Library and Learning Services: Alma Guide: Welcome to Alma

Click the map pin icon and choose “Always show current location” to display your service desk info on your navigation bar
Under your location, check "enable quick printing"
Add widgets to your dashboard, such as the Omni (Primo) Discovery Search, Tasks, and Scheduled Jobs

Favourites

Click the star icon next to a module in the Fulfillment dropdown menu to add it to the Favourites menu
Clicking the star icon on the purple navigation bar to view only those modules which have been starred

Operator Roles

Found under User Icon > User Details > Scroll Down
Operator roles define what areas of Alma you have access to
You will have your roles relevant to each location you work at

Hotkeys allow quicker, keyboard-based navigation of the Alma user interface.

Best practice: Use hot keys to toggle between Manage Patron Services and Returns

Check out = ALT-W
Check in = ALT-R
Scan in = Ctrl+Alt+S

General Actions
- F2 – Open/close the main menu navigation bar.
- / – Place your cursor in the persistent search box, or in a secondary search box (see Facets, Filters, and Secondary Search) if one exists on the page.
- Shift+F2 – Open the Alma home page
- Alt+B – Select Back button
- Alt+N – Select Next button
- Alt+E – Select Edit button
- Alt+S – Select Save button
- Alt+C – Select Cancel/Close button
- Ctrl+Alt+S – Open the Scanning interface
- Alt+R – Open the Returns interface
- Alt+P – Open the Pick From Shelf interface
- Alt+W – Open the Patron Workbench
Tab Navigation – Alt+1, Alt+2, ... Alt+N. Select the nth tab on a page that has tabs. For this feature, enter the tab number (even if it contains multiple digits) while pressing the Alt key. When you release the Alt key, Alma opens the tab corresponding to the number you entered.
List Navigation – Use the tab keys to navigate between fields and clickable elements in the row.
- Up arrow – Next row. If already on the last row, Alma opens the next page.
- Down arrow – Previous. If on the first row and not on the first page, Alma opens the previous page.
- Alt+< – Previous page
- Alt+> – Next page
- Alt+[ – First page
- Alt+] – Last page

Persistent Search Options

All Titles = All bibliographic records, regardless of resource type
Electronic Titles = Bibliographic records for licensed material
Physical Titles = Bibliographic records that have physical inventory holdings attached
- This search option is preferred when searching or requesting a monograph.
- Choose “Physical Titles” for bibliographic information, holdings, and items at all locations, and for placing title-level requests. Use this when you want the broadest amount of information about a particular title, creator, subject, or other criteria.
Physical Items = Item records for any physical inventory, regardless of format
- This search option is preferred when searching or requesting a journal issue, a volume of a series, or a specific copy of a monograph.
- Use the “Physical Items” search type to see the status of specific items, get the barcode or call number for them in particular locations, or place item-level requests. Use this when you want the most specific information about a single item or related items.
Physical Holdings = Search holdings based on title, holding, and item information and the results provide a list of holdings records that match the defined criteria, along with the associated titles and items.
- Gives direct access to multiple titles and provides more accurate results for holdings-level records.
- Results display based on “new generation infrastructure” which offers a more convenient user interface.
- Will be available in advanced search in a later release.

Alma Record Zones

Institution Zone - the institution's local records and inventory
Network Zone - the OCLS shared bibliographic environment for Page 1+ partner libraries
Community Zone - the electronic resources available for all ALMA users

For general fulfillment, all searching will be done in the Institution Zone. Resource Sharing will use the Network Zone for specific tasks.