AFN Institution Zone Configurations

The following Automated Fulfillment Network (AFN) configurations are set in each WRLC Institution Zone. Settings will look slightly different depending on whether the Institution Zone is both a lender and borrower in the WRLC AFN, or if they are only a borrower. For a list of all partner profiles in the WRLC AFN, as well as their borrowing and lending preferences, see the Consortial Partners in CLS/AFN page.

Resource Sharing Library

Configuration > Configuring drop-down menu = [choose your institution's Main Library] > Fulfillment > Library Management > Library Details

Your resource sharing library is the library where your temporary borrowing and lending locations are housed. For the WRLC AFN, your institution's Main Library is the designated Resource Sharing Library.

Resource Sharing Information section

• Is Resource Sharing Library = Yes
• Itemless = No
• Symbol = [ISO symbol]

Borrowing Setup section

• Cancel request on locate failure = Yes
• Automatically activate locate profile = Yes
• Temporarily inactive for borrowing = No
  • This can be switched to Yes for a specific period of time, for example if the Library is closed
• Default location = CLS Borrowing Library
• Default pickup location = [Institution's Library]
• Extend due date when renew requested = No

Lending Setup section

Please note that the Lending Setup portion of the Resource Sharing section is NOT used by the WRLC AFN. This is because our AFN handles all lending requests as regular hold requests within the owning Institution's IZ; they are NOT considered true lending requests by Alma. For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Automated Fulfillment Network Requests (AFN)

Similarly, the AFN follows the settings in each Institution's Locate Profile to find a matching item, NOT the settings in the Lending Setup section of the Library Details page. This is because our AFN handles all lending requests as regular hold requests within the owning Institution's IZ; they are NOT considered true lending requests by Alma.

For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Configuring Parameters of a Resource Sharing Library

Temporary Resource Sharing Locations

Configuration > Configuring drop-down menu = [choose your institution's Main Library] > Fulfillment > Locations > Physical Locations

• CLSBORR (CLS Borrowing Library location)
  • Item records for AFN items borrowed from other libraries will be given the temporary borrowing location CLSBORR.
  • IZs that only borrow in the WRLC AFN will only have the CLSBORR location configured in their IZ. For a list of all partner profiles in the WRLC AFN, as well as their borrowing and lending preferences, see the Consortial Partners in CLS/AFN page.

• CLSLEND (CLS Lending Library location)
  • Although there is a location named CLSLEND, it is NOT used in the AFN workflow. Items lent out via AFN will have a status of Loan, but will not be given a temporary location. Meanwhile, items lent out in either Peer 2 Peer or Rapido requests are given the CLSLEND temporary location. 

For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Configuring Physical Locations

Temp Item Creation Rule

Configuration > Configuring drop-down menu = [choose your institution's Main Library] > Fulfillment >Library Management > Temporary Item Creation Rules

These are rules that dictate what location and item policy are given to temporary item records created by AFN requests.

• Rule Name = Temporary item rule
• Location = CLSBORR
• Item Policy = 4 week loan

Please note that the length of loans are dictated by TOUs and fulfillment units, NOT the item policy assigned to CLS items

For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Configuring Temporary Item Creation Rules

Fulfillment Units

Configuration > Fulfillment > Physical Fulfillment > Fulfillment Units > Edit Fulfillment Unit > Fulfillment Unit Details tab

Fulfillment Units are one or more physical locations in an institution that follow the same fulfillment policies. Similarly, the Network Zone has a fulfillment unit for WRLC's AFN, that dictates the rules by which items circulate in the fulfillment network.

NZ-managed Fulfillment Units can be applied to institutional Fulfillment Units. The WRLC AFN Fulfillment Unit (named WRLC Fulfillment Network) should be applied to Institutional fulfillment Units that are requestable through the AFN.

• On Shelf Request Policy = Request for pickup anywhere regardless of availability
• Use Rules from Network Fulfillment Unit = WRLC Fulfillment Network
  • Choose the WRLC Fulfillment Unit from the drop-down menu if the institutional Fulfillment Unit is requestable through the AFN
  • If the Fulfillment Unit is NOT requestable through the AFN, choose a non-requestable option for the On Shelf Request Policy and leave this field blank

 For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Configuring Fulfillment Units

Sending Borrowing Request Rules

Configuration > Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Sending Borrowing Request Rules

Sending Borrowing Request Rules dictate when a borrowing request is sent automatically to an active partner institution without staff intervention.

• CLS Sending Request
  • Input Parameters
    • Name = Partner
    • Operator = In List
    • Value = American University, Catholic University, Gallaudet University, George Mason University, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Howard University, Marymount University, Shared Collection Facility, University of DC
  • Output Parameters
    • Send Request = True

For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Configuring Sending Borrowing Request Rules