Fulfillment Here you will find information on general policies, procedures and supporting documentation for Alma Fulfillment modules. This book includes how material, both physical and digitized, is shared with patrons. Fulfillment UnitsCheck In/Check OutHold Item RequestsConsortium Loan Services (CLS)/ Automated Fulfillment Services (AFN)Resource SharingMove (both temporary and permanent)ILL (both physical and digitization) Consortium Loan Services (CLS)/ Automated Fulfillment Network (AFN) The Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) supports resource sharing among its nine member institutions. One essential component of this work is Consortium Loan Services (CLS), which allows libraries to request, lend, and borrow materials from one another. All WRLC libraries use the Ex Libris Alma Library Management System to manage their collections and fulfillment workflows. Within Alma, all CLS activity is handled through the Alma Fulfillment Network (AFN). The AFN is the technical structure that routes requests, tracks items in transit, and manages the lending and borrowing process. As you work through this chapter, keep in mind that the terms CLS and AFN refer to the same overall service. CLS describes the consortium-wide loan program, while AFN describes the system functionality that makes it possible. For clarity and consistency, this chapter will use these acronyms interchangeably. Fulfillment Units and the AFN In a consortial (shared) environment using an Alma Network Zone (NZ), a Network Fulfillment Unit  is used to manage circulation policies that apply across multiple institutions, such as consortial loan (CLS/AFN) transactions. Function:  It is possible for an  Institution-only Fulfillment Unit  to incorporate rules from a  Network Fulfillment Unit  (like the 'WRLC Fulfillment Network'). This allows for centralized management of shared policies. Example:  In your consortium, the 'WRLC Fulfillment Network' is the single NZ fulfillment unit containing all rules specific to CLS/AFN transactions. For more information on the rules and TOUs used in the WRLC Fulfillment Network fulfillment unit, please see the  Fulfillment Unit  section of the  AFN Network Zone Configurations page of the WRLC Alma Wiki. How to Allow AFN Requests for an IZ Fulfillment Unit To configure the use of Network Zone rules in a specific Fulfillment Unit,  Go to Configuration > Fulfillment > Physical Fulfillment > Fulfillment Units Edit the specific Fulfillment Unit you wish to make available for AFN requests On the Fulfillment Unit Details tab, choose the  WRLC Fulfillment Network  from the drop-down menu in the Fulfillment Unit configuration page, under the option  Use Rules From Network Fulfillment Unit . Do not checkmark 'Use Network Rules First.' Rules configured for your IZ Fulfillment Unit will be applied first, THEN rules configured in the 'WRLC Fulfillment Network' Fulfillment Unit will be applied How to  Prevent AFN Requests for an IZ Fulfillment Unit To configure the prevention of AFN requests to a specific Fulfillment Unit,  Go to Configuration > Fulfillment > Physical Fulfillment > Fulfillment Units Edit the specific Fulfillment Unit you wish to NOT make available for AFN requests On the Fulfillment Unit Details tab, make sure the  Use Rules From Network Fulfillment Unit option is left blank. Go to the Fulfillment Unit Rules tab, then choose Request from the Type drop-down menu. 5. Add a Rule like the following: Input Parameters : User Group = wrlc user Output Parameters : TOU = No FN Requesting Note that the TOU 'No FN Requesting' is managed in the Network Zone. Similarly, if you wish to create Fulfillment Rules that target WRLC patrons only, you can add rules to a Fulfillment unit with an Input Parameter of User Group = 'wrlc user'  For 'Borrowing Only' Institution Zones  If your entire Institution Zone is a Borrowing Only institution (you do not lend your items via CLS/AFN loans), you do not need additional configurations in your IZ. The Network-managed configurations found in the WRLC's Rota Templates and Partner Profiles already prevent other WRLC patrons from requesting your institution's items. For a full list for all WRLC partners that only borrow in the AFN, see the  Consortial Partners in CLS/AFN page. Consortial Partners in CLS/AFN Lending and Borrowing Partners These partners are configured in the ROTA for the "Consortium Book Borrowing" American University - 01WRLC_AMU Catholic University of America - 01WRLC_CAA Gallaudet University -  01WRLC_GAL George Mason University - 01WRLC_GML Georgetown University - 01WRLC_GUNIV George Washington University - 01WRLC_GWA Howard University - 01WRLC_HOW Marymount University - 01WRLC_MAR University of the District of Columbia - 01 WRLC_DOC Washington Research Library Consortium (SCF) - 01WRLC_SCF Borrowing Partners* American University, Washington College of Law - 01WRLC_AMULAW Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law - 01WRLC_CUALAW Georgetown University Law Center - 01WRLC_GUNIVLAW George Washington University School of Medicine and Health (Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library) - 01WRLC_GWAHLTH George Washington University Law School (Jacob Burns Law Library) - 01WRLC_GWALAW University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law - 01WRLC_DOCLAW Trinity Washington University - 01WRLC_TRN *Borrowing partners do not lend via CLS although they may lend via ILL requests and other methods. AFN Network Zone Configurations The following Automated Fulfillment Network (AFN) configurations are set in the WRLC Network Zone. Most of the settings are visible (and not editable) in the Institution Zones; the only one that is not visible in the Institution Zone is the Institutions Relations configuration. Locate Profiles Configuration > Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Locate Profiles This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions Borrower Only Institutions (see blue note below)   For the WRLC AFN, a locate profile defines how the AFN searches a particular institution's catalog. Locate Profiles are associated with a specific resource sharing partner profile. Alma Network is NOT checked. This is to allow the search against each institution's local catalog, instead of only searching records linked to the NZ. Check item availability is checked. This sees whether an item is available in the institution. If it is not, the institution will not be added to the rota for the request Check item requestability is not checked. Not checking this option ensures that the Is Requestable for Physical Resource Sharing policy and the Is Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing policy of the TOUs is consulted instead of the Is Requestable policy of the TOUs. For more information, see the Automated Fulfillment Network Requests page on the Alma Knowledge Center. For Borrowing-Only institutions, the  Check item requestability is checked in order to facilitate the self-ownership borrowing process. Please see the Information box below for more details.  Allow locate by metadata locates an item based on the metadata listed below; a match is successful if any field listed below matches the bib record. This option allows borrowers that share an NZ to create requests for records not linked to the NZ. It also allows hold requests to be converted to AFN requests ISBN / ISSN System Control Number Title LCCN Borrowing-Only Institutions also have Locate Profiles configured in the NZ. Even though they are not one of the potential lending partners, a Locate Profile is used to first locate a borrowing request in the borrower's catalog prior to sending the request to potential partners . This type of search determine whether a patron's resource request may be filled by local inventory, or whether the request must be directed to an external resource sharing partner as part of the locate process. This is specifically stated in the Locating Items for Resource Sharing page on the Alma Knowledgebase. For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Configuring Locate Profiles . Workflow Profiles Configuration > Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Workflow Profiles Workflows control the actions that can be performed on the borrowing and lending request task lists for the defined partner; Workflow Profiles are associated with a specific resource sharing partner profile. There is one workflow each for borrowing and lending. Below are the borrowing and lending configurations for the WRLC AFN CLS Borrowing RS  This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions Borrower Only Institutions CLS Lending RS This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Configuring Workflow Profiles   Institutions Relations Configuration > General > Network Groups > Institutions Relations Please note that this configuration is NOT viewable in the Institution Zone. This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions Borrower Only Institutions   These relation configurations determine if items belonging to an institution can be checked out/in or delivered to other institutions. From: the institution whose fulfillment network behavior is configured To: the institution(s) who participate in the fulfillment process; in the case of the WRLC, the value All signifies all Institution Zones in the WRLC NZ Circulate For  is checked; this specific institution can check out and check in items belonging to all of the other institutions Deliver To is checked; this specific institution can send its own items to all of the other institutions for pick up. For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page  Configuring Pick Up Anywhere/Return Anywhere Sending Borrowing Request Rules Configuration > Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Sending Borrowing Request Rules This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions Borrower Only Institutions   Sending Borrowing Request Rules dictate when a borrowing request is sent automatically to an active partner institution without staff intervention. The WRLC Network Zone has two Rules that are enforced before the IZ-only rules . The first is the No Photocopy rule, and the second is the CLS Sending Request rule. The NZ rules are applied to requests in this order. No Photocopy Input Parameters Name = Requested Format Operator = '=' Value = Physical non-returnable Output Parameters Send Request = False 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 Resource Sharing Partners Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Partners This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions Borrower Only Institutions   Partner profiles define the types of request and communication sent to a specific institution. The profile also defines the Locate Profile and the Workflow Profiles for an institution. 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. Typical Partner Profile for a Borrowing AND Lending WRLC Institution Profile Type equals Fulfillment Network to signify the AFN Locate Profile specifies the Locate Profile (how Alma searches their catalog for a matching item) that should be used for this institution.  Supports Borrowing / Lending is checkmarked for the WRLC Institutions that lend and borrow in the AFN Borrowing / Lending Workflow specifies the Workflow Profile (actions that can be performed on the borrowing and lending request task lists for the defined partner) that is used for borrowing and/or lending in the AFN For a full list for all WRLC partners that both borrow and lend in the AFN, see the Consortial Partners in CLS/AFN page. Typical Partner Profile for a Borrowing ONLY WRLC Institution Profile Type equals Fulfillment Network to signify the AFN Locate Profile is left BLANK (because the library does not lend items, there is no need for Alma to search their catalog via a Locate Profile). Supports Borrowing is checkmarked for the WRLC Institutions that ONLY borrow from other AFN partners (they do not lend their own materials to other partners) Borrowing Workflow specifies the Workflow Profile (actions that can be performed on the borrowing and lending request task lists for the defined partner) that is used for borrowing in the AFN For a full list for all WRLC partners that only borrow in the AFN, see the  Consortial Partners in CLS/AFN page. Borrowing only partners do not lend via CLS although they may lend via ILL requests and other methods. For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Configuring a Resource Sharing Partner Rota Templates Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Rota Templates This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions Borrower Only Institutions   A rota template specifies the list of partners that are queried to see if a particular borrowing request can be fulfilled. The rota template for the WRLC AFN (named CLS-Physical ) only lists the institutions in the WRLC that lend items in the AFN (for a full list of lending institutions in the WRLC, see the   Consortial Partners in CLS/AFN page); this rota is a  non-ordered template, meaning requests are sent to partners in a random order. For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Configuring Rota Templates page. Fulfillment Unit Configuration > Fulfillment > Physical Fulfillment > Fulfillment Units This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions   The Fulfillment Unit named WRLC Fulfillment Network (code WRLC_FN ) sets the rules by which items circulate in the fulfillment network. This NZ-managed Fulfilment unit is applied to the each Institution's Fulfillment Unit for items requestable and loanable via the WRLC AFN. For more information on how to configure the use of Network Zone rules in a specific Fulfillment Unit, please see the  Network Fulfillment Units (Consortial Environments) section  of the  Fulfillment units and Fulfillment Rules page of the WRLC Alma Wiki.  WRLC-FN Fulfillment Unit Details On shelf Request Policy = Request for pickup anywhere regardless of availability The above settings means all pickup locations that are allowed according to the Pickup Locations policy of the requesting TOU are available, regardless of whether the item is on the shelf. WRLC-FN Fulfillment Unit Rules Loan rule type WRLC Faculty Lending IF the patron's profile has 1) a user group of wrlc user , and 2) a job category of WRLC Faculty , AND the item is a material type of Issue, Book, or Music Score, THEN the Terms of Use applied to the loan is WRLC Faculty Lending TOU   WRLC FN Lending IF the patron's profile has a user group of  wrlc user AND the item has a material type of Issue, Book, or Music Score, THEN the Terms of Use applied to the loan is  WRLC FN Lending TOU WRLC Media Lending IF the patron's profile has a user group of  wrlc user AND the item has a material type of Other, Audio cassette, Audiobook, Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray And DVD, CD-ROM, Compact Disc, DAT (Digital Audio Tape), DVD, DVD-ROM, Video Disk, Video Recording, Video Recording (Other), or Video Cassette, THEN the Terms of Use applied to the loan is  WRLC Media Lending TOU Request rule type WRLC FN Requesting IF the patron's profile has a user group of  wrlc user AND the item has a material type of Issue, Book, or Music Score, THEN the Terms of Use applied to the request  is  WRLC FN Requesting TOU WRLC Media Requesting IF the patron's profile has a user group of  wrlc user AND the item has a material type of Other, Audio cassette, Audiobook, Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray And DVD, CD-ROM, Compact Disc, DAT (Digital Audio Tape), DVD, DVD-ROM, Video Disk, Video Recording, Video Recording (Other), or Video Cassette, THEN the Terms of Use applied to the request  is  WRLC Media Requesting TOU   WRLC Limited Requesting IF the patron's profile has a user group of  wrlc user AND the item has a material type of Book, Bound Issue, Issue, or Microfilm, THEN the Terms of Use applied to the  request  is  WRLC Limited Requesting TOU For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Configuring Fulfillment Units Terms of Use Configuration > Fulfillment > Physical Fulfillment > Terms of Use and Policies Terms of Use refers to a list of policies that define the institutional services that will be provided or terminated. Terms of Use are assigned to specific Fulfillment Unit Rules. WRLC-FN Terms of Use Below are the Terms of Use owned by the Network Zone and affiliated with the WRLC-FN Fulfillment Unit Loan TOUs WRLC Faculty Lending Terms for lending to Faculty in the CLS fulfillment network. This TOU is applied to the WRLC Faculty Lending Loan rule . Policy Type Policy Name Policy Description Is Loanable Loanable  Loanable Is Recallable Recall Allowed  Recall is possible Due Date CLS - Faculty End-of-term loan for faculty Requested Item Due Date 14 day limit if request exists Limit new loans to 14 days if another request on the same item Recall Period 14 Days Recall Period 14 Days Recall Period Renew Fee No Renewal Fee  Default No Renewal Fee Lost Item Fine No Lost Item Fine  Default Lost Item fine - per RSAC 10/5/2022 Lost Item Replacement Fee CLS $110 replacement fee Default replacement fee for WRLC-FN Lending TOU 8/20/2018 Lost Item Replacement Fee Refund Ratio 100 Percent Lost Item Refund Default lost item replacement refund Maximum Fine CLS $25 maximum fine Max fine for WRLC FN Lending TOU 8/20/2018 Overdue Fine CLS no overdue fine Daily overdue fine removed 4/15/2019 Recalled Overdue Fine CLS $5/day recalled item fine Overdue for recalled items for WRLC FN Lending TOU 8/20/2018 Grace Period CLS 39 day grace period. Extension of grace period before Lost Item Fine Is Renewable Renewable Is item renewable Maximum Renewal Period No Maximum Renew Period Default Maximum Renewal Period Closed Library Due Date Management Move Due Time to Next Open Time When the Library will close before the Due Time of a short loan, lengthen the due time to the Library's next opening time Cancelled Recall Due Date Restore to original due date This option will take the due date of the loan before the recall was done on the loan Overdue Notification Fine Type 1 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 2 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 3 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 4 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 5 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Block When Overdue No block when overdue Do not create a block when overdue Maximum Period for Overdue Block No Maximum Block Period No Maximum Block Period for Block When Overdue Reloan Limit No Reloan Limit No Reloan Limit Time frame when loan renewal is allowed No limit Do not limit the time in which renewal is allowed WRLC FN Lending Terms for lending in the CLS fulfillment network. This TOU is applied to the WRLC FN Lending Loan rule . Policy Type Policy Name Policy Description Is Loanable Loanable  Loanable Is Recallable Recall Allowed  Recall is possible Due Date 6 wk general loan 6 week general loan Requested Item Due Date 14 day limit if request exists Limit new loans to 14 days if another request on the same item Recall Period 14 Days Recall Period 14 Days Recall Period Renew Fee No Renewal Fee  Default No Renewal Fee Lost Item Fine No Lost Item Fine  Default Lost Item fine - per RSAC 10/5/2022 Lost Item Replacement Fee CLS $110 replacement fee Default replacement fee for WRLC-FN Lending TOU 8/20/2018 Lost Item Replacement Fee Refund Ratio 100 Percent Lost Item Refund Default lost item replacement refund Maximum Fine CLS $25 maximum fine Max fine for WRLC FN Lending TOU 8/20/2018 Overdue Fine CLS no overdue fine Daily overdue fine removed 4/15/2019 Recalled Overdue Fine CLS $5/day recalled item fine Overdue for recalled items for WRLC FN Lending TOU 8/20/2018 Grace Period CLS 39 day grace period. Extension of grace period before Lost Item Fine Is Renewable Renewable Is item renewable Maximum Renewal Period No Maximum Renew Period Default Maximum Renewal Period Closed Library Due Date Management Move Due Time to Next Open Time When the Library will close before the Due Time of a short loan, lengthen the due time to the Library's next opening time Cancelled Recall Due Date Restore to original due date This option will take the due date of the loan before the recall was done on the loan Overdue Notification Fine Type 1 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 2 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 3 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 4 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 5 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Block When Overdue No block when overdue Do not create a block when overdue Maximum Period for Overdue Block No Maximum Block Period No Maximum Block Period for Block When Overdue Reloan Limit No Reloan Limit No Reloan Limit Time frame when loan renewal is allowed No limit Do not limit the time in which renewal is allowed WRLC Media Lending Terms for media loans in the CLS fulfillment network. This TOU is applied to the WRLC Media Lending Loan rule . Policy Type Policy Name Policy Description Is Loanable Loanable  Loanable Is Recallable No Recall Default Recall is not possible Due Date 1 week media loan 7 day loan period for WRLC media lending TOU Requested Item Due Date No Requested Due Date Default value - No Requested Item Due Date Recall Period No Recall Due Date Default Recall Due date - none Renew Fee No Renewal Fee  Default No Renewal Fee Lost Item Fine No Lost Item Fine  Default Lost Item fine - per RSAC 10/5/2022 Lost Item Replacement Fee CLS $110 replacement fee Default replacement fee for WRLC-FN Lending TOU 8/20/2018 Lost Item Replacement Fee Refund Ratio 100 Percent Lost Item Refund Default lost item replacement refund Maximum Fine CLS $25 maximum fine Max fine for WRLC FN Lending TOU 8/20/2018 Overdue Fine CLS $5/day overdue media fine Overdue fine for WRLC FN Media 8/20/2018 Recalled Overdue Fine No Recall Overdue Fine Default Value for recalled overdue fine Grace Period No Grace Default value for Grace Is Renewable Not Renewable Item not renewable Maximum Renewal Period No Maximum Renew Period Default Maximum Renewal Period Closed Library Due Date Management Move Due Time to Next Open Time When the Library will close before the Due Time of a short loan, lengthen the due time to the Library's next opening time Cancelled Recall Due Date Keep due date No change to the due date Overdue Notification Fine Type 1 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 2 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 3 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 4 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 5 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Block When Overdue No block when overdue Do not create a block when overdue Maximum Period for Overdue Block No Maximum Block Period No Maximum Block Period for Block When Overdue Reloan Limit No Reloan Limit No Reloan Limit Time frame when loan renewal is allowed No limit Do not limit the time in which renewal is allowed In Library Use Only - Periodicals (Loan TOU) Terms that  can be used for loan fulfillment rules associated with locations that are 'in library use only' for CLS/AFN patrons. Policy Type Policy Name Policy Description Is Loanable Loanable  Loanable Is Recallable No Recall Allowed  Default Recall is not possible Due Date 2 week loan 14 day loan period for WRLC "In Library Use Only" Lending TOU Requested Item Due Date No Requested Due Date Default value - No Requested Item Due Date Recall Period No Recall Due Date Default Recall Due date - none Renew Fee No Renewal Fee  Default No Renewal Fee Lost Item Fine CLS $10.00 Lost Item Fine Lost item fine put in place after removal of Overdue Fines (4/15/2019) Lost Item Replacement Fee CLS $110 replacement fee Default replacement fee for WRLC-FN Lending TOU 8/20/2018 Lost Item Replacement Fee Refund Ratio 100 Percent Lost Item Refund Default lost item replacement refund Maximum Fine CLS $25 maximum fine Max fine for WRLC FN Lending TOU 8/20/2018 Overdue Fine CLS $5/day overdue media fine Overdue fine for WRLC FN Media 8/20/2018 Recalled Overdue Fine No Recall Overdue Fine Default Value for recalled overdue fine Grace Period No Grace Default value for Grace Is Renewable Renewable Is item renewable Maximum Renewal Period No Maximum Renew Period Default Maximum Renewal Period Closed Library Due Date Management Move Due Time to Next Open Time When the Library will close before the Due Time of a short loan, lengthen the due time to the Library's next opening time Cancelled Recall Due Date Keep due date No change to the due date Overdue Notification Fine Type 1 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 2 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 3 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 4 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Overdue Notification Fine Type 5 No Overdue Fine Default value - No Overdue Fine Block When Overdue No block when overdue Do not create a block when overdue Maximum Period for Overdue Block No Maximum Block Period No Maximum Block Period for Block When Overdue Reloan Limit No Reloan Limit No Reloan Limit Time frame when loan renewal is allowed No limit Do not limit the time in which renewal is allowed Request TOUs WRLC FN Requesting Terms for requests in the CLS fulfillment network. This TOU is applied to the WRLC FN Requesting Request rule . Policy Type Policy Name Policy Description Is Requestable Requestable  Requestable  Pickup Locations Pickup At Any Institution* Please see A note about Rapido institutions for more details Pickup At Any Institution  Hold Shelf Period 14 day Hold Shelf (Covid default) Longer hold shelf time due to library restrictions. Is Digitizable Is Digitizable Default value for Digitizable Is Requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Is Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Request Priority Medium  Medium  On Shelf Request Policy Use fulfillment unit definition Use fulfillment unit definition Personal Delivery Personal Delivery - None Do not deliver items at all Personal Delivery Fee Personal Delivery Fee - No Fee Personal Delivery is not charged with a fee Automatically convert to resource sharing Do not convert to resource sharing Do not convert to resource sharing Digitization Fee per Digitization No Fee Digitization request is not charged with a fee Digitization Fee per page No Fee Digitization request is not charged with a fee per page WRLC Media Requesting Terms for media requests (requestable but not digitizable) in the CLS fulfillment network. This TOU is applied to the WRLC Media Requesting Request rule . Policy Type Policy Name Policy Description Is Requestable Requestable  Requestable  Pickup Locations Pickup At Any Institution* Please see A note about Rapido institutions for more details Pickup At Any Institution  Hold Shelf Period 7 day Hold Shelf Default value for HoldShelfPeriod Is Digitizable Not Digitizable Not Digitizable Is Requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Not requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Not requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Is Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Not requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Not requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Request Priority Medium  Medium  On Shelf Request Policy Use fulfillment unit definition Use fulfillment unit definition Personal Delivery Personal Delivery - None Do not deliver items at all Personal Delivery Fee Personal Delivery Fee - No Fee Personal Delivery is not charged with a fee Automatically convert to resource sharing Do not convert to resource sharing Do not convert to resource sharing Digitization Fee per Digitization No Fee Digitization request is not charged with a fee Digitization Fee per page No Fee Digitization request is not charged with a fee per page WRLC Limited Requesting Terms for limited requests (digitizable but not requestable) in the CLS fulfillment network. This TOU is applied to the WRLC Limited Requesting Request rule . Policy Type Policy Name Policy Description Is Requestable Not Requestable  Default value is not requestable  Pickup Locations Pickup At Any Institution* Please see A note about Rapido institutions for more details Pickup At Any Institution  Hold Shelf Period 10 day Hold Shelf Default value for HoldShelfPeriod (per RSAC) Is Digitizable Is Digitizable Default value for Digitizable Is Requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Not requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Not requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Is Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Request Priority Medium  Medium  On Shelf Request Policy Use fulfillment unit definition Use fulfillment unit definition Personal Delivery Personal Delivery - None Do not deliver items at all Personal Delivery Fee Personal Delivery Fee - No Fee Personal Delivery is not charged with a fee Automatically convert to resource sharing Do not convert to resource sharing Do not convert to resource sharing Digitization Fee per Digitization No Fee Digitization request is not charged with a fee Digitization Fee per page No Fee Digitization request is not charged with a fee per page No FN Requesting Terms that can be used for fulfillment rules associated with locations that are not requestable via CLS/AFN.  Policy Type Policy Name Policy Description Is Requestable Not Requestable  Default value is not requestable  Pickup Locations Anywhere Default value for Pickup - Anywhere Hold Shelf Period 10 day Hold Shelf Default value for HoldShelfPeriod (per RSAC) Is Digitizable Not Digitizable Not Digitizable Is Requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Not requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Not requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Is Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Request Priority Medium  Medium  On Shelf Request Policy Use fulfillment unit definition Use fulfillment unit definition Personal Delivery Personal Delivery - None Do not deliver items at all Personal Delivery Fee Personal Delivery Fee - No Fee Personal Delivery is not charged with a fee Automatically convert to resource sharing Do not convert to resource sharing Do not convert to resource sharing Digitization Fee per Digitization No Fee Digitization request is not charged with a fee Digitization Fee per page No Fee Digitization request is not charged with a fee per page In Library Use Only - Periodicals (Request TOU) Terms that  can be used for request fulfillment rules associated with locations that are 'in library use only' for CLS/AFN patrons. Policy Type Policy Name Policy Description Is Requestable Requestable  Requestable  Pickup Locations In own Institution   Hold Shelf Period 14 day Hold Shelf Covid default (Longer than hold shelf due to library restrictions) Is Digitizable Is Digitizable Default value for Digitizable Is Requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Requestable for Physical Resource Sharing Is Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Requestable for Digital Resource Sharing Request Priority Medium  Medium  On Shelf Request Policy Use fulfillment unit definition Use fulfillment unit definition Personal Delivery Personal Delivery - None Do not deliver items at all Personal Delivery Fee Personal Delivery Fee - No Fee Personal Delivery is not charged with a fee Automatically convert to resource sharing Do not convert to resource sharing Do not convert to resource sharing Digitization Fee per Digitization No Fee Digitization request is not charged with a fee Digitization Fee per page No Fee Digitization request is not charged with a fee per page A note about Rapido Institutions For Rapido institutions, the Request TOU setting (specifically the "Pickup at Institution" value) controls the pickup options that appear in both Alma AND Primo. When you set the TOU to "Pickup at Institution" Rapido will only show the patron's own institution as a valid pickup option, and other institutions in your network won't appear on the list.  For non-Rapido institutions, however, Primo does NOT use the TOU settings when displaying pickup locations in the Primo request form; it uses the Resource Sharing Form configuration (described in the Resource Sharing Form page of the WRLC Alma Wiki)) instead. Unlike Rapido institutions, TOU settings for non-Rapido institutions pertains to staff-side requests in Alma, not to patron-side requests in Primo. In this case, the list of AFN partner institutions will still appear in Primo regardless of the request TOUs unless you explicitly restrict them using the Resource Sharing Request Form configuration. Please see Salesforce case #08203423 for more details. 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. The below configurations are clearly marked as to whether they apply to all CLS libraries, r to only the borrower + lender libraries (and not to borrower-only librariess). 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. For information on how to edit the CLS Request link in Primo, see the Display Logic Rules for the AFN/CLS Request Form in Primo page.   Resource Sharing Library Configuration > Configuring drop-down menu = [ choose your institution's Main Library ] > Fulfillment > Library Management > Library Details This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions Borrower Only Institutions   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 This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions Borrower Only Institutions   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 This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions   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 This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions Borrower Only Institutions   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. For information on how to apply the NZ Fulfillment rules for AFN requests to IZ-only Fulfilment Units, please see the Network Fulfillment Units (Consortial Environments) section of the Fulfillment units and Fulfillment Rules page of the WRLC Alma Wiki.   For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Configuring Fulfillment Units Request Pickup Configuration Configuration > Fulfillment > Physical Fulfillment > Request Pickup Configuration This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions   The following 2-3 request pickup rules are configured for each Institution Zone that  lends their library's items in the CLS/AFN. These rules control how and when both AFN and SCF requests expire.  The first request rule should always be WRLC SCF Requests , followed by WRLC AFN/CLS Requests . The third request rule, General Request Pickup Rule , is configured if there are no other request pickup rules used by the Institution Zone. When the item's expiration time arrives, the Requests - Handle Expiration Step job cancels the requests. For more information, please see the Fulfillment Jobs Configuration section of the AFN Institution Zone Configurations page on the WRLC Alma Wiki. WRLC SCF Requests pickup rule When a request is made for an item in the Shared Collections Facility, two copies of that request are created in WRLC's network; the original request in the owning Institution's IZ, and a second copy of the request in the SCF IZ. This rule ensures that both copies have the same expiration date. Input Parameters Name - Location Operator - In List Value - ALL Remote Storage locations configured in the IZ Output Parameters Consider as missing when expired - Never Expiry time for 'Pick From Shelf' (in days) - 95* Show in 'Pick From Shelf' list - False Calculate expiry time in open days - No *This number is to match the expiry time automatically given by the SCF Remote Storage app when requests are copied from the owning Institution Zone to the Shared Collections Facility Institution Zone. For more information about the Remote Storage Applications, please see the Remote Storage App chapter in the WRLC Alma Wiki. WRLC AFN/CLS Requests pickup rule This rule ensures that each CLS/AFN request is given 5 days to be filled before the request is marked as expired by Alma. Input Parameters Name - User Group Operator - '=' Value - wrlc user Output Parameters Consider as missing when expired - Never Expiry time for 'Pick From Shelf' (in days) - 5 Show in 'Pick From Shelf' list - True Calculate expiry time in open days - Yes General Request Pickup Rule This third request rule is only configured IF there are no other request pickup rules active in the Institution Zone. This rule is primarily used to prevent Alma's out-of-the-box configurations (7 day expiry, mark as missing when expired) being applied to all requests. Input Parameters Name - Request Type Operator - In List Value - Boking, Library physical digitization, Move permanently, Move temporarily, Patron digitization request, Patron physical item request, Resource sharing digital shipment, Resource sharing physical shipment, Restore item, Staff digitization request, Work order request Output Parameters Consider as missing when expired - Never Expiry time for 'Pick From Shelf' (in days) - 99 Show in 'Pick From Shelf' list - True Calculate expiry time in open days - Yes Rota Assignment Rules Configuration > Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Rota Assignment Rules This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions Borrower Only Institutions   Rota Assignment Rules assign Rota Templates to specific requests, based on specified criteria.  There are two WRLC Rota Assignment Rules configured in each Institution Zone in our consortium. These rules use the Rota Templates configured in the WRLC Network Zone . These rules can be in any order, though both should always be above Lender of Last Resort rules configured in your IZ.  WRLC CLS Book Borrowing WRLC CLS Digitization * (please note that, although this Rota Assignment Rule is active, the NZ Rota Template it uses is currently inactive ) The priority of Institution rules versus Network rules is determined by the network_rota_assignment_rules_precedence setting found in Configuration > Fulfillment > General > Other Settings. The default setting for WRLC is FALSE (IZ rules take precedent over NZ rules). For a full list of all recommended Other Settings configurations for a WRLC Institution Zone, please see the I nstitution Zone Configuration page on the WRLC Alma Wiki. WRLC CLS Book Borrowing Input Parameters Name - Requested Format  Operator - = Value - Physical Output Parameters Rota Templates - CLS-Physical WRLC CLS Digitization Input Parameters Name - Requested Format  Operator - In List Value - Digital Output Parameters Rota Templates - CLS-Digital * (this NZ-managed Rota Template is currently inactive) For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Configuring Rota Assignment Rules Fulfillment Jobs Configuration Configuration > Fulfillment > General > Fulfillment Jobs Configuration This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions   Below are the Fulfillment jobs that must  be active for libraries that lend their library's items in the CLS/AFN.  Requests - Handle Expiration Job This job should be active only for libraries that  lend their library's items in the CLS/AFN. The job cancels requests when the expiration date for a request has passed AND the status of the request is one of the following : Pick from shelf Communicated to Remote Storage Expiration dates are configured according to an Institution's Request Pickup Rules. For more information on how these should be configured for the AFN, please see the Request Pickup Configuration section of the AFN Institution Zone Configurations page on the WRLC Alma Wiki. Loans - Overdue and Lost Item This job should be active for libraries that  lend their library's items in the CLS/AFN. The job both notifies patrons about overdue loans, and changes a loan's status to Lost; the parameters for each of these actions is dictated by the configuration of your Institution Zones Overdue and Lost Loan profiles. For more information about these in relation to CLS, please see the Overdue and Lost Loan Profiles section of the WRLC Alma Wiki. For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page  Configuring Fulfillment Jobs . Overdue and Lost Loan Profiles Configuration > Fulfillment > General > Overdue and Lost Loan Profiles This configuration pertains to  Borrower + Lender Institutions   The overdue and lost loan profiles monitor long overdue loans and turn them into lost loans when applicable. The profiles send  reminders to the patron as well as create fees and user blocks. Lost fees charged to a patron account are determined by the items Terms of Use.  For libraries that   lend their library's items in the CLS/AFN both lend and borrow, there should be at least one Change to Lost profile that includes the User Group ' wrlc user '. This profile ensures that any WRLC patrons with overdue items from your institution will be sent an email notifying them that their item is overdue by 40 days and has now been changed to a Lost status. This change in status marks the item as Lost, and adds a $110 replacement fee to their account (as configured in the AFN's Terms of Use). Below is an example configuration, along with recommended configurations : Active : Checked Profile Type : Change to Lost Days after due date : 39 Notices will be send the following day (on the 40th day) Days : Checked (do not check 'Open Days') User Group : wrlc user Please note that if any of the settings above are left blank, the field will apply to all in the category. For example, if the User Group field is left blank, this profile will be applied to all user groups in your Institution Zone.  Alma runs a daily job ( Loans - Overdue and Lost Item ) to process overdue and lost loans, which, according to the list of profiles, determines the loans for which warnings are sent and those that are defined as lost. The type of letter sent depends on the setting of the  switch_to_overdue_and_lost_loan_new_job  customer parameter. When this parameter is set to  true , the notification sent is the Ful Overdue and Lost Loan Notification Letter . In this case, a single notification is sent to each patron for all overdue items whose criteria match a particular profile, listing all of the overdue items in that profile.  For more information, see the Alma Knowledgebase page Configuring Overdue and Lost Loan Profiles page.  Faculty Due Date Maintenance Each IZ that participates in consortial lending needs to maintain the fixed due date on their calendars for patrons in "wrlc user" user group with the "WRLC Faculty" job category.  This is done 3 times a year so that Faculty can have loans that last the semester.  The dates are changed about 6 weeks prior to the expiration of the current due date. The designated due dates are January 31st for the Fall semester, May 31st for the Spring semester, and September 30th for the Summer sessions. The dates are changed on the following schedule: January 31 due date is set on about August 15th. May 31st due date is set on about December 15th. September 30th due date is set on about April 15th. Procedure: Update the Faculty Due Date The following procedure assumes that the "End of Term WRLC Faculty" date is configured at and inherited from the Institution's Calendar.  All Libraries under the IZ that have this date on their calendar will be updated by the procedure below. If you do not have this date configured on the Institution Calendar, you will need to select the individual Libraries that have this date and update them individually following the same basic procedure except at the Library level. Go To:  Alma --> Configuration --> General --> Libraries --> Add a Library or Edit Library Information Select the Calendar Management tab.  Click on the ellipsis to Edit the "End of Term WRLC Faculty" date.  Select Edit. Click on the calendar button on the right.  Select the new "End of Term WRLC Faculty" date.  Then Save. After saving, make sure that you "Apply Changes"! You will be notified once you submitted the job to apply the changes. The "End of Term WRLC Faculty" date is now updated. Linked Patron Accounts How to update a Linked Patron Account Patron linked accounts can be updated in several ways. If a patron renews an item on loan from partner institution, the patron's expiry date will automatically be updated to match the expiry date at the home institution. If a patron requests a new item from a partner institution, the patron's expiry date will automatically be updated to match the expiry date at the home institution. A staff member can manually force an update to a linked patron's expiry date by using "Manage Patron Services".                Fulfillment  --> Checkout/Checkin  -->  Manage Patron Services  -->  Patron Services page Select "Find user in other institution", select the appropriate institution.  Scan patron's ID or search for patron and select appropriate one. "Find User"  (This will force an update to the patron's linked account.        How Linked Patron Accounts are configured   Linked Account Rules (Institution Zone)   Each institution in the WRLC network has configured a  WRLC Fulfillment Network Patron linked account rule in their Institution Zone (minus Catholic University Law school, which does not borrow nor lend using the WRLC AFN). Below are the recommended configurations for the WRLC Fulfillment Network Patron linked account rule, found in Configuration > User Management > Collaborative Networks > Linked Account Rules Input Parameters Name = Source Institution Operator = In List Value = all institutions in the WRLC Network except for Catholic Law Output Parameters User Group = wrlc user Expiry Date = NULL Expiry from Source = Same as in source Copies Expiry Date from the patron account in the patron's Home Institution Refresh Expiry Date = Yes When set to 'Yes', the corresponding date is recalculated each time the linked record is refreshed from the source institution Purge Date = NULL Purge After Expired = One month after expiration The above sets the Purge Date ; the account will only be purged if the 'Purge User Records' job is run  Refresh Purge Date = Yes When set to 'Yes', the corresponding date is recalculated each time the linked record is refreshed from the source institution Resource Sharing Library = [your institution's resource sharing library] Copy Network Blocks = Yes When set to 'Yes', Alma will delete all the current network blocks that exist on the linked account and re-create them each time the linked record is refreshed. Blocks can only be placed on linked accounts if they are configured in the  User Block Definitions and User Block Descriptions section.   For more information, please see the  Configuring Linked Account Rules page on the Alma Knowledgebase.   Linked Account Shared Fields (Network Zone) The configuration that determines which fields in the user account are shared in linked accounts is managed in the WRLC Network Zone. Below is the current configuration.   Field Name Shared First Name True Middle Name True Last Name True Pin Number False Job Title True Job Description True Preferred Language True Birth Date True  Expiry Date True Purge Date True Email List True Address List False Phone List False Preferred First Name True Preferred Middle Name True Preferred Last Name True   For more information, please see the Configuring Linked Account Shared Fields page on the Alma Knowledgebase. Standard Opening Hours Impact on Due Dates  A library's Standard Opening Hours along with other events in their calendar can affect item due dates and renewal dates.  It is good practice to review the Standard Opening Hours each semester when you may be adding specific events, exceptions or holidays. A library's Standard Opening Hours are always set at the library level.  (They do not "inherit" from the institutional calendar.)  The "Valid from" date to the "Valid to" date is set to 3 years.  If the "Valid to" date is approaching, this can shorten due dates for items that would otherwise get a much longer loan period. The procedure to update the "Valid to" dates in your library's calendar is fairly simple.  You must have the role of Fulfillment Administrator (or General Administrator).   Updating the Standard Opening Hours The following procedure assumes that you have the role of Fulfillment Administrator (or General Administrator) and you have selected a valid Library from the top of the Configuration page. Go To:  Alma --> Configuration --> Fulfillment --> Library Management --> Opening Hours Find the calendar entries of type "Standard opening hours".  (You can arrange the record types alphabetically by clicking on the Record type column header.)  Select the ellipsis at the right of the first entry. Select Edit on the first Standard opening hours entry. Select Save. This will automatically update the "from" and “to” date. (You do not need to make any changes.) Repeat this for the remaining 6 Standard Opening Hours entries. As with all calendar updates, "Apply Changes"! Discharging CLS Hold Shelf Items This workflow explains how to properly discharge CLS (Consortium Library Services) Hold Shelf items in Alma so they are correctly routed back to their owning library and do not remain attached to outdated or unresolved requests. Before starting, determine which situation applies, each case requires a different Alma workflow: Item has NOT expired past the Hold Until date Item HAS expired past the Hold Until date When to Use This Workflow When a CLS item was never picked up by the requesting patron When a CLS item has expired on the hold shelf When a CLS item must be returned to its owning institution Why This Matters If CLS hold shelf items are not discharged correctly: Requests may remain active incorrectly Items may circulate with unresolved requests Lending libraries may experience tracking or accountability issues This workflow ensures clean request closure and correct transit routing. Required Roles Fulfillment Operator Circulation Desk Manager Part A: Hold Shelf Items That Have NOT Expired Past Hold Until Date Force Alma to recognize the item as expired so it can be properly discharged and routed back to the owning library. 1: Locate the Item on the Active Hold Shelf Navigate to Resource Requests > Active Hold Shelf> 2: Manually Update the Expiration Date Click next to the item In the dialog box, enter yesterday’s date Click Why This Matters: Alma only treats items as expired after the Hold Until date has passed. Using yesterday’s date ensures Alma immediately recognizes the item as expired. 3: Alternative Location (If Updating from Lending Side)  If the item must be managed from the lending/request side: Navigate to Resource Requests > Monitor Requests & Item Processes> Use the Facets panel and select under Process Type Locate the item and repeat the expiration-date update above 4: Scan the Item In Navigate to Scan In Items> Scan the item barcode The item’s status should now update to with the owning library as destination. 5: Prepare Item for Courier Insert the CLS green courier routing slip Place the item with outgoing materials for delivery to the owning library Part B: Hold Shelf Items That HAVE Expired Past Hold Until Date Important: This section applies only to items already listed on the Expired Hold Shelf. 1: Use Scan In Items (Required) Navigate to Fulfillment > Resource Requests > Scan In Items> Select Use the Institution dropdown to select the owning library Scan the item barcode Why This Matters:  If the item was never checked out, Return Items cannot be used. Scan In Items ensures Alma processes the item correctly. 2: If an Active Request Still Remains After Scanning Choose one of the following options: Option A: Update Expiry and Scan Again  As previously detailed, manually update the expiration date to yesterday  Scan the item in again The request should clear, and the item should route to the owning library. Option B: Cancel the Active Request Navigate to Resource Requests > Active Hold Shelf> Locate the item the patron no longer wants Click Select a Cancellation Reason Uncheck if appropriate Click The item should now route In Transit for Reshelving to the owning library. Part C: Place Directly on Hold Shelf (Configuration Awareness) Some institutions have an additional option on their Scan In Items page to toggle Place Directly on Hold Shelf, while others do not .  The option adds a Hold Processing status Hold Processing: Does not notify the patron Does not make the item ready for pickup Best Practice: When expiring or returning CLS items, set Place Directly on Hold Shelf = No. No option to Place Directly on Hold Shelf Option to Place Directly on Hold Shelf 9: Configuration Path (Administrative Awareness Only)  This step is informational only for most staff  Configuration > Fulfillment > Library Management> Select library → Circulation Desk List Select Circulation Desk Under Hold Shelf Information, enable Has Hold Shelf Best Practices and Critical Notes (Read Carefully) Always use Scan In Items before returning CLS items to prevent lingering requests Only use CLS green routing slips for outbound CLS items. The green routing slips signify that an item is no longer needed. If an item comes back to the home institution with a green routing slip, but it still has an active request attached to it, it should be assumed that the item is no longer needed regardless of the request date: Cancel the request Scan the item again Destination should list only one institution If both lending and borrowing institutions appear, a request is still attached Notes and Frequently Asked Questions Why can’t I just return the item normally? Because Return Items only works if the item was actually checked out. Why is yesterday’s date used? Alma only recognizes expiration after the Hold Until date passes. What if I forget to scan the item? The request may remain open, causing routing and accountability issues. Why are CLS green slips required? They signal to courier staff that the item is no longer needed by the borrowing library. What if the destination lists multiple libraries? A request is still active; cancel it and scan again. Expired Hold Shelf Audit Workflow This workflow is used when auditing items that appear on the Expired Hold Shelf but cannot be physically located where Alma indicates they should be. When to Use This Workflow: During scheduled Expired Hold Shelf audits When a CLS (consortial) item is marked In Transit and in the  Expired Hold Shelf queue but cannot be found When reconciling discrepancies between Alma status and physical item location Why This Matters: Expired hold shelf items represent shared consortial responsibility. Prompt, consistent handling ensures accurate records, fair cost responsibility, and minimal impact on patrons and partner libraries. Required Roles Fulfillment Operator Circulation Desk Manager Workflow Overview This process answers three key questions, in order: Can the item be found at either library? If not, is the item likely with the requesting patron? If still unresolved, who is responsible for resolution and cost? 1: Perform a Comprehensive Physical Search Begin with a physical and Alma-based search that includes all locations where the item could reasonably be found: Hold Shelf General Collection Any additional local locations relevant to your library Unlike a traditional Patron Claimed Return investigation, only one thorough search per item is required for Reconciliation audit purposes.  2: Contact the Lending Library Once your local search is complete: Contact the lending library Request that they perform a corresponding search on their end Why This Matters: Both the requesting and lending libraries must confirm the item’s absence before moving forward. Note: If this audit is being completed as a part of the annual Reconciliation audit process, it will not be necessary to contact the lending library.  As of December 2025 RSC members agreed that each library will conduct a physical search for every item listed on the Comprehensive Reconciliation CLS (Lost in Transit) and Expired Hold Shelf Report. 3: Evaluate Search Results At this point, one of three outcomes will occur: Outcome A: Item Located at Either Library Stop further investigation Process the item using the standardized workflow: Discharging CLS Hold Shelf Items Outcome B: Item Not Located at Either Library The item is likely in the possession of the requesting patron The item was likely not properly discharged or checked out at pickup Note: Similar to ILLiad lending agreements, the lending library is ultimately responsible for compensating fellow libraries for Lost or Missing requested CLS materials 4: Patron Resolution (If Item Is Not Located):  Determine Whether to Contact the Patron The requesting library may choose to: Contact the patron before taking action, or Proceed directly with checking the item out to the patron’s account Both approaches are acceptable; local policy may guide this decision. 5: Optional Send Initial Patron Notification; Suggested email language: Hello, The item you requested on XX/XX/XXXX titled “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet” was not correctly checked out to your library account at the time of pickup. This item will be checked out to your account. If you have any concerns, please contact the XX Circulation Desk at XXXXXX@edu . A library may choose to either wait a set number of days for a response or proceed with checking the item out to the requesting patron’s account 6: Check the Item Out to the Patron's Account in Alma This establishes a clear chain of responsibility moving forward. 7: Documenting the Action in Alma Add a Patron Pop-Up Note:  From the Patron Services screen: Fulfillment> Checkout/Checkin> Manage Patron Services, locate patron's account Click on patron's name to access their account From the patron's User Details screen, select the tab Select the drop down menu In the Note field, enter: Requested Item, “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,” checked out to patron’s account; Active Hold Shelf since XX/XX/XXXX. (Use the date from the audit spreadsheet.) Set Type to from the drop-down menu Select both: Select Select from the top right hand side of the screen Note: Types are informational only and do not trigger Alma behavior. The list is standardized across institutions. Pop_up notes alert staff and patrons (if User Viewable option is engaged) but do not trigger a block to prevent borrowing Selecting ensure the note is viewable in the patron's Primo My Library account 8: If the Patron Claims They Never Received the Item  The patron’s home library will: Discharge the item from the patron’s account (if already added) Assume responsibility for the item Proceed using the standardized workflow: Discharging CLS Hold Shelf Items Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Why is only one search required? This workflow, when used in conjunction with the WRLC's RSC (Resource Sharing Committee) annual Reconciliation project, and completed by all participating WRLC AFN (Alma Fulfillment Network) libraries, replaces multi-week claimed return investigations with a single, documented audit. Why does the requesting library assume responsibility? As with lending agreements, the requesting library is responsible for items borrowed on behalf of its patrons. Why add a pop-up note? It alerts staff and patron to the context of the checkout and prevents confusion during future transactions. What if the patron never responds? Libraries may proceed with checkout after a reasonable waiting period, per local policy. Weekly Request Status Exception Report The Weekly Request Status Exception report reflects requests that have stalled in the rota the previous week. It is an opportunity to see what material is outstanding and reach out to the library staff at the IZ where the request is waiting. This report is run weekly at 6am on Monday and can be configured to be sent directly to a preferred email.  Once you contact the library staff where the request is stalled, they can then investigate why it has not been fulfilled and, if the item is not available, cancel the request so that it can be moved along the rota to the next IZ where the item is available.        Display Logic Rules for the AFN/CLS Request Form in Primo The Display Logic Rules configuration page determines when and for whom various Primo links appear for patrons, including the link to the CLS Request Form; this is referred to as the Resource Sharing Request.  The pathfinder to display logic rules: Configuration> Fulfillment> Discovery Interface Display Logic>  Display Logic Rules   In general, WRLC libraries are allowed to make in-house decisions and independently configure their own Display Logic Rules. However, below are some helpful configuration rules for the CLS Request Form Hide the CLS Request Link from specific user groups This rule will hide the CLS Request link (referred to as the Resource Sharing Request on this configuration page) from view for patrons whose accounts have a specific user group. This is a helpful if specific users are not allowed to place CLS requests (for example, alumni). For user from groups : list of all user groups hide service : Resource Sharing Request Hide the CLS Request Link when your Institution's copy is available for a Hold Request This rule will hide the CLS Request link (referred to as the Resource Sharing Request on this configuration page) from view when the following conditions are met: Your institution has a copy of this title Your institution's copy has a status of Available The patron is allowed to place a Hold on your institution's copy This is helpful when you only want CLS requests to be placed for items your institution does not have already available to a patron. hide service : Resource Sharing Request with : Availability by the institution with value : True if service exists : Hold Request For more information about Display Logic Rules, see the Configuring Display Logic Rules page on the Alma Knowledgebase Resource Sharing Form (Delivery Fields) in Primo Information about configuring the Delivery Fields section of the Resource Sharing Form in Primo can be found on the Resource Sharing Form (Delivery Fields) page of the WRLC Alma Wiki. These configuration settings determine which (if any) pickup locations are displayed to patrons when they request items in Primo VE. CLS Lost In Transit | Expired Hold Shelf Reconciliation Audit 2026 On an annual basis, WRLC AFN (Alma Fulfillment Network) libraries, that participate in CLS (Consortium Loan Services), conduct an annual Reconciliation Audit to identify and resolve materials that have an outstanding In Transit status and Expired Hold Shelf status. These items may be: Temporarily misplaced Delayed in transit Incorrectly Checked Out/ In or routed Permanently lost This process mirrors long-established interlibrary loan practices whereas the requesting/borrowing institution is ultimately responsible for materials that cannot be located after a documented search. Why This Process Exists To ensure accurate shared collection records To fairly assign financial responsibility for lost materials To confirm that every reasonable effort has been made to physically locate items before replacement costs are assessed Comprehensive Reconciliation Report 2026  Includes CLS items (In Transit status) and Expired Hold Shelf items; January 1, 2025- December 31, 2025 At the December RSC meeting, RSC agreed that each library will conduct a comprehensive physical search for every item listed on the report  RSC Agreed Audit Timeline 1: Receive the Reconciliation Report At the February meeting, the RSC liaison will provide the Comprehensive Reconciliation Report to all participating libraries. The report includes associated bibliographic and item identifiers. 2: Create a Local Copy of the Spreadsheet  Make a copy of the provided spreadsheet for your home library. Use this copy to reformat per your libraries search procedures Do not edit the original consortium file 3: Conduct a Physical Search for Each Item For every item listed, conduct a thorough physical search, which may include: Hold shelves General collections Reshelving areas Known problem locations (e.g., sorting areas, processing shelves) This includes items identified as Expired Hold Shelf Items: 4: Item is Located Enter 1 in the F=1/NF=0 column Found items should be Checked In to the appropriate Circulation Desk; follow all in-house CLS processing guidelines Once completed, the item's Status should reflect as If it belongs to a fellow CLS lending library, it should processed and routed as per usual: How to Check In Items: How to Check in AFN Items 5: Item is Not Located  Enter 0 in the F=1/NF=0 column 6: Managing Expired Hold Shelf Items  Similar to CLS items, Expired Hold Shelf Items are often mis-shelved in the Stacks If Item is located Discharging CLS Hold Shelf Items : Part B: Hold Shelf Items That HAVE Expired Past Hold Until Date  If item is NOT located Expired Hold Shelf Audit Workflow: Patron Resolution (If Item Is Not Located) Note: Patron Resolution is entirely at the requesting libraries' discretion. Similar to outstanding CLS material, item's not checked out to the requesting patron's account will be added to the final audit of items owed to the lending library.  7: Record Search Results (Required Format) In the first column of the spreadsheet, record the outcome of your search: Enter 1 if the item is Found Enter 0 if the item is Not Found 8: Complete Searches by the Deadline  All physical searches must be completed no later than May 15th. This ensures: Adequate time for review and auditing Completion before the end of the academic year fiscal year 9: Submit Your Results  Email your completed spreadsheet to:  carson@wrlc.org Important Requirements: Use only this numeric method Do not highlight cells Do not add notes, comments, or alternate symbols Peer to Peer Resource Sharing Instructions and information on how to set up peer-to-peer resource sharing in Alma. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Resource Sharing at WRLC Peer-to-Peer (P2P) resource sharing is a library-to-library lending model that enables academic libraries to share physical materials directly with one another using the Alma library services platform. At the WRLC, P2P resource sharing expands traditional consortium borrowing by connecting WRLC libraries to a broader national network of partner institutions, while maintaining a single, integrated workflow for discovery, requesting, lending, and returns. Unlike legacy interlibrary loan systems that rely on external brokers or multiple platforms, P2P resource sharing operates entirely within Alma. Requests are placed by patrons through Primo, WRLC’s discovery interface, and are automatically routed by Alma to eligible lending partners based on predefined lending agreements and availability rules. History and Development at WRLC WRLC’s engagement with Peer-to-Peer resource sharing began in 2020 as part of a Resource Sharing Committee (RSC) initiative to explore scalable, cost-effective ways to expand access to collections beyond the consortium. Three WRLC member libraries, George Washington University, American University, and Marymount University, participated in an initial pilot with the State University of New York (SUNY). Although the formal pilot concluded, the partnerships it established continued to grow. These collaborations evolved into what is now known as Libraries Optimizing Alma Networks (LOAN), a multi-consortial peer-to-peer lending community comprised of nearly 100 academic libraries. The LOAN network includes institutions from regional and statewide consortia such as the Partnership Among South Carolina Academic Libraries (PASCAL), the Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC), the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF), the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA), and others.  Through LOAN, WRLC libraries participate in a distributed lending ecosystem that extends well beyond local and regional boundaries while preserving shared expectations around loan policies and service levels. How Peer-to-Peer Resource Sharing Works From a patron perspective, Peer-to-Peer resource sharing is largely invisible. Users submit a standard request through Primo without selecting a specific fulfillment pathway. Alma automatically evaluates the request and attempts fulfillment in the following order: WRLC consortium partners Peer-to-Peer (LOAN) partners Traditional interlibrary loan systems, such as ILLiad, if configured as a lender of last resort For staff, P2P lending uses the same Alma fulfillment workflows as local and consortium lending. Items appear in pick lists, circulate like local materials, and require no separate systems. Alma verifies lender eligibility and item loanability before routing requests, reducing manual triage and staff mediation. Benefits to Libraries and Patrons Expanded Access to Collections Peer-to-Peer resource sharing significantly increases the pool of available materials by extending borrowing access to nearly 100 partner libraries beyond WRLC. This improves the likelihood of successful fulfillment, particularly for specialized or low-circulation titles. Faster and More Efficient Fulfillment Large lending rotas allow requests to roll automatically between partners, minimizing delays caused by staff intervention. Libraries report faster turnaround times compared to traditional interlibrary loan workflows. Reduced Staff Burden Because P2P operates entirely within Alma, staff avoid maintaining parallel systems or manually routing requests. The streamlined workflow supports efficient processing by both permanent staff and student workers. Cost Containment Peer-to-Peer lending does not carry per-transaction fees. Participating libraries incur only shipping costs, reducing reliance on paid interlibrary loan services and supporting long-term sustainability, particularly as some institutions move away from OCLC-based systems. Improved Transparency Borrowers benefit from clearer request statuses and shipment visibility, often with more transparency than traditional consortium borrowing models. Strategic Value for WRLC Peer-to-Peer resource sharing directly supports WRLC’s strategic priority to maximize access to collections through innovative, cost-effective mechanisms. By leveraging existing Alma infrastructure and staff expertise, WRLC libraries scale resource sharing without introducing new platforms or long-term financial commitments. P2P also complements broader cooperative initiatives pursued by WRLC committees such as the Coordinated Collections Committee (CCC). A stronger, more reliable borrowing network enhances the practical impact of shared collection strategies by increasing borrowing options, reducing dead ends, and reinforcing policy alignment across partner institutions. Additionally, P2P serves as a flexible bridge toward more advanced resource sharing models, such as Rapido, without requiring immediate adoption or additional cost. Relationship to Other Resource Sharing Models Peer-to-Peer resource sharing at WRLC is distinct from both traditional consortium borrowing and Rapido-based networks. While some LOAN partners use Rapido, participation in P2P does not require it. Instead, WRLC libraries use Alma’s native resource sharing functionality, maintaining compatibility with a diverse set of partners and workflows. Configuring Peer to Peer Resource Sharing in the IZ To fully configure peer to peer resource sharing, you will need to configure the following: Temporary Resource Sharing Locations Resource Sharing Library Resource Sharing Jobs Other Resource Sharing Settings Workflow Profiles Resource Sharing Partner Item Policy Temporary Item Creation Rule Fulfillment Policies Loan and Lending Resource Sharing TOUs Fulfillment Unit Rules Rota Template Rota Assignment Rule Sending Borrowing Request Rule All names and descriptions listed in this document are merely suggestions.   You may use whatever names and descriptions work best for your library. You will need the Fulfillment Administrator and Resource Sharing Partners Manager roles to do this configuration work.   All configuration work should be done at the institution level. Temporary Resource Sharing Locations Temporary item records for items borrowed from other libraries will be housed in your temporary borrowing location, and items loaned to other libraries will be temporarily moved to your temporary lending location.   As a frame of reference, WRLC's AFN / CLS process uses CLSBORR and CLSLEND as your Institution's temporary resource sharing locations . 1.  Go to Configuration, select the library you’ve designated as your resource sharing library, and then go to Fulfillment | Locations | Physical Locations.   2.  Click the Add Location link, enter the values in the first row of the table below into the window that opens, and then click the Add Location button. Repeat that process using the values in the second row of the table. Code Name External Name Type Remote Storage Fulfillment Unit Call Number Type Map BORROWING Borrowing Borrowing Open leave blank Select value ending in “_FU” leave blank leave blank LENDING Lending Lending Open leave blank Select value ending in “_FU” leave blank leave blank 3.  Go to Fulfillment | Locations | Physical Locations, click the ellipsis next to your Borrowing location, scroll down to the Physical Location Circulation Desk List section, click the Attach Existing Circulation Desk link, select your resource sharing library’s circulation desk, make sure the Check In, Check Out, and Reshelve boxes are checked, click Attach Existing Circulation Desk, and then click the Save button. Repeat this process for your Lending location. Resource Sharing Library Your resource sharing library is the library where your temporary borrowing and lending locations are housed.   It is possible to use your main library as your resource sharing library, or you can use the stand-alone resource sharing library that was created by Ex Libris.   If you use the stand-alone resource sharing library, there will be a transit step between your main library and the resource sharing library whenever you receive or return a resource sharing item.   If you use your main library as your resource sharing library, there is no transit step. As a frame of reference, WRLC's AFN / CLS process uses your institution's Main Library , NOT the r esource sharing library created by Ex Libris. 1. Go to Configuration, select the library you want to be your resource sharing library from the Configuring dropdown, and then go to Fulfillment | Library Management | Library Details. 2. Scroll down to the Resource Sharing Information section and make sure the Is Resource Sharing Library box is checked.   Also, make sure your OCLC symbol is listed in the Symbol field. 3. Scroll down to the Borrowing Information section and check the following : Cancel Request on Locate Failure Automatically Activate Locate Profile Next, select your temporary borrowing location from the Default Location dropdown (the one you created in the Temporary Resource Sharing Locations section).   Lastly, select the library that you would like to serve as your default pickup location from the Default Pickup Location dropdown. For libraries participating in WRLC's AFN, please note that the location configured as the default Borrowing location is already set to a CLS location. In order to use a different location for items borrowed from P2P partners, do not change the location in the Borrowing Information section (leave as is), and instead create a Temporary Item Creation rule . 4. Scroll down to the Lending Information section and check the following boxes : Automatically Locate Resource Reject Request When No Available Items Reject Request When No Requestable Items Reject Request When Only Electronic Available Ignore Electronic Resources Automatic Creation boxes Next, select your temporary lending location from the Default Location dropdown (the one you created in the Temporary Resource Sharing Locations section).   For libraries participating in WRLC's AFN, please note that location configured as the default Lending location is NEVER used for AFN requests. Lending requests in the AFN are regular hold requests instead. For more information, see the Lending Setup section of the AFN Institution Zone Configurations page. 5. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, check the Locate By Fields box, click the No button, and then check the Title, Author, ISBN/ISSN, System Control Number, and LCCN (010) boxes. 6. Click the Save button. Resource Sharing Jobs This job must be running in order for resource sharing requests to automatically move on to the next lender if they’re not filled within the expiry days value listed in the resource sharing partner. 1. Go to Configuration | Fulfillment | General | Fulfillment Jobs Configuration, switch the status of the Expired Resource Sharing Requests job to Active, select Every Day at 02:00 from the Schedule dropdown, and then click the Save button. Other Resource Sharing Settings Because the setting below are NOT library specific, they apply to all libraries within an institution. When working with multi-resource sharing libraries in a single institution zone, leave the location and library code information blank, and instead 1) assign specific library and locations via the Lending and Borrowing sections of the Library Information page , and 2) assign a resource sharing library in the patron record. Setting Value ill_item_creation_lib_code the code for your resource sharing library ill_item_creation_location_code the code for your temporary borrowing location rs_allow_actions_on_scan_in true rs_auto_request_lending true rs_disable_borrowing_auto_assign true rs_disable_lending_auto_assign true Workflow profiles Workflow profiles help determine how resource sharing requests behave. 1. Go to Configuration | Fulfillment | Resource Sharing | Workflow Profiles. 2. Click the Add Workflow Profile link, enter “Peer to Peer Borrowing” into the Workflow Profile field, leave the Type dropdown set to Borrowing, check the boxes listed below, and then click the Add and Close button. · Automatic renew, Cancelled By Patron, Cancelled by partner, Cancelled by staff, Conditional, Lender check in, Manual renew, Reject, Renew requested, Request accepted, Will supply 3. Click the Add Workflow Profile link again, enter “Peer to Peer Lending” into the Workflow Profile field, switch the Type dropdown to Lending, check the boxes listed below, and then click the Add and Close button. · Borrower recall, Cancel reply, Conditional, Lender check in, Patron renewal, Staff renewal Resource Sharing Partners Resource sharing partners allow Alma institutions to send resource sharing requests to each other. 1. From the main Alma screen, go to Fulfillment | Resource Sharing | Partners, click the Community tab, change the search dropdown from Description to Name, and search for the partner, click the ellipsis next to their name, and then click Copy. 2. Click on the Institution tab, click the ellipsis next to the partner's name, and click Edit.   3. Select the workflow profiles you configured from the Borrowing Workflow and Lending Workflow dropdowns.   4. Click the Parameters tab, change the Expiry Time (Days) setting to the appropriate number, and then click the Save button. Item Policy This Item Policy will be added to the temporary records Alma will create for the items you borrow from SUNY.   This configuration work must be done at the resource sharing library level. 1. Go to Configuration, select your resource sharing library from the Configuring dropdown, and then go to Fulfillment | Physical Fulfillment | Item Policy. 2. Click the Add Row button.   The Item Policy configuration window will open.   3. Configure the Item Policy as shown in the image below and then click Add Row.   Once the Item Policy configuration window closes, click the Save button.   Temporary Item Creation Rule This Temporary Item Creation Rule will add the Item Policy you previously configured to the temporary item records Alma will create for the items you borrow from your peer-to-peer lending institutions.   It will also determine the temporary item record’s location.   This configuration work must be done at the resource sharing library level. 1. Go to Configuration, select your resource sharing library from the Configuring dropdown, and then go to Fulfillment | Library Management | Temporary Item Creation Rules 2. Click the Add Rule button 3. Configure the Temporary Item Creation Rule to have the following input parameters Name = Resource Sharing Partner Operator = InList Value = [List of Resource Sharing Partners] 4. Make sure this rule is positioned at the top of your Temporary Item Creation rules list. Fulfillment Policies These fulfillment policies will be used in the Loan and Lending Resource Sharing TOUs you will configure for items borrowed from and loaned to your peer-to-peer lenders.   This configuration work should be done at the institution level. Please contact your lending partners to determine the values necessary for your fulfillment policies. 1. Go to Configuration, select your institution from the Configuring dropdown, and then go to Fulfillment | Physical Fulfillment | Advanced Policy Configuration. 2. Click the Add Fulfillment Policy button, select the type of policy you would like to configure, configure the relevant policies, and then click the Save button. Note: If you already have policies configured for these resource sharing partnerships, there’s no need to configure additional policies.   You can use the policies you’ve already configured. Loan, Borrowing, Resource Sharing, and Lending Resource Sharing TOU's These TOUs will determine the loan and renewal periods for the items you borrow from and loan to your peer-to-peer partners.   They will also determine which user groups are allowed to submit borrowing requests in Primo.   This configuration work should be done at the institution level. Please contact your lending partners to determine the values necessary for your fulfillment policies. 1. Go to Configuration, select your institution from the Configuring dropdown, and then go to Fulfillment | Physical Fulfillment | Terms of Use and Policies. 2. Click the Add a Terms of Use button. 3. Click the Loan button and then click the Next button. 4. Select the relevant policies in the table below, click the Next button, and then click the Save button. 5. Click the Add a Terms of Use button again. 6. Click the Lending Resource Sharing button and then click the Next button. 7. Select the relevant policies in the table below, click the Next button, and then click the Save button. 8. Click the Add a Terms of Use button again. 9. Click the Borrowing Resource Sharing button and then click the Next button. 10. Select the relevant policies in the table below, click the Next button, and then click the Save button. Fulfillment Unit Rules These fulfillment unit rules will determine which Loan and Lending Resource Sharing TOUs are assigned to the items you borrow from and lend to your peer-to-peer partners.   This configuration work must be done at the resource sharing library level. 1. Go to Configuration, select your resource sharing library from the Configuring dropdown, and then go to Fulfillment | Physical Fulfillment | Fulfillment Units 2. Click the ellipsis next to your resource sharing fulfillment unit and then click Edit. 3. Click the Fulfillment Unit Rules tab, select “Loan” from the Rule Type dropdown, and then click the Add Rule button. 4. Configure the Loan fulfillment unit rule to use your newly created Item Policy, then click the Save button. 5. Make sure the Loan fulfillment unit rule you’ve configured is positioned above any other Loan fulfillment unit rules that could potentially be applied to items borrowed from your peer-to-peer partners and then click the Save button. 6. Click the ellipsis next to your resource sharing fulfillment unit and then click Edit. 7. Click the Fulfillment Unit Rules tab, select “Lending Resource Sharing” from the Rule Type dropdown, and then click the Add Rule button. 8. Configure the Lending Resource Sharing fulfillment unit rule similar to the image below; in the list, add all of your P2P partners. Then click the Save button. 9. Make sure the Lending Resource Sharing fulfillment unit rule you’ve configured is positioned above any other Lending Resource Sharing fulfillment unit rules that could potentially be applied to items loaned to your peer-to-peer partners and then click the Save button. 10. Click the ellipsis next to your resource sharing fulfillment unit and then click Edit. 11. Click the Fulfillment Unit Rules tab, select “Borrowing Resource Sharing” from the Rule Type dropdown, and then click the Add Rule button. 12. Configure the Borrowing Resource Sharing fulfillment unit rule similar to the image below (when configuring the input parameter, select the user groups you want to be able to submit borrowing requests) and then click the Save button. 13. Make sure the Borrowing Resource Sharing fulfillment unit rule you’ve configured is positioned above any other Borrowing Resource Sharing fulfillment unit rules that could potentially prevent users from submitting borrowing requests. Rota Template This Rota Template will determine which peer-to-peer libraries are added to your request rotas.   This configuration work must be done from the main Alma page, not the Configuration page.   1. Go to Fulfillment | Resource Sharing | Rota Templates 2. Click the Add Template button. 3. Configure the Rota Template and then click the Save and Add Members button. 4. Click the Add Partners button, select your peer-to-peer partners, and then click the Save Button. Rota Assignment Rule This Rota Assignment Rule will determine where peer-to-peer libraries will be positioned in your request rotas.   This configuration work should be done at the institution level. 1. Go to Configuration, select your institution from the Configuring dropdown, and then go to Fulfillment | Resource Sharing | Rota Assignment Rules. 2. Click the Add Rule button. 3. Configure the Rota Assignment Rule according to the terms of your lending agreement, and then click the Save button. 4. Make sure the Rota Assignment Rule is positioned at the top of your rota assignment rules list.   Sending Borrowing Request Rule This rule will make sure borrowing requests assigned to your peer-to-peer libraries are sent automatically.   This configuration work may not be necessary given how your other Sending Borrowing Request rules are configured.   This configuration work should be done at the institution level. 1. Go to Configuration, select your institution from the Configuring dropdown, and then go to Fulfillment | Resource Sharing | Sending Borrowing Request Rules. 2. Click the Add Rule button. 3. Configure the Sending Borrowing Request rule according to the terms of your lending agreement, and then click the Save button. Moving P2P partner profiles from the NZ to the IZ (Cancelled) NOTE: Ex Libris has changed their original assessment of the issue; after some testing, they now believe there is no way to move NZ partner profiles to an individual IZ without disruption of services to patrons. For that reason, WRLC is cancelling this project. Problem : The NZ-managed partners have the same Codes as the equivalent partners in the RS Directory. This prevents an IZ from downloading the Directory partners until the NZ partners are removed. Solution : To circumvent this roadblock, new NZ-managed partners will be created as temporary replacements. They will have new, unique codes that will not conflict with those in the directory. This will make the cleanup a longer process, but it prevents any service disruptions to your patrons (as well as with SUNY).  Phase One Configuration in the Network Zone Create the new Replacement Partners in the NZ As I mentioned, the only  data that needs to be unique is the Code; make this unique in whatever way you like, as long as it doesn't match the Directory. But all other details within the partners can be identical to the current NZ partners.  Once they have been created, distribute these Replacement partners to the IZs by running the "Distribute Resource Sharing Configuration" job in the NZ After which, the IZs should update any/all Rota Templates, replacing the Original NZ partners with the Replacement partners When the IZs are fully configured to use the Replacement partners, return to the NZ and mark the Original partners as Inactive, Then Distribute the changes again by running the "Distribute Resource Sharing Configuration" job in the NZ This is just an extra step to ensure that no new requests are created with these Original partners At this point, all new incoming/outgoing requests will be using the Replacement partners. Since this is the case, you will be free to begin removing the Original partners piece-by-piece from all remaining Active requests. This process will take a while, as any request (Borrowing or Lending) that has one of these Original SUNY partners as the Active partner will need to finish organically, waiting for the patron to return the item and/or ship the item back to the lender. But it's at this point that the cleanup can begin. Initial Network Zone Cleanup 6. Once you have confirmed that Replacement partners are all working as expected (and I see no reason why they wouldn't), delete the Original partners from the NZ This will remove the Original partners from some but not all IZs, but this is expected 7. Then distribute the deletion of the original partners by running the "Distribute Resource Sharing Configuration" job in the NZ 8. Wait 24 hours for these changes to be visible in Alma Analytics, then run a Lending and a Borrowing Analytics report (see image below) in the Network Zone; send to participants. Partner Borrowing & Lending Request Cleanup It is recommended to go one partner at a time. For example: start by removing SUNYBUF from American, and once that is done move on to SUNYALB, and so on* A. Clean up Lending Requests For Lending Requests with the following statuses, nothing needs to be done. We will let the lending workflow run its course until the request finally has a status of Completed Being processed Received by partner Returned by partner Shipped physically Overdue request Lending Requests with the statuses below still have an "active" status according to Alma. Their status needs to be changed to one that Alma considers Inactive: Request Completed ,  Deleted , or any of the various  Cancelled  statuses Expired Locate failed Rejected the borrower request To change a status manually, follow the steps below in the Lending Requests Task List. Filter your results appropriately, expand the results to show 50 at a time, and you will be able to update requests in batches of 50 (there is no job that can do this in Alma) B. Cleaning up Borrowing Requests For Borrowing Requests that A) have the following statuses, and B) the active partner is one of the 4 SUNY schools, nothing needs to be done. We will let the lending workflow run its course until the request finally has a status of  Complete Loaned item to patron Physically received by library Ready to be sent Renewed by partner Returned by patron Returned item to partner Shipped physically For all other borrowing requests , you can complete one of the following workflows: For Borrowing Requests that A) have the following statuses, and B) the active partner is NOT one of the 4 SUNY schools, we will need to remove the Original SUNY partners from each BR's Rota. Active partners cannot be removed; only Pending and Rejected. This method, though, can only be one manually one request at a time, but allows you to cleanup the SUNY partners from any active BRs Loaned item to patron Lost communicated Physically received by library Ready to be sent Renewed by partner Returned by patron Returned item to partner Shipped physically For borrowing requests with a status listed below, you can follow the workflow outlined in Cleaning up Lending Requests to change the status of these borrowing requests Expired Exported to third party Rejected by partner C. Wait until all active lending and borrowing requests (those with items checked out to patrons) have a status of Completed 13. Once one (or more) of the Original partners have been cleaned up from an IZ, run the Distribute job in the NZ once again If all of the requests were cleaned up, that partner will be removed If not, you'll see the same error message indicating if any Borrowing and/or Lending requests remain This is effectively the entire process. Over time, clean up all of the Original partners as much as possible. As we discussed, a there will be requests that are still actively sharing with one of the SUNY partners, so we'll have to wait for these to finish via normal means. But, the upside is that once these requests finish, they won't need to be cleaned up - they'll be in the Completed status, so no longer active in the system. Eventually, all traces of the Original SUNY partners will be removed, and they will finally be fully deleted. Once that has occurred, it's time for the next phase.  Phase Two Cleanup Once you're ready to begin, this is where you'll finally create the IZ-managed partners, as desired. Since the Original NZ partners are now deleted, each IZ can download the SUNY partners from the Directory, as desired And in doing so, any Rotas and Rules can be updated to use these Directory partners Once the IZs have fully switched to using Directory partners, the Replacement partners can now be deleted. The replacement partners will be marked as Inactive Then distribute these Replacement partners to the IZs by running the "Distribute Resource Sharing Configuration" job in the NZ Then you will follow the remaining steps in Phase One, Initial Network Zone Cleanup and Partner Borrowing & Lending Request Cleanup , this time slowly removing requests associated with the temporary profiles. Additional Notes: Like we discussed, this is going to be a  long  process. This is mostly due to having to wait on some requests to finish organically before partners can be deleted. But the advantage to all of the extra steps means that there will be functionally no disruptions of service to any/all patrons. And your RS staff will see little-to-no difference in their day-to-day work.  Some requests might be troublesome - you can't find them when searching in Alma, they won't let you update their status, etc. If these pop up, Ex Libris has methods to find and correct them, or just outright delete them if they are not needed Lastly, I would not recommend bothering with this process in your PSBs. If you don't need the PSBs for active Resource Sharing testing, it would be best to just wait for the August refresh, which will automatically copy Production settings to the PSBs *The "one IZ at a time, one partner at a time" method is for ease of tracking progress. By focusing on a single partner within a single IZ, you can fully complete the cleanup for that partner, then run the Distribute job to remove them, and then move on to the next partner on the list. But this is far from the only approach to this cleanup; this is just how I would approach the situation were I in your shoes. In reality, this cleanup can be handled by whatever method is most convenient for you all. You could focus on only Borrowing first, then do Lending second. Or you could work on both at the same time. You could focus on cleaning up one IZ at a time, or you could handle it as one large project for the whole network. Each IZ could be in charge of their own cleanup, performing it as quickly or as slowly as they need, and it wouldn't affect any of the other IZs.  SUNY P2P partners Stony Brook, Binghamton, Albany, and Buffalo Although the policy is for all Peer to Peer configuration to exist in the Institution Zone only, the following partner profiles are configured and managed in the WRLC Network Zone: Stony Brook University, SUNY Binghamton University, SUNY University at Albany, SUNY University at Buffalo, SUNY If any WRLC institution wishes to make changes to the partner profiles above, please send in a Service Desk ticket at servicedesk@wrlc.org Background When the WRLC first started peer to peer lending in Alma, all of the configurations for this workflow were set in the Alma Network Zone; our four original partners were the schools listed above. The policy changed in 2025 to move P2P to be IZ-only, but the only part of configuration we were unable to move were the partner profiles. This is because partner profiles need a unique code and a unique ISO symbol; our NZ profiles shared an ISO symbol with the partner profiles in the Community tab, so the Community profiles cannot be copied to the IZ. And if the NZ partner profiles were to have different ISO symbols, none of the requests attached to that particular partner profile would work. Moving the partner profiles to the IZ would result in service disruption for patrons. More information on this issue can be found in Salesforce case #07877638 Adding P2P Partners from the Resource Sharing Directory Downloading a P2P Partner from the Resource Sharing Directory To download a new P2P partner and add them to the rota template, follow the instructions below: In Alma, go to Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Partners Choose the Community tab Search for the relevant partner. In this view, you can search for the partner by Description , Name , Pods I'm Part Of , or Symbol Once you've found the correct institution, click on the box next to their name to checkmark the profile. Then click Copy on the top right-hand corner OR click on the ellipsis button (...) next to their name, then choose Copy. By copying them to your instance of Alma, you have downloaded both the institution's Partner Profile and Locate Profile. To add them to the rota, go to Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Rota Templates Find the appropriate Rota from the list. Click on the ellipsis button (...) , then choose Edit Choose the Template Members tab Click + Add Partners on the top right-hand corner. Then search for the relevant partner, and click  Add Partners Then choose the Save button at the top right-hand corner to save the rota template Add Partner to the Temporary Item Creation Rule The Temporary Item Creation Rule assigns a specific location and item policy to item records borrowed by your patrons from your P2P libraries. Adding the new partner to the list in the Temporary Item Creation Rule guarantees that items borrowed from your new P2P library will be given the correct location and item policy. In Alma go to Configuration . Choose your designated Resource Sharing Library (for most WRLC institutions, it is your main library) from the drop down menu, then Fulfillment > Library Management > Temporary Item Creation Rules Choose the temporary item creation rule that your Library uses for P2P partners. Click on the ellipsis button (...) , then choose Edit Under Input Parameters , edit the Parameter Resource Sharing Partner | In List Add your new P2P institution to the list, then click Save to save the input parameter Click Save again to save the entire temporary item creation rule Add Partner to your P2P Terms of Use (TOU) In Alma go to Configuration . Choose your designated Resource Sharing Library (for most WRLC institutions, it is your main library) from the drop down menu, then Fulfillment > Physical Location > Fulfillment Units Choose the Fulfillment Unit your Library uses for P2P from the list. Click on the ellipsis button (...) , then choose Edit Choose the Fulfillment Unit Rules tab . Then choose the Rule Type of Lending Resource Sharing from the drop down menu. Edit the appropriate rule from the Institution Rules List (for the original participants of the SUNY pilot project, it will be called SUNY Lending Under Input Parameters , edit the Parameter Resource Sharing Partner | In List Add your new P2P institution to the list, then click Save to save the input parameter Click Save again to save the entire fulfillment unit rule Then click Save again to save the entire fulfillment unit Review the Partner Profile It is always best practice to review the information in a recently downloaded partner profile, just to make sure that the correct configurations are in place. Workflows and Expiry times will vary depending on the set agreements between borrowing institutions; you will want to find out what these settings should be before making changes to partner profiles. In Alma, go to Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Partners Find the relevant institution under the Institution tab (this is the tab that automatically appears when first opening this page). Click on the ellipsis button (...) , then choose Edit Under the General Information tab, choose the appropriate Borrowing and Lending Workflows from the drop-down menu. These settings will vary depending on your agreement with the institution. Under the Parameters tab, make sure the Request Expiry option is correct, as well as the Expiry Time . These settings will vary depending on your agreement with the institution. A partner's Expiry Time setting determines how long the partner school has to respond to your school's borrowing requests.  If your borrowing request isn't updated to shipped within the expiry period, the request will be automatically rejected the next time the Expired Resource Sharing Requests job runs in the partner school's IZ (it runs daily at 2:00am).    5. Then choose the Save button at the top right-hand corner to save the edited partner profile Review the Locate Profile It is also best practice to review the information in a recently downloaded locate profile, just to make sure that the correct configurations are in place. These settings will vary depending on the set agreements between borrowing institutions; you will want to find out what these settings should be before making changes to locate profiles. In Alma, go to Configuration > Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Locate Profiles Find the relevant institution in the list. Click on the ellipsis button (...) , then choose Edit Choose the Locate Profile Parameters tab Check the settings (for example, Ignore Electronic and Digital Resources ) to make sure these are correct. These settings will vary depending on your agreement with the institution. Then choose the Save button at the top right-hand corner to save the edited locate profile Check other relevant configurations Make sure the Expired Resource Sharing Requests job is running daily (especially if you have configured Expiry Time) Go to Configuration > Fulfillment > General > Fulfillment Jobs Configuration Check to see that the  Expired Resource Sharing Requests is Active and running everyday. Make sure the Resource Sharing Working Days  list includes the days your staff do not process ILL Go to Configuration > Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Resource Sharing Working Days   Add the days of the week your staff do NOT process ILL to the list Then click Save How to Process Borrowed Peer to Peer (P2P) Items This workflow explains how to process books borrowed from partnering Peer to Peer (P2P) libraries. Thank you George Washington University for sharing your workflow processes. When to Reference This Document: When books arrive via delivery or mail from partnering P2P institutions. When processing newly received items so they can be placed on the hold shelf for WRLC patrons. When returning borrowed item to partnering P2P institutions. When ensuring paperwork, routing slips, and Alma request metadata all match. Required Roles Fulfillment Operator Circulation Desk Manager Part I: Incoming Books 1: Verify Paperwork and Item Barcode Locate paperwork inside the P2P-loaned item Confirm barcode on book matches the barcode on the accompanying paperwork  2: Open Receiving Items  Navigate to Fulfillment > Resource Sharing > Receiving Items> 3: Enter the External Identifier Locate the External Identifier information provided on the paperwork   and click . Note:  Ex Libris identifies the External Identifier as the primary matching key between the item and the borrowing request. 4: Assign a Temporary Barcode The temporary barcode ties the physical item to the local inventory system while maintaining the lending institution’s original barcode. A pop-up will appear prompting for a Temporary barcode. Enter the item’s actual barcode. Click 5: Print the Book Slip After saving, Alma generates the Resource Sharing Receive Slip (if Quick Printing is enabled); Click 6: Prepare the item for the Hold Shelf Follow your libraries' procedures to prepare the item for the Hold Shelf Note GW Procedures: Create the Hold Strap Cut the printed slip lengthwise to form a strap. Tape it around the item’s cover so the patron name and Hold Until Date are visible. 7: Place Item on the Hold Shelf Follow your libraries' Hold Shelf procedures to shelve the incoming item for patron pickup. Part II: Returning Books 1: Open Return Items  Navigate to Fulfillment > Checkout/Checkin> Return Items> 2: Scan the Item Barcode Ensure My Institution is selected and Scan the item barcode  Select Note: Be sure to not use the External Identifier 3: Confirm Transit Destination Alma displays a pop-up indicating Transit Destination to the lending partner; Click Note: This step triggers Alma’s Resource Sharing workflow to update to In Transit for the lending library- acknowledging transit is essential for accurate tracking. 4: Print the Return Slip If you have enabled Quick Printing, Alma should automatically generate the "Resource Sharing Return Slip Letter; Click Print. 5: Prepare the Item for Shipment or Shelf Routing  Insert the printed slip into the item. Follow your libraries' mailing procedures  Frequently Asked Questions  What is the External Identifier and why is it important? It links the borrowing request to the item; Ex Libris defines it as an essential Resource Sharing match point. Why must the item barcode match the paperwork? Alma uses the barcode to create the temporary item record and maintain lending consistency. What happens if I scan the wrong barcode when returning an item? Alma will fail to match the item to the correct P2P request; Rescanning and verifying identifiers can help ensure correct matches Why is Quick Printing recommended? It minimizes misrouting, aligns with Ex Libris slip workflows, and ensures slips print automatically at each step. Do we need to keep both borrowing and lending slips? No. Use only the slips generated during the current Alma workflow step. What if Alma does not generate a slip? Verify Quick Printing is enabled and that a default printer is available. Check Fulfillment > Configuration > Printing>. Can we reuse previous P2P pull slips? Discarding old slips because request data changes after each workflow stage. Why is the Transit Destination message important? It confirms the item has moved to the correct stage in the Resource Sharing lifecycle. How to Process Loaned Peer to Peer (P2P) Items This section covers how to process outgoing P2P lending requests: printing pull slips, retrieving items, and shipping them to the borrowing library. Alma relies on consistent slip printing, item scanning, and shipment processing to maintain the lending side of the Resource Sharing workflow. Thank you to George Washington University for sharing their workflow processes. Required Roles Fulfillment Operator Circulation Desk Manager 1: Print Pull Slips for Lending Requests Navigate to   Fulfillment > Resource Requests> Pick From Shelf> Verify you are at the correct Circulation Desk location and that Quick Printing, if available, is enabled; Quick Printing functionality provides streamlined print-based workflows From the top menu ribbon check function This opens the screen Here, you can refine your search using additional filters such as: User Group (e.g., Undergraduate, Faculty, Staff) Status (Active, Expired) Identifier Type (Barcode, Primary ID, Institution ID) Owning Institution (for consortium-level searching) Why This Matters:  This feature allows targeted searches using fields not available from the quick search bar. It’s especially helpful in consortial environments where duplicate names may exist across institutions; Best practicies reccoments using the screen for troubleshooting errors and to confirm that the record has not expired  4: Select the Correct Patron Record  Review the list of returned results carefully Verify: Institution affiliation Patron group (e.g., Faculty, Graduate, Visitor) Expiration date Primary ID Once confirmed, click the patron’s name to open the (Loans) tab Why This Matters:  Accurate user identification ensures correct due dates, fines, and request routing. Selecting the wrong patron account, even one with the same name, can result in loan activity being logged under another individual. In Alma, once an item is checked out to a patron, it cannot be reassigned. The only fix is to return the item and reissue it under the correct user. Frequently Asked Questions  What if Alma shows multiple records for the same patron?     Check which institution each record belongs to. If duplicates exist within your IZ, it is possible to merge accounts What if a patron insists they’re registered but can’t be found?   Confirm their home institution and ID format. If they’re a visiting WRLC patron, search with Can we use partial names or wildcards?   Yes. Alma supports partial searches; for example, “smit” retrieves “Smith.” However, too broad a search may slow performance. How do I handle a patron who appears inactive?   Verify with the patron's home library Circulation Desk whether the record should be reactivated. Only local staff can extend expiration dates; WRLC.org > Programs> Services Portal> WRLC Library Staff Intranet> Categories> Resource Sharing> Consortium Loan Services (CLS) Contact List   What if multiple institutions share similar patron IDs?   Alma differentiates users by institution. Always verify the “Institution” column before opening a record. What if I accidentally open the wrong record and begin checkout? Return any checked-out items and reissue them to the correct patron.  Will name searches find patrons with alternate spellings or nicknames?   No. Alma matches exactly. Use identifiers instead when dealing with known nickname variations. How to Add a Patron to the Database This workflow guides WRLC staff through creating new patron records in Ex Libris Alma.  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 1: Navigate to the Patron Registration Screen In the left-hand navigation panel, select: Fulfillment> Checkout/Checkin>Manage Patron Services. The screen will appear 2: Initiate New Patron Registration Click the button at the bottom of the Patron Identification screen This opens the Quick User Management screen 3: Complete Required Fields Fill out all fields marked with a red asterisk ( ★ ); these are mandatory for Alma’s user record validation and for Student Information Systems (SIS) matching. Required Fields Include: First Name Last Name Primary Identifier User Group Expiration Date Purge Date Email Type Email Address Why This Matters:  Alma validates user data using the Primary Identifier and User Group fields to determine circulation rights. Incomplete records will fail SIS matching or cause fulfillment errors during checkout. Note: WRLC agreed best practices include that the Purge Date should align with the institution’s data-retention policy (often one year post-expiration). Setting it too soon may delete active records prematurely. 4: Determine SIS Inclusion If the patron will not be included in future Student Information System (SIS) uploads skip to Step 6- Ex: Alumni Community borrowers Library staff internal accounts If the patron will be included in future SIS uploads, continue with Step 5- Ex: Students, faculty, or staff newly onboarded since the last SIS run Note: This distinction determines whether Alma should treat the user as a locally managed record or one that will later synchronize automatically with the SIS (External). Incorrectly flagging a user as “SIS-managed” may result in their record being overwritten or deleted during the next SIS import. 5: Set the “Patron Has Institutional Record” Flag; for SIS-Managed (External) Users Verify that the field is entered correctly; this field is the key matching field for SIS imports and must be identical to the value used in the institutional system Navigate to the Information section Change from No to Yes After changing it, the screen will refresh automatically. Why This Matters:  This tells Alma to expect future updates from your SIS, enabling automatic synchronization of user data (name, contact info, expiry, etc.) and prevents duplicate user creation when future SIS loads occur; incorrect flagging may cause “stale” data issues where patron updates fail to load 6: Set Passwords for Locally Managed (Non-SIS) Users If the patron will not be updated by SIS (e.g., alumni, community, internal accounts). Non-SIS patrons do not receive automatic credential provisioning. This step ensures they can authenticate for library discovery and My Account access: Enter a temporary password in the Password and Verify Password fields Optionally check the “Force password change on next login” box; this ensures the patron sets a secure password later Note: These credentials allow login to Primo VE using their Primary Identifier and password; consider using for all community borrower accounts to prevent password reuse 7: Save the New Record Once all required fields are complete, click . The system saves the patron record and returns you to the Manage Patron Services screen with the newly created user loaded automatically. The action both commits the record and links it to your current Fulfillment desk for immediate use (e.g., for item checkout). Frequently Asked Questions  What happens if I create a record for a patron who later appears in an SIS upload?   The SIS upload will attempt to match on Primary Identifier. If it differs, a duplicate record will be created. Always use the same ID used by SIS. Can I convert a locally managed patron into an SIS-managed one later?   Yes, by editing the record and switching “Patron has institutional record” to “Yes,” provided the Primary Identifier matches. How do I handle staff who need multiple roles (patron + operator)?   Assign both roles within one account. Do not create separate records. Use the “Roles” tab to add operator permissions. What if a community borrower forgets their password?   Use User Management> Reset Password. For security, verify identity before issuing a reset. If the SIS field “Patron has institutional record” is set incorrectly, can it be changed safely?   Yes, but verify SIS configuration first. What if I forget to fill in a required field?   Alma will not save the record; missing fields are highlighted in red. Fill them and retry. How can I import multiple local patrons at once?  Use the User Load Integration Profile under Admin> Manage Jobs for batch uploads. How to Set Up a Proxy Borrower and Check Out an Item by Proxy This workflow explains how WRLC staff can configure one patron to act as a proxy borrower for another patron in Ex Libris Alma, and how to manage checkouts performed by proxy.  A Proxy Borrower is someone granted permission to borrow materials on behalf of another patron, such as a faculty member, administrator, or department. Proxies are most commonly graduate assistants, departmental staff, or designated library liaisons. While the proxy uses their own credentials to perform transactions, the items are checked out under the primary patron’s account to ensure proper due dates, policy application, and responsibility tracking. 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 manage patron services, you must have one of the following roles: Circulation Desk Manager Circulation Desk Operator Circulation Desk Operator - Limited  Physical Inventory Operator Part I: Setting Up a Local Patron as a Proxy Borrower 1: Open Patron Identification All proxy relationships must be created under a Fulfillment context to ensure the proxy’s circulation privileges, fines, and analytics data attach correctly to the local library environment. In Alma, navigate to Fulfillment> Checkout/Checkin> Manage Patron Services> the Patron Identification screen opens 2: Locate the Proxy Borrower’s Record  Search for and select the patron who will serve as the proxy borrower (the person authorized to check out items for another patron). Their record will now appear in the Patron Services screen. Note:  Always start with the Proxy Borrower, not the primary account holder. This ensures the relationship is recorded from the proxy’s perspective, matching Ex Libris’ internal data structure. 3: Edit the Patron’s Information The page will refresh to the My Institution - Loans page.  4: Open the User Details Panel Click on the patron's name to access the User Details panel that will produce from the right-hand side of the screen 5: Open the “Proxy For” Tab  In the User Details screen, click the Proxy For tab. This tab lists any primary users for whom this person already acts as a proxy. 6: Add a New Proxy Relationship Click The drop-down menu appears. Search for the primary patron (the account holder for whom the proxy will act). Once identified, click Why This Matters:  This step establishes the system-level relationship between the two users. It allows the proxy to borrow materials on the other’s behalf while keeping the loan tied to the primary user’s account for policy and notification purposes. Note: This relationship is one-directional- adding a proxy under Patron A does not automatically create reciprocal access under Patron B. If mutual authorization is desired (e.g., lab partners or departmental assistants), staff must configure it in both accounts. 7: Save Changes Click to finalize the proxy relationship Note: Always verify the relationship by returning to the Proxy For tab and confirming that the linked user appears. Saving does not generate a confirmation message, so manual verification is the only way to ensure success. Part II: Deleting a Proxy Relationship 1: Access the “Proxy For” Tab Repeat Steps 1–5 above to reach the Proxy For tab. 2: Remove the Relationship Find the name of the user for whom the patron acts as proxy Click the row action menu ellipsis (…) to open the options menu Select 3: Save the Record Click to confirm the deletion Note:  Removing a proxy relationship takes effect immediately - the proxy will no longer appear in the "Proxy For” dropdown on the Patron Identification screen. Part III: Checking Out Items by Proxy 1: Open Patron Identification Navigate to Fulfillment> Manage Patron Services> Checkout/Checkin> Patron Identification; search for the patron who will be checking out materials  on behalf of someone else 2: Enable Proxy Mode  After you have identified the correct patron, check the box. Search for and select the Proxy Borrower (the person performing the checkout). Checking tells Alma to activate the proxy relationship lookup, ensuring transactions are recorded under the primary user’s record, not the proxy’s own. 3: Choose the Primary Patron   A field appears. Click the drop-down arrow to see all patrons for whom this person is authorized to act as a proxy Select the correct patron and click Note : Proxy selection must occur before scanning items. If you forget to select a patron before scanning, Alma will create loans under the proxy’s own record, not the intended account. 4: Check Out Materials The Patron Services screen for the selected (proxied) patron appears. A visible line shows “Proxy by [Name of Borrower]”. Proceed to check out items as usual. This field is Alma’s built-in audit trail for proxy transactions. All loans, receipts, and notices are still tied to the primary patron’s account, but the proxy’s name is retained for reporting and analytics. 5: End the Session  When finished, click Done to close the session. Clicking Done resets the Fulfillment session to prevent subsequent patrons from being mistakenly processed under the same proxy relationship. Note: It is strongly encouraged that staff reverify the next patron’s identity immediately after closing proxy sessions to avoid privacy and security breaches. Notes Notification Behavior: Loan notices, fines, and renewals go to the primary patron.  Analytics: Loans performed via proxy are visible in Alma Analytics under Fulfillment> Loans> Proxy By Field. Expiration Sync: Proxy privileges do not auto-renew when either user’s expiration date changes. Staff must update or remove the relationship manually. Cross-Institution Limits: Proxies only function within a single institution’s IZ. Cross-institution proxies are not supported under standard AFN configurations (per Ex Libris documentation). Frequently Asked Questions Can a faculty member have multiple proxies (e.g., student assistants)?   Yes. Multiple proxies can be added under the same tab. Each will appear in the dropdown during checkout. Can a proxy represent multiple patrons (e.g., departmental assistant)?   Yes, a single proxy can represent several patrons. All linked patrons will appear in the dropdown list. What if the proxy attempts to check out items for a user not listed under ?   Alma will treat the transaction as a normal loan under the proxy’s account. Staff must verify proxy relationships before processing. What happens if a proxy’s account expires before the primary patron’s?   The proxy relationship becomes inactive immediately. Reactivation requires renewing the proxy’s user record. Can proxy privileges be restricted (e.g., only circulation, no renewals)?   Yes. Through Fulfillment Configuration> User Roles or Loan Terms of Use (TOUs) adjustments, libraries can limit proxy privileges. Are proxy actions recorded for audit purposes?   Yes. The “Proxy By” field records the proxy borrower’s name on each transaction and is reportable via Alma Analytics. How to Bring Up a Patron Record and Check Items Out This workflow guides WRLC library staff through the process of locating a patron record and checking items out in Ex Libris Alma, including both local and consortium patrons. 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 1: Log in and Select Circulation Location Log into Alma and select the correct Circulation Desk location for your workstation. Why This Matters:  The active desk determines which loan policies, printers, and analytics records apply; an incorrect desk can cause checkouts to route to the wrong library or cause print slip failure 2: Navigate to Manage Patron Services In the left-hand menu, click Fulfillment> Checkout/Checkin> Manage Patron Services.  The Patron Identification screen will open 3: Locate the Patron Record  Patron records can be retrieved in one of three ways: Scan the patron’s ID barcode Search by patron name Search by identification number If the patron is a local user , proceed to Step 8 If the patron is from another WRLC institution , continue with Step 4 4: Search for a Patron from Another Institution Check the Click the dropdown arrow beside the field to view the list of WRLC member libraries. Select the appropriate institution Enter the patron’s name or identification number, then click Note:  When searching cross-institutionally, the name or ID must match exactly and must be unique within that institution; it should not apply to more than one account at that institution. If a patron has a common name, use their Primary ID, Institution ID, or Barcode for accuracy Scan IDs wherever possible instead of using typed name searches, as it reduces match failures 6: Trinity University Patrons Similar to WRLC’s Health and Law professional libraries, Trinity University does not lend its materials to other WRLC institutions. However, under its WRLC agreement, Trinity University patrons may borrow from participating AFN libraries, and courier deliveries include Trinity University. TU patrons are expected to follow the same Circulation and Borrowing policies as fellow AFN libraries. To facilitate lending, TU faculty, staff and student patrons are uploaded as patrons within the SCF IZ. Select for Trinity University patrons 7: Handling New or Unsaved Patron Records  If the WRLC patron already exists in your Institution Zone, their record will open automatically to the Loans Loans tab, proceed to Step 8 If the patron does not exist locally: The Quick User Management screen opens. Verify all fields with a red asterisk (*) are filled in correctly, inlcuding expiration date, user group, and email address Click Update User to create a temporary local copy of the user record. Why This Matters: Quick User Management creates a temporary local instance of the remote record, allowing immediate checkout. This avoids unnecessary network delays and keeps circulation seamless 8: Open the Patron’s Loans Tab Once the user record loads, the Loans tab will display automatically- you are now ready to perform checkout actions. 9: Check Out Items to the Patron  Items may be checked out using one of the following methods: Scan the item’s barcode (recommended) Manually enter the barcode Search for the item in the catalog Once the item is identified, click OK to confirm the checkout. The item will appear under the patron’s Loans list. Note: You are strongly encouraged to scan physical item barcodes to ensure Alma recognizes the correct copy and location. Manual entry increases the chance of transposition errors 10: Complete the Session  When all items have been checked out, click Done to close the patron record and end the session. Why This Matters:  Closing the session resets the workstation for the next user and prevents accidental checkouts under the wrong patron name.. This is particularly critical in shared circulation environments  Frequently Asked Questions  What if a patron from another WRLC library cannot be found using ?   Check spelling and capitalization. If still unsuccessful, verify the institution selected. If unresolved, contact the patron's library for assistance; WRLC.org > Programs> Services Portal> WRLC Library Staff Intranet> Categories> Resource Sharing> Consortium Loan Services (CLS) Contact List   Can temporary local users borrow electronic materials?   No. Quick User records enable physical loans only. E-resource access remains tied to the patron’s home institution. What happens if I check out an item under the wrong patron?     The transaction must be manually reversed by returning the item and re-checking it out under the correct account. Are checkout rules (loan length, renewal limits) the same for all WRLC patrons?     No. They depend on each library’s Fulfillment Unit Rules and Patron Group Policy;  WRLC.org > WRLC Intranet> Categories (upper right hand menu ribbon)> Policies and Documentation>   Borrowing and Consortium Loan Service (CLS) Policies How to Check an Item In or Out When the Barcode is Missing or Illegible Circulation Desk staff may occasionally encounter physical materials with missing, damaged, or illegible barcodes during check-in or check-out. Manual lookup ensures continuity of circulation service while maintaining accurate fulfillment statistics. It also prevents delays or incomplete transactions that can disrupt hold queues and overdue calculations. 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 1: Identify When Manual Lookup Is Needed If the item’s barcode is missing entirely, illegible or damaged, or unresponsive to the barcode scanner- you must look up the item manually instead of scanning. Manually selecting the correct item record prevents misidentification or accidental circulation of similar titles. 2: Access the Appropriate Fulfillment Screen Navigate to the correct screeen. While the interface differs slightly between these two workflows, the manual item lookup process is identical. Both methods use the Option Click the in the upper-right to populate the field.​ Selecting the correct record ensures Alma populates the Scan item barcode field with the appropriate internal item ID. This prevents circulation data mismatches and ensures holds, requests, and Analytics reports remain accurate. Note: Alma distinguishes item records by MMS ID and Holding ID as well as Barcode. Be careful not to choose a record from another holding or location, particularly for multi-volume sets or shared titles. 5: Confirm and Process the Transaction Once the item record has been selected: Click to populate the barcode field and complete the Check-In or Check-Out transaction. Clicking finalizes the operation and ensures the transaction logs under the correct circulation function. Failing to confirm will leave the record open and unprocessed. Note: The confirmation both populates and executes the circulation action in one step. There is no secondary confirmation screen, so double-check your patron and item details before clicking. Frequently Asked Questions What if I can’t find the item record in the Physical Items list?   Confirm the search scope is set to Institution Zone (house symbol) and try alternate indexes (e.g., call number or title keyword). If still missing, the item record may be suppressed or deleted. What if multiple identical titles appear in search results?   Verify call number, location, and material type before selecting. Do not guess or assume based on title alone. Should I create a temporary barcode for immediate circulation?   Only if your local policy allows it.  Will the system remember the manually entered item ID for next time?   No. Manual selections do not persist; the item must be reselected each time until its barcode is restored. How to Manage the Pick from Shelf List This workflow explains how to access and manage the Pick from Shelf list (also known as the Pick List) in Ex Libris Alma. The pick list identifies items currently requested for patron holds, course reserves, or resource sharing requests within your library or across WRLC institutions. Required Roles  To complete Fulfillment tasks outlined in this document, you must have one or more of the following roles: Fulfillment Operator Circulation Desk Manager 1: Access the Pick List This is the primary interface for viewing items your library must retrieve to fulfill local or consortial requests. It updates dynamically as requests are placed or fulfilled. Navigate to Fulfillment > Resource Requests> Pick From Shelf; the screen will open. 2: Review and Organize the List Use facets on the left-hand side or the menu to filter and organize results (e.g., by location, request type, or call number). Efficient sorting reduces retrieval time, especially in multi-location libraries.  3: Print the Pick List or Individual Slips Printed slips contain location details, item barcodes, and destination information needed to retrieve materials accurately and efficiently. There are three ways to print or download the list for retrieval: : Click to generate an Excel or XML file of all items currently on the pick list.  A pop-up window will appear; choose the desired format and click or . (bulk): Select individual items using the check boxes beside each entry and click . More Actions> Print Slip> (individual): Open the row action menu ellipsis (⋯) menu next to a specific item and choose . Note:  Print Slip Reports are more ideal for batch retrievals, while Print Slip can be more useful better for ad hoc requests. Consider maintaining printed lists until items are scanned into Alma to avoid losing track of physical materials during pickup. 4: Locate and Retrieve Requested Items Use the printed slips or pick list report to locate items on the shelves. Retrieve the materials and bring them to your workstation for processing. This step physically fulfills pending Alma requests and updates internal status when items are later scanned in. 5: Process Retrieved Items  Once all items are collected, navigate to Fulfillment > Resource Requests> Scan In Items The Scan In Items screen opens. Enter or scan each item’s barcode in the field. Scanning items from the pick list both updates Alma to reflect that the item has been found and generates internal routing slips for delivery or hold shelf placement. Note: Scan In Items processing updates the item’s workflow status automatically. For example, from Item in Place to Item in Transit or On Hold Shelf depending on request type and location. 6. Review Scanned Items and Destinations Destination slips guide routing and ensure the correct final location (e.g., local hold shelf, resource sharing shipment, or digitization). As you scan each barcode, a destination slip prints automatically. The lower part of the screen displays: Item details Destination library or department Current request type or status Note: To avoid misdelivery or double transit, double-check destination details before routing- especially when items are requested by other institutions  Frequently Asked Questions What if I don’t see in my Fulfillment menu? Your user role may lack Fulfillment Operator privileges. Contact your supervisor or system administrator. What if a requested item is not on the shelf? Mark the item as Missing and report to cataloging or circulation management- confirm the workflow with your library's Circulation Desk management staff. The request will reroute automatically Can I sort the pick list by call number? Yes. Use the menu and choose “Call Number” for sequential pulling. Should I reprint slips if I scan items directly without printing first? No, Alma automatically updates item status during scanning; printing is optional. What if a hold slip prints for the wrong destination? Use , available in the item’s row action menu ellipsis menu, to correct routing. How long do items remain on the pick list? Until scanned into or the request is canceled/expired. What if multiple libraries share stacks? Filter the list by Location before printing or scanning to avoid retrieving items belonging to other institutions. How to Set an Item Status to Missing This workflow explains how to manually set a physical item’s status to in Ex Libris Alma when the item cannot be found during shelf checks, fulfillment requests, or inventory reconciliation. Manually setting an item to ensures accurate holdings information, prevents further requests, and helps maintain the integrity of Catalog and Analytics reports. Item records must have a current shelf status of in order to have the status applied manually. Items in transit, on loan, or under work order cannot be toggled to until their current status is resolved. 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: Fulfillment Operator Circulation Desk Manager Physical Inventory Operator (optional)  Note:  If you do not see in the menu, your user account may lack the necessary privileges. Contact your supervisor or system administrator for role verification. 1: Search for the Item Record Using the search ensures you’re retrieving individual item records, not holdings or bibliographic records. This level of specificity allows direct access to item statuses. Use the persistent search box at the top of the Alma screen. Using the drop-down menu, set the search type to . Using the second search bar filter, Select Title, Barcode or MMS ID of the Missing Item Enter the title, barcode, or MMS ID of the missing item. 2: Open the Menu When you locate the correct item record, click the row action menu ellipsis (⋯) on the right-hand side of the record line to open the menu. The menu provides record-level management options such as editing, toggling statuses, and initiating work orders. Only this menu allows manual updates to the flag. 3: Select From the drop-down menu, select . The item is now recorded as Missing in Alma. This action immediately updates the item’s process type to Missing, removing it from the Item in place inventory count and from active fulfillment requests. Toggling this status also updates associated availability displays in Primo VE. 4. Missing Status Confirmation Update A pop up window will publish from the right hand sign of the screen- confirming the update has been successfully completed 5: Restore the Item When Found If the item is later located, you can revert its status to by: Repeating the steps above and selecting again, or Simply checking the item in using Fulfillment > Checkout/Checkin> Manage Item Returns Checking an item in automatically clears the Missing status, ensuring the record accurately reflects the item’s physical availability. Frequents Asked Questions What if I can’t toggle the Missing status? Check the item’s process type. Only items listed as Item in place can be toggled manually. What if the item doesn’t have a shelf status of Item in place? You must first clear or complete its current process type (e.g., in transit, work order). Items with active requests or transit statuses cannot be toggled to Missing until resolved. Can I toggle the Missing status for items belonging to another institution? No. You can only modify records belonging to your home institution’s Inventory Zone (IZ). Can I mark multiple items as Missing at once? No. Alma’s manual toggle applies to one record at a time. For batch updates, use an import job under: Admin > Manage Jobs> with the profile. Does marking an item Missing cancel existing patron requests? Yes. Ex Libris confirms that when an item becomes Missing, Alma automatically cancels open requests for that item  How soon does the change appear in Primo VE? Almost immediately. The display updates once the daily indexing job runs, usually within 15-30 minutes. Can items marked Missing be automatically reinstated? Only when scanned into or toggled manually. How can I track missing items over time? Use Alma Analytics under Physical Items > Missing Items Report or generate a local fulfillment report.   How to Add a Fulfillment Note to an Item A in Ex Libris Alma displays a pop-up message whenever an item is checked out or checked in. This note provides staff with important information or warnings related to that item- such as loan restrictions, condition alerts, or routing instructions. Properly using improves communication among Access Services, Technical Services, and Resource Sharing staff. It prevents missed item conditions, patron misunderstandings, or overlooked processing requirements. Required Roles To add or edit a , a staff member must hold one of the following Alma roles: Physical Inventory Operator Cataloger or Metadata Editor Circulation Desk Manager (optional) 1: Search for the Item Record A search ensures access to the editable item record (rather than holdings or bibliographic levels). Fulfillment notes are attached to item records only. Use the persistent search box and set it to . Enter the item’s title, barcode, or MMS ID and press to run the search. 2: Open the Item Record Editor Locate the correct item in the search results. The following two options open the same Physical Item Editor Do one of the following: Click the barcode link to open the item editor, or Select 3: Access the Tab In the Item Editor, select the Notes tab. The field controls pop-up alerts that display during checkout and return. Other Notes types, such as Internal or Public Notes, do not trigger circulation prompts. Scroll to the section. Locate the field. 4: Enter the Fulfillment Note Text In the field, type a clear, concise message describing the alert (e.g., “Check accompanying CD before reshelving.”). This text becomes the content of the pop-up shown to staff during checkout or check-in. Per Ex Libris guidance, overly long notes may truncate on smaller screens- keep entries brief but specific. 5: Save the Item Record Click to record your changes. Saving commits the note to the item record and activates the pop-up message immediately for subsequent Fulfillment actions. Frequently Asked Questions What if I don’t see the field? Confirm that you are on the Notes tab and not in the General Information tab. Only the Notes section contains the field. Can multiple fulfillment notes exist for one item? No. Each item supports a single Fulfillment Note. To add new information, edit and update the existing text. Will the note appear for all users? Yes. The pop-up displays for any circulation or fulfillment user processing that item, regardless of desk or operator. Does the note display for requests and holds? No. It appears only at the moment of checkout or return, not during request routing or scanning into transit. Can public users see the Fulfillment Note in Primo VE?  No. It is visible only to staff in Alma during fulfillment actions. Does removing the note delete transaction history? No. The note only affects staff prompts; it does not alter Analytics or Loan history. Can Fulfillment Notes be temporary? Yes. Staff can remove or edit them at any time. Consider dating temporary messages (e.g., “Hold for processing until 2025-04-15”). How can I verify that a Fulfillment Note is active? Perform a test checkout. The pop-up should appear when scanning the item barcode. How to Renew Items This workflow explains how to renew checked-out items for a patron in Ex Libris Alma. Renewals extend the due date for eligible items based on fulfillment policies, user groups, and loan terms. Accurate renewals ensure patrons retain needed materials while maintaining compliance with WRLC loan policies and minimizing unnecessary overdue notices. When to Reference This Document: When a patron requests additional time with their borrowed materials. When staff process renewals during a desk transaction or remotely by staff intervention. When troubleshooting renewal denials or loan policy restrictions. 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 1: Access the Patron Record Navigate to Fulfillment > Checkout/Checkin> Manage Patron Services Look up the patron’s record using their ID, name, or barcode. Accessing the record through Manage Patron Services allows direct control of the patron’s current and historical loans in one interface. 2: Display All Active Loans Confirm that the Loans tab is active on the Patron Services screen. In the Filter by field, change from to using the drop-down arrow. Selecting ensures you view every active loan, including those checked out in prior sessions. 3. Renew Items Individually  Click on the button located within the item's Loan record. Alma applies fulfillment policies and may deny renewal if an item is requested by another patron or restricted by the library’s rules. 4: Renew Selected Items Click the check boxes to the left of the items to be renewed. Click . This renews only the chosen loans.  5: Renew All Items  To renew all active items, either: Click , or Select all items using the top check box and click . This action streamlines renewals for patrons with multiple eligible items, such as faculty or graduate students with long-term loans. 5: Confirm Renewals and Exit Renewed items display updated due dates in the Loans list and a confirmatino pop-up note will also publish from the upper right-hand side of the screen When finished, continue to other tasks or click to close the patron session. Closing the session prevents staff from unintentionally editing or renewing another patron’s items. How to Renew an AFN Loan Technically, within Alma, only the lending library can renew an item. While patrons have the ability to request a renewal from the My Library account, it may occasionally be helpful to renew an AFN item on behalf of a patron.  1: Access the Patron Record Navigate to Fulfillment > Checkout/Checkin> Manage Patron Services Look up the patron’s record using their ID, name, or barcode. Accessing the record through Manage Patron Services allows direct control of the patron’s current and historical loans in one interface. 2: Display All Active Loans Confirm that the Loans tab is active on the Patron Services screen. In the Filter by field, change from to using the drop-down arrow. Selecting ensures you view every active loan, including those checked out in prior sessions. 3: Display NZ Loans  After ensuring that All loans can be viewed, select the patron's NZ loan account view. If NZ loans exist, a green dot will appear next to the binocular icon 4: Locate the Item to be Renewed Highlight the barcode of the item to be renewed and select the Copy option that appears; take note of the partnering lending institution 5: Select the Patron's Home Institution Once the desired NZ loan's barcode has been copied onto your clipboard, select the home institution Icon to return to the loan field 6: Select AFN Library  Click on the My Institution drop-down menu to locate and select the item's home institution  7: Enter the Barcode Paste the copied barcode number into the My Institution-Loans field and select 8: Confirm Renewals and Exit Renewed items display updated due dates in the Loans list and a confirmatino pop-up note will also publish from the upper right-hand side of the screen When finished, continue to other tasks or click to close the patron session. Closing the session prevents staff from unintentionally editing or renewing another patron’s items. Frequently Asked Questions What if renewal fails for some items? Alma enforces fulfillment policies: items with holds, recalls, or maximum renewal limits cannot be renewed. Review the on-screen message for specific reasons. Can staff override renewal blocks? Yes, if you have the role and local policy allows. Otherwise, renewals denied by loan rules must be handled by authorized staff. Will Alma notify patrons of new due dates automatically? Alma sends updated loan notices through the configured Fulfillment notification job. Can I renew items from the screen without viewing “All” loans? You can, but only items from the current session will appear. Selecting ensures no active loans are overlooked. Can patrons renew items themselves in Primo VE? Yes, provided no blocks exist and the library’s policies permit patron-initiated renewals. What if an item has a fulfillment note? A pop-up message appears when you attempt to renew it. Follow the note’s instructions before proceeding. Are renewal actions tracked in Analytics? Yes. Alma logs renewal counts by operator, date, and location for reporting under Fulfillment > Loans > Renewal Events . How to Manage Item Holds This workflow explains how to process items with hold requests. It covers when to send items to the hold shelf, how to manage active and expired holds, and how to reshelve, forward, or activate subsequent requests. When to Reference This Document: When checking in items that trigger hold requests. When reviewing and managing materials currently on the hold shelf. When processing expired holds or activating next-in-line requests. Required Roles Fulfillment Operator Circulation Desk Manager 1: Identify Items to Send to the Hold Shelf During check-in, if an item has a hold, a pop-up alert will appear indicating the destination (the hold shelf). Click to confirm the message and continue processing. Why This Matters:  This pop-up is Alma’s prompt that a pending request exists. Routing it correctly ensures the request is fulfilled and the item doesn’t re-enter general circulation. 2: Review Request Details On the Manage Item Returns screen, a button appears next to items with active holds. The “Next step” column indicates where each item should be sent. Click to view detailed information about the hold. 3: Place the Item on the Hold Shelf  After verification, place the item on your library’s hold shelf following local procedures (e.g., alphabetical by patron last name or request number). 4: Manage Active Holds To view and manage all current holds, navigate to Fulfillment > Resource Requests> Active Hold Shelf> the Active Hold Shelf Items screen opens. Available actions include: Sort items: Use the drop-down to reorder the list by call number, date received, or patron Cancel a hold : Click in the item line. In the confirmation pop-up, choose a cancellation reason, optionally add a note, uncheck Notify user if appropriate, then click Change expiration date: Click , enter or select the new expiration date, then click . Mark as missing : From the row action menu ellipses (⋯), select , then click in the pop-up message. 5: Manage Expired Holds Navigate to Fulfillment > Resource Requests> Expired Hold Shelf The Expired Hold Shelf Items screen opens, showing items whose hold period has lapsed. Available actions include: Sort or filter: Use Facets or the drop-down to organize items. Reshelve: Click for individual items  or select multiple items using check boxes and click the primary button; this updates item status from On Hold Shelf to Item in Place Update expiration date: Click , choose a future date, and click to extend the hold.  Additional actions: From the row action menu (⋯), you can: Edit the hold record Mark the item as missing View the audit trail Forward items:  Items needing transfer to another desk or library will appear under or tabs. Similar to the function, Click to initiate the transfer. Activate the next hold : Items with queued requests appear under the tab. Select the item(s) and click to process the subsequent request. Frequently Asked Questions When should I send an item to the hold shelf? Whenever the pop-up during check-in or the “Next step” field directs you to do so. What if the pop-up doesn’t appear but a request exists? Verify the item’s process type in . If the button appears, follow its guidance to route correctly. Can I cancel a hold from the Active Hold Shelf screen? Yes. Click , choose a reason, and confirm. Alma logs all cancellations for audit tracking. How long do items remain on the hold shelf? Until the expiration date passes. The date is determined by your fulfillment configuration and can be extended via . What should I do with items under the Expired Hold Shelf that patrons never collected? Reshelve them, forward them to the appropriate location, or activate the next hold using the corresponding tab. What if a held item goes missing? From the row action menu (⋯), select . This updates Alma’s status and removes it from the hold queue. Will Alma notify patrons when a hold is ready? Yes. Alma automatically sends pickup notices through the Fulfillment notification job when items move to the hold shelf. Can I view previous hold shelf actions? Yes. Use from the row action menu (⋯) to review routing and cancellation history. How do I handle items that need to move between WRLC libraries? Use under or tabs to ensure correct cross-institution delivery. How to Add a Patron Note This workflow explains how to add, edit, and delete notes on a patron’s record in Ex Libris Alma and how those notes appear to patrons in Primo VE. When to Reference This Document: When staff need to record information about patron communication, borrowing conditions, or account restrictions. When providing internal reminders for Access Services staff. When sharing messages visible to patrons through Primo VE. Why This Matters:  Patron notes enhance communication between staff and users, reduce repeat issues, and document relevant interactions or exceptions in a consistent, visible format. Required Roles Fulfillment Operator Circulation Desk Manager 1: Access Patron Notes from Patron Services Fulfillment> Checkout/Checkin> Manage Patron Services When you arrive at the Patron Services screen , click on within the Patron services panel, this will open the User Details panel from the right-hand side of the screen You can also click on the patron's name to open the User Details panel 3: Add a New Note From the User Details screen, click on the Notes tab Click on In the drop-down window: Enter text in the field Use the drop-down to assign a note type (e.g., General, Circulation, Fine-related) Optional settings: Check to make the note visible to the patron in Primo VE. Check if you want the message to appear as a pop-up when staff access the record. Click to create additonal notes or if you are done Be sure to click on to complete the workflow Why This Matters:  Adding structured notes ensures consistent visibility and appropriate access levels. Libraries are encouraged to Ex definine local note types to standardize communication across staff roles 4: Edit an Existing Note  On the tab, locate the note to be updated. From the row action menu (⋯), select In the Edit Note screen, make your changes and click . Click to finalize. Why This Matters:  Editing maintains record accuracy and ensures that temporary or outdated information is promptly revised. 5: Delete a Note  On the tab, locate the note to be deleted. From the row action menu (⋯), select . Click to complete the workflow 6: View Patron Notes in Primo VE (User Perspective)  Patrons can view User Viewable notes via in Primo VE: After logging in, click their name in the upper-right corner. Select from the drop-down menu. In the dashboard, notes appear under . Patrons may also open the tab for expanded viewing. Why This Matters:  Transparent communication improves patron trust and reduces service desk confusion. Libraries are encouraged to consider consistent use of User Viewable notes for policy clarifications and notices about account status or pending updates. Frequently Asked Questions What is the difference between a note and an internal note? notes appear in Primo VE for patrons; internal notes are staff-only and used for internal recordkeeping. Can both and be selected together? Yes. This combination allows a note to appear as a staff pop-up in Alma and be visible to patrons online. When should I use ? For time-sensitive or critical alerts such as “Verify ID before checkout” or “Pending fine resolution.” Can I edit or delete a note created by another staff member? Yes, if your role includes the or permissions. Consider including initials and dates in note text for transparency. Do patrons receive a notification when a note is added? No. Notes are visible passively in Primo VE but do not trigger emails or alerts. Can I search for patrons by note text? No. Notes are not indexed for searching in Alma. For retrievable communication, use or . What happens if a note’s type is left blank? The note defaults to a general type, which can be filtered but not categorized for reporting. SUNY advises assigning a type whenever possible. Can notes expire automatically? Not currently. Notes remain on the record until manually edited or deleted. How to Check In Items This workflow outlines how to check in items in Ex Libris Alma, either for a single patron or for multiple patrons. Checking in items ensures Alma updates item status, loan history, and availability for the next request or hold. When to Reference This Document: When processing returns directly from a patron’s record. When handling bulk returns at a circulation desk. When backdating returned items for accurate fine calculation or loan statistics. 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 Part I: Checking In Items for a Single Patron 1: Access the Patron Record Navigate to Fulfillment > Checkout/Checkin> Manage Patron Services> to open the Patron Identification screen, look up the patron’s record using their ID, name, or barcode. 2: Select the Returns Tab In the resulting Patron Services screen, select the Returns tab. 3: Scan or Enter the Item Barcode Scan the item’s barcode into the field, or manually enter it and click .  4: Review Returned Items Successfully checked-in items appear under Returns of this session. This list verifies that Alma processed each return and provides quick access for correction if an error occurred. 5: Exit or Continue  When finished, either continue performing other actions in the patron record or click to exit. Closing the session prevents circulation actions from inadvertently applying to the wrong patron. Part II: Checking In Items for Multiple Patrons 1: Open the Check-In Screen  Navigate to Fulfillment > Checkout/Checkin> Return Items 2: Scan or Enter Item Barcodes The Manage Return Items screen will open. In the Scan item barcode field, scan or type the barcodes of returned items.  Each scanned barcode updates the loan record for the corresponding patron, making the item immediately available for reshelving or further fulfillment. 3: Override the Return Date or Time (Optional) Backdating returns ensures fines are correctly adjusted when items are returned during system outages or after-hours check-ins, or a holiday break when the library may be closed To backdate a return use the field: Enter the preferred date/time manually, or Click the calendar icon to select a date/time, then click on the check mark to . Check in each item.  Scan the items in one after the other. The overridden date/time remains active until you click the “X” beside the field to revert to the current timestamp. 4: Maintain Patron Privacy  If your workstation is shared or visible to others, clear the list of displayed returned items by clicking . This protects patron borrowing history from accidental disclosure while keeping the check-in session active. 5: Finish or Exit When finished, either proceed to other Fulfillment tasks or click to close the check-in screen. Exiting finalizes the session and resets the screen for the next operator. How to Check In AFN Items 1: Open the Check-In Screen  Navigate to Fulfillment > Checkout/Checkin> Return Items 2. Select the Owning Institution From the Item owner drop-down menu, select the institution that owns the item. Scan the items in one after another. 3: Scan or Enter Item Barcodes The Manage Return Items screen will open. In the Scan item barcode field, scan or type the barcodes of returned items.  Each scanned barcode updates the loan record for the corresponding patron, making the item immediately available for reshelving or further fulfillment. 4: Override the Return Date or Time (Optional) Backdating returns ensures fines are correctly adjusted when items are returned during system outages or after-hours check-ins, or a holiday break when the library may be closed To backdate a return use the field: Enter the preferred date/time manually, or Click the calendar icon to select a date/time, then click on the check mark to . Check in each item.  Scan the items in one after the other. The overridden date/time remains active until you click the “X” beside the field to revert to the current timestamp. 5. Next Steps As you scan in each item, note the Next Steps 6: Maintain Patron Privacy  If your workstation is shared or visible to others, clear the list of displayed returned items by clicking . This protects patron borrowing history from accidental disclosure while keeping the check-in session active. 7: Finish or Exit When finished, either proceed to other Fulfillment tasks or click to close the check-in screen. Exiting finalizes the session and resets the screen for the next operator. Frequently Asked Questions What happens if I scan an item not checked out? Alma will display an informational message stating that the item was not on loan and will not process a return. Can I check in items with missing or unreadable barcodes? Yes. Use