FAO Library Services colleagues who use Alma Analytics, including dashboards.

Starting in November 2023, the new Alma Analytics user interface will become the only available option when viewing Alma Analytics. Users will no longer be able to access the old interface by rolling back to the old version. Please note that this update impacts Alma Analytics only and does not impact other areas of Alma.

Colleagues will now need to search for, and pin, analytics dashboards to their home menu, rather than having the options automatically available in the analytics menu. A guide on accessing dashboards in the new interface is available. Further information on the dashboards which can be pinned to the menu is available on the Alma wiki.

Important: if you regularly use any reports or dashboards in Alma Analytics, please check these in the new interface by 20 October.  To toggle between the old version of the interface and the new version, you will need to select the profile icon in the top right of the Alma main menu, click ‘Feature Rollout Preferences’ in the drop-down menu, and select ‘turn on/turn off new layout’ as required.

If you experience any issues accessing reports and dashboards in the new interface, please email Bethan Smith with the name of the report/dashboard and its location as soon as possible, so that we can ensure that the information you require is available in our suite of dashboards in the new interface.

A lot of journals at UCL have typically been classified in the library alongside their respective book collections using the abbreviation “Pers” for “Periodicals”, e.g. HISTORY Pers or GEOSCIENCE Pers. Although convenient and short, it has not always been clear to either students or even library staff what “Pers” meant. There has long been a wish to change this to something like “Periodicals” and the Explore Advisory Group gave the go-ahead to this being done. I have now run a job on Alma to change call numbers so that they read as, e.g. HISTORY Periodicals or GEOSCIENCE Periodicals. I hope this is clearer for everyone who encounters journal call numbers.

Screenshot of Explore showing three call numbers ending in “Periodicals” for the journal Nature

While this job was being run, I took the chance to change UNASSIGNED Alma Locations to match the appropriate Library and alter the type of call number to “Other” to match most other local classification schemes in Alma. Call numbers with “PERIODICALS” in all-capitals have also been changed to “Periodicals”.

I know that there are still a number of anomalies to sort out, including journal holdings records where some minor coding errors caused them to be excluded, UNASSIGNED holdings where the call number does not include “Pers” or “Periodicals”, as well as a number of books- especially in the Main Library- which lack items and are also UNASSIGNED.

Thank you to Laura Sapsford in particular for help, advice, and a large amount of groundwork that was needed to sort out the UNASSIGNEDs in particular.

As part of ISD’s strategy to switch many of UCL’s services to Microsoft’s Azure Active Directory (AAD) identity management tool, how you sign into Alma is changing. If you use the short URL we have provided, e.g. via a bookmark, it will change automatically tomorrow morning (Tuesday 16 August 2022). Instead of entering your username and password into the current Shibboleth login screen, you will instead see one similar to when you log into your UCL email account, Explore, and other UCL IT services. If you have recently logged into another service using Azure, you may be logged automatically into Alma.

If you have not bookmarked the short URL, you will need to take action between now and Monday 3 October 2022. Please see the Alma page on LibNet for details.

If you have any questions regarding this change or encounter any problems, please use the Digital Services online form.

Following on from our previous blogpost regarding the first phase of the Explore upgrade, and the launch of our staff SharePoint, we would like to remind staff that the upgrade to Explore will be happening next week on Tuesday 8th March. We have recently been updating our customers with social media, OneLan messaging and other communications, and will continue to advertise the upgrade in the run up to launch.

In today’s blogpost, we would also like to provide some clarification on how exam papers and will be accessed post go-live, as we know that our customers (and colleagues!) will be particularly interested in ensuring that access to this feature is uninterrupted by the changes.

8th March go-live

As a reminder, we will be going live with the upgrade to the new version of Primo on Tuesday 8th March. This will encompass the upgrade to the way we view digital collections, as well as the Explore interface update.  You can find out more about these elements on their respective pages on the staff SharePoint.  

Please note that online payments will be released at a later date, with more information on the timeline for implementing this feature to be provided soon.  

Exam papers

Once the upgrade is live, Explore will become the default method for accessing exam papers.  To search for exam papers in the new version of Explore, users can type in the relevant search term, using the exam papers search scope to filter results as shown below: 

Alternatively, customers can browse through the UCL Exam Papers collection, and its associated sub collections, via Digital Collections:

Although the upgrade will mean that exam papers are more easily discoverable, we appreciate that it may take some time for our customers to get used to this new way of finding information. We have therefore made the decision to retain a link from our web pages to exam papers in DigiTool for a time, though we will retire this feature after the current exam period. 

Differences between classic Primo and Primo VE

As a reminder, for colleagues who support Explore users as part of their role, there is a dedicated page on the SharePoint which lists the differences between the classic and updated version of Primo, as well as ongoing technical fixes. This page will be updated regularly over the next few days and weeks. 

If you have any questions about the upgrade project, or are unable to access the SharePoint site, please contact Bethan Smith.  

For more general queries regarding Explore, please contact the appropriate Explore functional lead.  

In the coming weeks, we will be upgrading Explore by implementing a number of new features to enhance the customer experience of using the platform. A SharePoint site has been created to update staff on the progress and key information regarding this project.

The upgrade will focus on three main areas of development: the migration of our online digital collections and exam papers from Digitool to Alma and Explore, the Explore interface update, and the introduction of online payments of library fines and fees.  

Upgrading these applications will mean that we are supported technically by Ex Libris, and that any future system upgrades or enhancements are enabled. These upgrades will facilitate improved searching and browsing of our digital collections, dynamic updates to catalogue records in Explore, and the ability to pay fines and fees online. 

These features will be released in two stages, with the explore interface update and changes to digital collections going live in early March 2022; we are currently aiming for an 8th March release date. Online payments will be added at a later date, following on from testing. We will communicate the go-live date of online payments closer to the time.   

In the next few weeks, we will be releasing communications and training in order to keep colleagues and customers informed. This will include any required actions our customers need to take, such as the need to save their searches. Customers will be informed of the upgrade through social media, newsletters, QR codes, and a webpage on the library website, as well as via messaging in Explore itself. 

Please keep an eye out for further communication related to the project. In the meantime, colleagues can find out more about the upgrades in the new project Sharepoint for Library Services staff, which contains information regarding each separate strand.  

The SharePoint is accessible now and will also be signposted on LibNet. It will be a central point for training, contain useful FAQs, and a list of previous communications. We would encourage you to check the SharePoint periodically to find out information about the project as it emerges. 

If you have any questions about the project, or are unable to access the SharePoint site, please contact Bethan Smith.

We would also like to take the opportunity to remind you of the Functional Lead structure. If you have any queries about Explore in general, please use the self-service form to find out how to contact an Explore Functional Lead.

This month there are two important updates from the Digital Services team.

Alma’s new layout

From 1 November 2020, you will see a new screen layout when you log in to Alma.  The aims, according to the suppliers, are to increase the working area in Alma, improve navigation, give more options to customize menus, and facilitate improved user workflows.

Please note that this is not the same as the planned changes to the Alma metadata editor, which will be coming next year.

If you would like to try out the new interface and get used to it before 1 November, you can switch it on in the user menu of Alma.  Go to your personal user menu (head and shoulders icon) in the top right of the Alma screen and click to open the drop-down menu.  Then click on “Enable new layout”.

More information is available on the Alma pages of the Ex Libris Knowledge Center or from this short Alma New Layout video.

Digital Services support update

Some 18 months after introducing the new ISD support team for many of our applications, we are retiring the digital-library-support email address.  In its place, we are re-emphasising the first-line support role of ‘Functional Leads’ for Alma and other services.  Beyond that, there is now a single support form which guides you to the correct support route for each service.  For more information, and to bookmark the link to the support form, visit our Digital Services Support pages on LibNet.

The reason for these changes is to make the support process more efficient and to ensure that library staff get the quickest response from the relevant support team.  For example, the new support form prompts the enquirer to indicate to which service the query relates.

For many digital services, such as Alma, there are designated Functional Leads in Library Services who are the experts and coordinators for the digital service. For these services, please first contact the relevant Functional Lead with your query or problem report. They can assist with resolving some issues directly, collating multiple reports and leading the liaison with ISD as necessary. For Alma, the Functional Leads are responsible for granting and updating access rights to Alma.  For this new process, please see the updated FAQ on the Alma page on LibNet.

The next tier of support is provided by the Library Applications Team in ISD. This is a dedicated team for our digital services, who can also bring in assistance from other support teams in ISD as necessary. When a support ticket is opened from the problem report form, either by the Functional Lead or by you directly, the Library Applications Team will respond to the ticket.  Please only contact the team through the support form or through the tickets which are generated.  You may occasionally come across their team email address, but it is only used for internal communications, not for raising new queries or issues.

Progress on problem reports and requests for service changes is monitored by Rob Drinkall and Margaret Stone on behalf of Library Services. This liaison includes escalating urgent matters and clarifying the priority of ongoing work.  Please do contact us if you have any queries about these support arrangements.

Reminder: Visit the new problem report form.

As Alma continues to bed in, I wanted to provide an update on the plans for extracting information using reports.

Firstly, under the terms of our contract, we will only retain access to Aleph and its reporting centre, ARC, until three months after the Alma go-live date.  If you are using ARC, please therefore run any reports that you may need by the end of November and save the results outside ARC.

Secondly, some of the information used for collection management, specifically last loan date and total number of loans, has been migrated to Alma, so you will be able to report on this information indefinitely and the end of November deadline does not apply.

Thirdly, we will shortly be reviewing your reporting requirements from Alma and providing information about access to the Analytics module.  To that end, please could you notify digital-library-support of any reports you expect to need from Alma, and we will incorporate that in our planning.

Thank you for your ongoing feedback and patience as issues are resolved.

Further to the earlier email to library staff, here are the updated dates for the changes to Alma and related services.

Changes to loan periods and loan allowances

These will be communicated on the existing public web pages by Monday 10 September.  Details are available in the LibNet Alma FAQ.  Please check in particular those FAQ marked NEW or UPDATED.

Service outages between 5-10 September (e.g. no self service, no laptop loans, no access to MyAccount).

An updated news item has been published on the library website.  It is expected that Alma will go live by midday on 10 September.

Move to new Explore interface

New mobile-friendly interface, pointing to Alma, will go live on 10 September.  A news item about the new Explore interface was published on 24 August.

Change to databases page

The databases interface will contain the same information but be provided by LibGuides rather than MetaLib.  Scheduled for switchover on 10 September.  No change to existing URLs.  Public information on MetaLib replacement is available.

Move from SFX to Explore services

SFX links from third-party databases are being updated with links to an integrated Explore service.  SFX links will continue to work for a few months, to provide continuity.  Described in the news item about Explore from 24 August.

Changes to Explore login, including new passwords for non-UCL library members

Login to the new Explore interface will change from 10 September.  Details are available in the LibNet Alma FAQ.

Changes to library accounts for UCL members with multiple UCL statuses

Alma will merge library accounts into one, for UCL members who have multiple statuses, e.g. are both staff and student.  Users will receive the highest privilege level, and will be able to use any of their UCL identities to access their single account (userid for Explore and barcode for self-service).  If any issues arise, please refer the user to the library Membership team in the first instance.

Changes to study space bookings pages

The current study space booking system, which is based on Aleph, was closed down on Friday 31 August.  We are working with ISD on the replacement system, but unfortunately it is not available.  In the interim, study spaces will be available as first-come, first-served, and the existing web address will show the information about study spaces without any booking links.

Alongside the Alma project, there are some imminent changes which affect library users, which I’d like to summarise here.  Communications through our web interfaces have begun and will continue over the next few weeks.  If you have any queries, please contact the Digital Libraries Team on their usual address.

Changes to loan periods and loan allowances

These will be communicated on the existing public web pages on Monday 3 September.  Details are available in the LibNet Alma FAQ.  Please check in particular those FAQ marked NEW or UPDATED.

Service outages on 3 and 4 September (e.g. no self service, no laptop loans, no access to MyAccount).

A news item will be published on the library website in the week commencing 27 August.

Move to new Explore interface

New mobile-friendly interface, pointing to Alma, will go live on 5 September.  A news item about the new Explore interface was published on 24 August.

Change to databases page

The databases interface will contain the same information but be provided by LibGuides rather than MetaLib.  Scheduled for switchover on 3 September.  No change to existing URLs.  Public information on MetaLib replacement is available.

Move from SFX to Explore services

SFX links from third-party databases are being updated with links to an integrated Explore service.  SFX links will continue to work for a few months, to provide continuity.  Described in the news item about Explore from 24 August.

Changes to Explore login, including new passwords for non-UCL library members

Login to the new Explore interface will change from 5 September.  Details are available in the LibNet Alma FAQ.

Changes to library accounts for UCL members with multiple UCL statuses

Alma will merge library accounts into one, for UCL members who have multiple statuses, e.g. are both staff and student.  Users will receive the highest privilege level, and will be able to use any of their UCL identities to access their single account (userid for Explore and barcode for self-service).  If any issues arise, please refer the user to the library Membership team in the first instance.

Changes to study space bookings pages

The current study space booking system, which is based on Aleph, will be closed down on Friday 31 August.  We are working with ISD on the replacement system, but there is a chance it may not be fully functional from 3 September.  In that case, study spaces will be available as first-come, first-served, and the existing web address will show the information about study spaces without any booking links.