen will appear. Review the information. If you would like to proceed, click the "Confirm" button. Otherwise, click the "Cancel" button.
    An image of the Waive Confirmation screen with the Confirm button highlighted
  6. The fine/fee is now waived. Click the "Save" button.
    An image of a portion of the User Details screen with the Save button highlighted

Disputing a fine

  1. To mark a fine as disputed, navigate to the Fines/Fees tab and click on the "More actions" ellipsis to deploy the drop down menu. Click on "Dispute".
    An image of a section of the Fines slash Fees tab with the more actions menu deployed and Dispute highlighted
  2. The Dispute Fine/Fee screen will open. Add a comment to the comment box if appropriate, then click the "Dispute" button.
    An image of the dispute fine slash fee screen with the dispute button highlighted
  3. The Dispute Confirmation screen will appear. Click the "Confirm" button.
    An image of the dispute confirmation pop up screen with the confirm button highlighted
  4. Click the "Save" button.
    An image of the User Details screen with the Save button highlighted
  5. Fines and fees remain in dispute until they are either waived or restored.

Restoring a disputed fine

  1. To restore a disputed fine to active, navigate to the Fines/Fees tab in the User Details screen. Click on the drop down menu arrow for "Status".
    An image of a section of the User Details screen with the Status location highlighted
  2. Select "In Dispute" from the menu.
    An image of the  Statues drop down menu with In Dispute highlighted
  3. The list of disputed fines and fees for this account will appear. For the one you wish to restore, click on the ellipsis on the far right, then click "Restore".
    An image of the item drop down menu with Restore highlighted
  4. The Restore a Fine or a Fee screen will appear. Add a comment if appropriate, then click the "Restore" button.
    An image of the Restore a Fine or a Fee screen with the Restore button highlighted
  5. The Restore Confirmation screen will appear. Click the "Confirm" button.
    An image of the Restore Confirmation screen with the confirm button highlighted
  6. The fine or fee is now restored. Click the "Save" button.
    An image of a portion of the User Details screen with the Save button highlighted

Additional note

A patron may have questions about notifications about fines and fees. To review what notifications were sent to the patron, click the "Attachments" tab of the User Details screen.
An image of a section of the User Details screen with the Attachments tab highlighted

Adding a patron note

  1. To add a patron note, click on "Edit Notes" on the Patron Services screen (the check out screen). This will take you to the "Notes" tab on the User Details screen.
    An image of the Patron Services screen with Edit Notes highlighted
    Alternately, you can navigate directly to the User Details screen and click on the "Notes" tab.
    An image of the User Details screen with the Notes tab highlighted
  2. Click on "Add Note".
    An image of a portion of the Notes tab in the User Details screen with Add Note highlighted
  3. The "Add Note" drop down will appear. Add the desired note text to the "Note" field.
    The add note drop down with the Note field highlighted
  4. Click on the drop down arrow for the "Type" field to assign a type to the note.
    The add note drop down with the type drop down menu deployed and the drop down arrow highlighted
  5. Click the "User viewable" check box if you would like the note to be viewable by the patron through Primo VE. Click the "Pop up note" check box if you would like a pop up with the note to occur when the patron's account is accessed through Alma.
    The add note drop down with the user viewable and pop up note boxes highlighted
    A Notes pop up screen
  6. Click the "Add and Close" button.
    The add note drop down with the add and close button highlighted
  7. Click the "Save" button.
    An image of the user details screen with the save button highlighted

Editing a note

  1. To edit a note, navigate to the "Notes" tab on the User Details screen, then click on the ellipsis for the note you wish to manage.
    An image of the User Details screen with the Notes tab selected and the item ellipsis highlighted
  2. Select "Edit" from the drop down menu.
    An image of the notes drop down menu with edit highlighted
  3. The Edit Note screen will appear. Make the desired changes to the note, then click the "Update Note" button.
    An image of the Edit Note screen with the Update Note button highlighted
  4. Click the "Save" button.
    An image of the user details screen with the save button highlighted

Deleting a note

  1. To delete a note, navigate to the "Notes" tab on the User Details screen, then click on the ellipsis for the note you wish to manage.
    An image of the User Details screen with the Notes tab selected and the item ellipsis highlighted
  2. Select "Delete" from the drop down menu.
    An image of the drop down screen with Delete highlighted
  3. The note is now deleted. Click the "Save" button.
    An image of the User Details screen with the Save button highlighted

Notes from the patron's viewpoint

If a note is set to "User Viewable", the patron may see it through Primo VE.

  1. Once they are logged in, they click on their name in the upper right side of the screen.
    A sample view of a Primo VE screen with the patron's name highlighted
  2. A drop down menu will appear. Click on "Library Card".
    An image of the Primo VE patron drop down menu with Library Card highlighted
  3. The My Library Card dashboard will appear. Viewable notes will appear in the "Blocks + messages" section.
    An image of the My Library Card screen with the Blocks and Messages section highlighted
  4. Alternately, the patron can click on the "Blocks + messages tab" for easier viewing.
    An image of the My Library Card screen with the blocks and messages tab deployed and highlighted

Requesting an item for a patron

  1. Search for the item using the persistent search bar.
    An image of the persistent search bar
  2. Once you find the item the patron would like to request, click on the "Request" button.
    An image of an item record with the request button highlighted
  3. The Create Request screen will open. Click on the "Request Type" drop down arrow.
    An image of the create request screen with the request type drop down arrow highlighted
  4. Select "Patron physical item request" from the drop down menu.
    An image of the Create Request screen with the Request Type drop down menu deployed and Patron physical item request highlighted
  5. More fields will appear in the Create Request screen. Fill out the "Requester" and "Pickup At" fields, along with any other fields appropriate for the request.
    An image of the Create Request screen with additional fields and the Requester and Pickup At fields highlighted
  6. Click the "Submit" button.
    An image of the Create Request screen with the Submit button highlighted

Editing or Canceling patron requests

  1. Navigate to the Patron Services screen as if you were going to check out items to the patron, then click the "Requests" tab.
    An image of the Patron Services screen with the Requests tab highlighted
  2. For the item request you wish to work with, click the ellipsis. A drop down menu will appear.
    An image of items in the Requests tab with the ellipsis highlighted
    • To Edit
      1. In the drop down menu, click "Edit".
        An image of the Item Requests drop down menu with Edit highlighted
      2. The Create Request screen will open. Make any necessary changes, then click the "Submit" button.
        An image of the Create Request screen with the Submit button highlighted
    • To Cancel
      1. In the drop down menu, click "Cancel".
        An image of the Item Request drop down menu with Cancel highlighted
      2. The Confirm Request Cancellation screen will open. Click on the drop down arrow found in the "Cancellation reason" field to deploy a menu of reasons for cancellation.
        An image of the Confirm Request Cancellation screen with the Cancellation reason drop down arrow highlighted
      3. Select a reason for cancellation from the menu.
        An image of the Confirm Request Cancellation screen with the Cancellation reason menu deployed
      4. If desired, add a cancellation note or uncheck the "Notify user" box. Click the "Confirm" button.
        An image of the Confirm Request Cancellation screen with the Confirm button highlighted
    • To Update Expiry
      1. In the drop down menu, click "Update Expiry".
        An image of the Item Requests drop down menu with Update Expiry highlighted
      2. The Update Expiration Date screen will appear. Enter the new date into the "Expiration Date" field, or click on the calendar button to deploy the calendar drop down for your selection.
        An image of the Update Expiration Date screen with the drop down calendar deployed and the calendar button highlighted
      3. Click the "Save" button.
        An image of the Update Expiration Date screen with the Save button highlighted

When to send an item to the hold shelf

  1. If an item has a hold on it, during check in a pop-up will appear alerting you that the item needs to go on the hold shelf.
    An image of the check in pop up alert
    The hold status will also be displayed on the Manage Item Returns screen.
    An image of the Manage Item Returns screen with Next Step On Hold Shelf highlighted
  2. Place the item on the hold shelf in accordance with your institution's policies.

Managing active holds

  1. To view and manage active item holds, select "Active Hold Shelf" from the Fulfillment menu.The main Alma screen with the Fulfillment menu deployed and Active Hold Shelf highlighted
  2. The Active Hold Shelf Items screen will open. Actions you can take from this screen include:
    • Sorting the list of items on the hold shelf.
      1. Click on the drop down arrow included in the "Sort by" field.
        An image of the Active Hold Shelf Items screen with the Sort by field highlighted
      2. Select your preferred sort order from the menu.
        An image of the Active Hold Shelf Items screen with the Sort by drop down menu deployed
    • Canceling hold requests.
      1. To cancel a hold, click on the "Cancel Request" button in the item listing.
        An image of a item hold record with the Cancel button highlighted
      2. The Confirm Request Cancellation pop-up will appear. Click the drop down arrow located in the "Cancellation reason" field.
        An image of the confirm request cancellation screen with the cancellation reason drop down arrow highlighted
      3. Select the reason for cancellation from the drop down menu.
        An image of the confirm request cancellation screen with the cancellation reason menu deployed
      4. If appropriate, add a cancellation note or uncheck the "Notify user" box. Click the "Confirm" button.
        An image of the confirm request cancellation screen with the confirm button highlighted
    • Changing hold expiration dates.
      1. To change an expiration date, click on the the "Update Expiry" button in the item listing.
        An image of a item hold record with the Update Expiry button highlighted
      2. The Update Expiration Date screen will appear. Enter the new date into the "Expiration Date" field, or click on the calendar button to deploy the calendar drop down for your selection.
        An image of the Update Expiration Date screen with the drop down calendar deployed and the calendar button highlighted
      3. Click the "Save" button.
        An image of the Update Expiration Date screen with the Save button highlighted
    • Marking a held item as missing.
      1. To mark an item on the hold shelf as missing, click on the "More Actions" ellipsis.
        An image of a item hold record with the more actions ellipsis highlighted
      2. Click on "Mark as Missing".
        An image of an item hold record with the more actions menu deployed and Mark as Missing highlighted
      3. A Confirmation Message pop-up screen will appear. Click the "Confirm" button.
        An image of the Confirmation Message pop up with the confirm button highlighted

Managing expired holds

  1. To view and manage expired holds, select "Expired Hold Shelf" from the Fulfillment menu.The main Alma screen with the Fulfillment menu deployed and Expired Hold Shelf highlighted
  2. The Expired Hold Shelf Items screen will open. Actions you can take from this screen include:
    • Sorting or filtering items. You can click on options under "Facets" or choose an option from the "Sort by" drop down menu to filter or sort the items that have expired on the hold shelf.
      An image of the Expired Hold Shelf Items screen with the Sort by field and the Facets section highlighted
    • Sending items to be reshelved. Items that are expired and can be reshelved are found under the "Reshelve" tab. To convert an item's location status in Alma from the hold shelf to in place, there are two methods:
      1. Clicking the "Reshelve" button for each item you wish to remove from the hold shelf.
        An image of the Expired Hold Shelf Items screen with an item's Reshelve button highlighted
      2. Clicking the "Select All" box or the individual item selection boxes, and then clicking the "Reshelve" option located above the list of items.
        An image of the Expired Hold Shelf Items screen with the Select All and item check boxes and the primary Reshelve button highlighted
    • Updating the expiration date. You can extend an item's stay on the hold shelf by clicking the "Update Expiry" button and choosing a date sometime in the future.
      An image of the Expired Hold Shelf Items screen with the Update Expiry button highlighted
    • Editing the item hold, marking the item as missing, or viewing the audit trail. These options can be found in the drop down menu deployed by clicking on the ellipsis.
      An image of a section of the Expired Hold Shelf Items screen with the ellipsis highlighted and the drop down menu engaged
    • Forwarding items to another circulation desk or library. If an item has expired on the hold shelf and should be forwarded to another circulation desk or library, it will appear under the "Send to Circulation Desk" or "Send to Library" tabs. This function operates in a manner similar to the Reshelve function, but in this case you will click "Transit" instead of "Reshelve".
      An image of the Expired Hold Shelf Items screen with the Send to Circulation Desk tab, send to library tab, and two transit buttons highlighted
    • Activating the next hold on an item. If an item on the hold shelf has other patrons waiting for it to become available, it will appear under the "Activate Next" tab. This function operates in a manner similar to the Reshelve function, but in this case you will click "Activate Next" instead of "Reshelve".
      An image of the Expired Hold Shelf Items screen with the Activate Next tab and Activate Next buttons highighted

The pick from shelf list, also known as the pick list, shows you the materials in your library that have been requested by patrons, other departments, or other libraries.

Basic workflow

  1. To view and manage the pick list, select "Pick From Shelf" from the Fulfillment menu.
    The Fulfillment menu with Pick From Shelf highlighted
  2. The Pick Up Requested Resources screen will appear. You can filter or sort the requested materials using the facets or the "Sort by" menu.
    An image of the Pick Up Requested Resources screen with the facets field and the sort by option highlighted
  3. There are three options for printing the pick list or individual slips:
    • Click on the "Print Slip Report" button to download or print and Excel or XML file of the pick list.
      An image of the Pick Up Requested Resources screen with the Print Slip Report button highlighted
      A pop-up will appear. Select the options appropriate to your needs, then click either the "Download" button or the "Send" button.
      An image of Print Slip Report pop-up with the download and send buttons highlighted
    • Print individual pick slips by selecting the appropriate check boxes and clicking the "Print Slip" button.
      An image of the Pick Up Requested Resources screen with the check boxes and the Print Slip button highlighted
    • Print individual pick slips by opening the "More actions" ellipsis menu and selecting "Print Slip" from the options.
      An image of the Pick Up Requested Resources screen with the More Actions ellipsis highlighted
      An image of the Pick Up Requested Resources screen with the more actions drop down deployed and the Print Slip option highlighted
  4. Use the pick slips or the pick slip report to locate and retrieve the requested items.
  5. Once you have gathered up the items on the pick list and brought them to your work station, select "Scan In Items" from the Fulfillment menu.
    An image of the Fulfillment menu with Scan In Items highlighted
  6. The Scan In Items screen will open. Enter the picked item barcodes in the "Scan item barcode" field.
    An image of the Scan In Items screen with the Scan Item Barcode field highlighted
  7. Destination slips should print for each item as it is scanned in. Item destinations and other details will also appear below the entry fields.
    An image of the Scan In Items screen showing a list of scanned in items. The item destination section of the list is highlighted
  8. A pop up menu with additional actions is available by clicking the ellipsis to the right of each item.
    An image of the Scan In Items screen with an item menu ellipsis highlighted and the additional actions menu deployed

Moving an item in Alma allows you to update the record to reflect physical changes to an item's location. As an example, this is the process you should use when relocating an item from one library to another.

Moving an item with the requests workflow

To move items from one location to another using the Request workflow:

  1. Look up the item or title using the persistent search box.
  2. Locate the item you wish to move in the list of search results and click on the "Request" button.
    • When conducting a "Physical items" search.
      An image of an item record with the Request button highlighted
    • When conducting a "Physical titles" search.
      An image of a title record with the More actions menu deployed and highlighted and the Request option highlighted
  3. The Create Request screen will appear. Click on the drop down menu arrow for the "Request Type" field and select "Move permanently" or "Move temporarily".
    An image of the Create Request screen with the Request Type drop down menu deployed and the drop down menu arrow highlighted
  4. Once a request type is selected, more options will appear on the screen.
    • If you're moving the item permanently, select its destination from the "To" drop down menu. The other fields are optional, but you should enter as much information as you have available in accordance with your institution's policies.
      An image of the Create Request screen with the Move permanently request type selected and the To field highlighted
    • If you're moving the item temporarily, select its destination from the "To" drop down menu. Apply a "Due Back" date if appropriate. The other fields are optional, but you should enter as much information as you have available in accordance with your institution's policies.
      An image of the Create Request screen with the Move temporarily request type selected and the To and Due Back fields highlighted
  5. Click the "Submit" button.
    An image of a section of the Create Request screen with the Submit button highlighted
  6. If the item is currently available, the request will appear on the Pick from Shelf list. If the item is checked out, circulation staff will be notified of the request when it is checked back in. 

Moving an item without requests

To move an item from one location to another without using the Requests workflow:

  1. Select "Scan in items" from the Fulfillment menu.
    The main Alma screen with the Fulfillment menu deployed and the Scan In Items option highlighted
  2. The "Scan in items" screen will appear. Select the "Change item information" tab.
    An image of the Scan in items screen with the Change item information tab highlighted
  3. Select the change type and location from the drop down menus, then scan or type in the item's barcode. This updates the item's location and no further action is needed in Alma.
    An image of the Change item information tab of the Scan in items screen. The Change Type, Location, and Scan item barcode fields are highlighted

A fulfillment note is a popup that occurs before the item is charged or returned from the patron record. When staff select "Cancel" it cancels the action charge or return action. In Alma, the fulfillment note is the closest thing to Voyager's "Charge note", "Discharge note", or the Circulation Review item status alert.

Ex Libris Documentation

Adding or Editing a Fulfillment Note

  1. Perform a "Physical Items" search for the item you wish to edit.
  2. Locate the item in the search results and either select the barcode link to open the item editor, or select the "Edit item" option.
  3. On the Notes tab, locate the "Fulfillment Note" field under the "Functional Notes" section.
    Screenshot shows the Notes tab in the item editor, with the "Fulfillment note" area highlighted.
  4. Enter the details for the pop-up note as the text for Fulfillment Note.
  5. Save the item record.

Alma has a browse count feature, though in Alma-speak a browse is an "in-house loan".

Alma gives you two ways to record in-house loans:

  • Fulfillment menu > Checkout/Checkin > Return Items. If you scan an item barcode, and the item was not charged to a patron at the time, Alma will automatically create an in-house loan transaction.
  • Fulfillment menu > Resource Requests > Scan In Items. When you have students pick up items on tables and scan them, you can use Scan In Items with the Register in-house use box checked, and Alma will record an in-house loan transaction for each item scanned.

You can see the number of in-house uses for an item by performing a physical items search. Then on the results screen, click the Other Details link to expand the record and view the usage data.

You can also report on in-house loans in Alma Analytics in the Fulfillment Subject Area.