Resources - Electronic Workflows and How-To's

How to activate Community Zone Collections

In order for an Electronic Collection or an Electronic Portfolio to be visible and accessible to users, it must first be activated. When activating from the Community Zone (CZ), the Collection or Portfolio is activated and then becomes a part of the Institution Zone (IZ) while still connected to the CZ for updates.

  1. Identify an Electronic Collection or an Electronic Portfolio in the CZ that you wish to activate.

  2. Click the “Activate” button. The Activation Wizard: Electronic Collection and Services Setup page appears.

  3. Enter the required information in the Activation Wizard: Electronic Collection and Services Setup page. The Activation Wizard allows you to configure settings for the Collection and/or Portfolio that are required for user access. The Ex Libris documentation should be consulted for the most current details of the Wizard. However, the Wizard is comprised of 4 main sections requiring input, some of which only appear for specific types of collections:

    1. Local Electronic Collection Information (All Collections) - basic localized information about the collection. If the collection is to appear for users, some input will be required:

      1. Public name - If you want to override the electronic collection name that is exposed to the public, enter a new name in this field.

      2. Library - select the library of which this collection is a part.

      3. Level URL - the unproxied access URL for the whole of the Electronic Collection

      4. Additional descriptive information - the bibliographic record that describes the Collection. This will automatically come from the CZ but can be overridden with a bibliographic record in the IZ.

      5. Mark Bib as suppressed - if checked, the collection-level bibliographic record will not appear. Uncheck if you wish for the collection to be visible to users.

      6. Electronic Collection Proxy Enabled - Select “Yes” if the Level URL should be proxied.

      7. Electronic Collection Proxy Selected - If “Yes” was selected for the Electronic Collection Proxy Enabled, select the appropriate pre-configured proxy.

    2. Full Text Service (Selective Packages only) - contains the services available for the Collection being activated. More than one service may be available.

      1. Activate this electronic collection service - this activates the relevant service for the Electronic Collection. This must be checked in order for the collection to be accessible for staff locally or for users through Primo.

      2. Make service available - this makes the activated service available for the Electronic Collection. In conjunction with Activate this Electronic Collection, both must be checked in order for the Collection to be visible to users in Primo. If the service is activated but unchecked, the Collection will not be available for users in Primo but will be activated for testing by staff in Alma.

      3. Automatically activate new portfolios - check if the Collection is an aggregator. Uncheck if only specific portfolios are to be activated.

    3. Full Text Service - Linking Parameters (Selective Packages only) - contains the parameters that are required for some full text services. Depending on your authentication method or the provider, client ID or Shibboleth parameters may be required for title-level linking.

    4. Full Text Service - Proxy setup

      1. Proxy enabled - if access requires proxy access, it should be enabled at the service level to cascade to all individual portfolios.

      2. Proxy selected - if the proxy is enabled above, select the appropriate pre-configured proxy

    5. Activation Type (Selective Packages only) - decide which activation type is appropriate for the collection

      1. Activate all - activates all portfolios then available in the CZ without selection. If the Collection is an aggregator, select this and ensure that Automatically activate new portfolios was selected earlier in the Wizard.

      2. Activate electronic collection and selected portfolios via Excel file upload - when this option is selected, the search for portfolios in the Community Zone is done using the ISSN or ISBN (from the Excel file) 

      3. Manual activation - select the specific portfolios that should be activated from within the Alma web interface

    6. Activation Summary (All Collections) - this summarizes the service(s), portfolios, and total activations that will be carried out. The total activation count is the sum of the collection, service(s), and portfolios.

  4. To complete the Wizard, click “Activate”. Selecting Activate causes an Inventory Electronic Collection Activation/Deactivation job to run. The results of the activation job can be viewed by selecting Report from the row actions list on the Monitor Jobs page for the job that ran. This report identifies the validation policy that you selected and provides a link to the file that was analyzed, that is, the file that was selected for loading in the Activation Wizard when you selected the Activate electronic collection and selected portfolios via Excel file upload option.

Relevant Documentation

Last updated: 2/27/2020

How to create an Alma import profile

There are several types of import profiles in Alma.  Different import profiles may be appropriate for different types of materials.

Creating a Repository Import Profile

Repository import profiles are the most common import profile type you will create in Alma.  They can be used to load and update local electronic collections, and to load batches of records 

EOD Import Profiles

Embedded Order Data (EOD) profiles allow you to import records with order data which is used to create attached PO lines.  Sometimes, these are overlaid by full records at a later point. 

Update Inventory Import Profiles

When EOD information is added, or if you are overlaying or merging records with new ones, you can use an Update Inventory Import Profile. 

Pay special attention to the match profile to ensure the match method is correct.  In most cases you will be matching by PO line, but 035 (other system number) is also a reliable match-point for overlays or merges that are not for EOD records.  

Manually Running an Import Profile

Setting up an Import Profile via FTP

Marymount has two import profiles set up using FTP.  One is for GOBI and the other is for Ingram.  The instructions will detail general set-up of FTP import profiles, as well as specifics for the GOBI and Ingram profiles at Marymount. 

Basic Set-up

Relevant Documentation

Last updated 2/27/2020

How to set up automatic holdings for e-resources

Introduction

Alma has a feature that allows e-resource providers to set a library’s ebook, ejournal, and database holdings in the Institution Zone (IZ) on behalf of that library and update them on a regular basis. This eliminates the need for manual activation/deactivation and setting date thresholds. There are currently four participating providers: Elsevier, Ovid, ProQuest, and Springer. Review the considerations to determine whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for your library.

Workflow

  1. Communicate with the provider. Some providers allow you to obtain all the necessary information from their administration site, while others may require you to send them instructions to set up this feature.

    1. Elsevier: create an institution token in the Elsevier admin tool

    2. Ovid: contact Ovid to request your user name, password, and Ovid group

    3. ProQuest: submit a support case to ask for automated holdings

    4. Springer: create an institution token in the administrative site

  2. Activate Community Zone (CZ) collections. The provider will activate individual titles from these electronic collections, which will result in the bibliographic records and electronic portfolios for your e-resources being copied from the CZ to your IZ. 

    1. Elsevier ScienceDirect Books Complete

    2. Elsevier ScienceDirect Journals Complete

    1. Books@Ovid Subscription Complete

    2. Books@Ovid Purchase Complete

    3. Journals@Ovid Complete

    1. Ebook Central Perpetual and DDA Titles

    1. SpringerLink Journals - AutoHoldings

    2. SpringerLink Books - AutoHoldings

    1. Elsevier

    2. Ovid

    3. ProQuest

    4. Springer

  3. Create integration profiles. Within Alma Configuration, you need to create a separate integration profile for each provider. The process for creating these profiles is the same for every provider:

    1. Select a provider

    2. Enter account information (obtained in step 1)

    3. Schedule the updates

Considerations

Relevant Documentation

Last updated 2/27/2020

E-Resources Training Sessions 2021

Session 1 | E-Resources Basics

 

Session 2 | Advanced E-Resources

 

Session 3 | E-Resources and Acquisitions

 

Session 4 | Usage Statistics

Shared Open Access E-Resource Collections Workflow

Involved Parties: CCC APAC NZ Manager ERC 

NEW RESOURCES

Requests from any library for new open access electronic resources to be added to Primo should be directed to Coordinated Collections Committee (CCC).

  1. For each requested resource, CCC gathers input on which libraries are interested in opting in (“participating libraries”) and communicates in/out decisions to Alma/Primo Advisory Committee (APAC). Report should include resource name, URL, brief description, and decisions of all WRLC members (IZ level - need 14 responses). 
  2. If only one library is interested in a particular OA resource, activation of this resource should be directed back to the appropriate IZ. (See Regular Review section for potential future reevaluation.) If more than one library is interested, APAC directs the E-Resource Committee (ERC) to investigate. 
  3. Network Zone Manager checks on availability in the Alma Community Zone (CZ) and evaluates the catalog record quality and provides a brief report to ERC. Report should include: resource name, URL, brief description, participating libraries, CZ record number. ERC prepares a response with approval to move forward or, if not, itemizes specific reservations that need to be addressed.   
  4. APAC reviews ERC response and makes a decision either to move forward or to wait for discussion of reservations. APAC directs NZ Manager to proceed with activation. 
  5. NZ Manager activates the collection in the NZ, with configuration set for the participating libraries. NZ Manager tests access on behalf of participating IZs. NZ Manager configures SUSHI collection (if applicable) and provides access to usage statistics to participating libraries. NZ Manager notifies APAC when completed. 
  6. APAC notifies CCC and ERC of successful activation. 
  7. CCC publicizes new shared OA collections at home libraries and in WRLC Newsletter. CCC maintains list on WRLC Intranet of all shared OA collections that have been added. See Regular Review section.

REGULAR REVIEW

Each year, ERC prepares list of OA resources that are already activated in each IZ. Those with more than 4 libraries and with an overall Brief Level over 6 are prioritized and then submitted into the new resource workflow for reactivation as NZ resources. 

Each year, CCC examines current shared OA list and offers libraries the opportunity to reevaluate decisions on opt-in or opt-out. 

  1. Any requests for changes are communicated to APAC. 

  2. APAC directs NZ Manager to make appropriate changes.  

  3. NZ Manager makes changes and communicates completion to APAC.

  4. APAC notifies CCC and ERC.

  5. CCC revises shared OA list.