What was different?
The UNILINC Alma Implementation
Helen Loosli
Library Applications Specialist & Training Coordinator
helen.loosli@unilinc.edu.au
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
What is UNILINC?
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A not-for-profit company founded in 1978 to support a network of higher
education and special libraries
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The central bibliographic database is the heart of UNILINC. It reflects the
holdings of all member libraries and has done so since its inception
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Currently there are 21 member libraries ranging in size from 3 multi campus
universities through medium to small private colleges plus 2 research libraries.
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Member institutions have campuses across Australia and overseas
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UNILINC office is a separate entity to the 21 member libraries
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UNILINC provides library systems, developments, services and training to its
Members
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Our Institutions
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
UNILINC before Alma
Digital Assets
Management /
ILMS
Repositories
DigiTool; Digital
Commons …
Aleph
ILL
OPAC
Primo
bX Central
Index
Discovery
Aleph
Primo
Link resolver
SFX
KB*
ERM
..SFX..
Verde
*KB=Knowledge Base
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
A
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Out with the old!
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Project Team
Name
Roles
Rona Wade
Executive Director & CEO
Tony Cargnelutti
Associate Director, Alma Project Director
Bronwyn King
Alma Project Implementation Manager, Functional & Data Expert
Jenny Clarke
Applications Support Services, Functional & Data Expert: Acquisitions, Digital,
eResources, Resource Management, End User Systems & Trainer
Clare Decena
Web Development & Services, Functional & Data Expert: Discovery & End User
Systems
Helen Loosli
Applications Support Services, Functional & Data Expert:
Fulfillment, Resource Sharing, ILL, End User Systems & Trainer
Tanya Holm
Applications Support Services, Alma Analytics Specialist / Trainer
Brent Knigge
Consultant Application Development and Systems Support
Glenda Henderson
Consultant Metadata, Standards & Quality Control, Functional & Data Expert
Fred Piper
Consultant Applications & Systems;
Functional & Data Expert: Authentication & End User Systems
Melanie Fitter
UNILINC / Ex Libris Project Manager
Director, Resource Management Professional Services, APAC …….
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Alma / Alma-Primo Project Timeline
• Nov 2013:
Meeting of all Members to discuss move to Alma
• Mar 2014:
Formal implementation began
• May – Nov 2014:
UNILINC staff trained
• Oct 2014:
Alma environment and test migration completed
• Dec 2014:
UNILINC staff certified for Alma
• Dec 2014:
Alma-Primo environment setup and copy/install completed
by Ex Libris
• Dec 2014:
UNILINC staff commenced Alma and Alma-Primo
configuration and developments
• Jan 2015:
Member “familiarisation” sessions commenced
• May – June 2015:
Formal training of members conducted
• June 2015:
Essential Alma and Alma-Primo setup completed
• June 22nd 2015:
Alma and Alma-Primo switch to production
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
UNILINC’s consortial objectives for Alma
By STP we had to be able to have the following functions and
structures operational:
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Network Zone – 1
Institution Zones – 20,
Multi Site IZs – 10
Community Zone/PCI sites – 12
Non PCI – 9
Primo Views – 25
New Primo Members – 6
Acquisitions – 12
ILL Sites - 6
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Aleph Preparation
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Collection rationalisations
Item status and process status rationalisations
Bib and holdings deletions and tidying
Private patron data removal and patron purges
Acquisitions data purges
Generation of a variety of Aleph legacy data reports
e.g. patron loan history
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Alma Project Tasks
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Extensive configuration of the NZ and 21 IZs
Customisation of letters for 21 institutions (ongoing)
Setup of 320 staff users
U-resolver setup
Conversion of the Technical Migration status (post-STP)
Workflow recommendations and developments
ISO ILL workarounds
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Alma Integration Tasks
• Self-check integrations (SIP2)
3 vendors, at 4 institutions, across 13 libraries
• Coutts EOD and EOCR (shelf ready)
• EDI (in and out) – 9 vendors
• Talis Aspire
• Ezproxy (15 institutions)
• SIS (patron data loads)
• Z39.50 in and out (Libraries Australia, Te Puna, WorldCat,
EndNote, etc)
• SpinOMatic for label printing
• Google Scholar
• Printing in general (Namtuk, Outlook and printers with email
capability)
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Alma-Primo Project Tasks
• Extensive BO configuration and CSS customisation for the 22
migrated views
• Setup of 6 new Primo views for those institutions still using
the Aleph OPAC
• Integrations: Equella, DigiTool and MetaLib
• Setup of PDS Authentication: Shibboleth, LDAP, Alma
(standard) and Alma (development)
• Creation of legacy Basket reports (not migrated)
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Critical UNILINC Developments
• Primo Aleph to Alma permalink redirection/mapping
• Development of a locally hosted database and staff interface
for sensitive patron data
• Bursar process (OTB Bursar process not adequate)
• Development of special PDS authentication method for
Primo for Members with external patrons but no external
authentication system
• Replication of existing Aleph reports in Alma Analytics
• Replication of existing new titles lists using Analytics, APIs
and HTML
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Some observations...
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2.
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Cultural shift
• Libraries
• UNILINC staff
Alma
• Lack of staff user granularity
• Inventory management - lack of inventory “drag and drop”
• Bib templates
• Unfortunate that Alma NRs lack regular expression capability
Analytics
• Some great OTB reports
• Variety of output format and widget and dashboard capability
• It is not real time and sometimes environment not updated for 48 hours
• Makes scheduling difficult
• Miss direct SQL querying of data
Alma-Primo
• Much more integrated with the ILS
• Less able to customise OVP aspects e.g. request form elements
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Given scale and complexity the Alma/AlmaPrimo implementation was very successful !
First consortium to implement Alma within the
APAC region
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Bilby
Thank you.
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Project Background – was slide 7
• Member of the Australia New Zealand Collaborative Partnership
(2009) in developing region specific functionality for Alma
• Migration delayed by choice until the Network Zone / consortial
functionality had been sufficiently developed
• Migration requirements included
– Full ILL integration (still in testing)
– Full digital functionality (DigiTool) still in development
– Full Libraries Australia integration (Print resources - Yes, Electronic –
No)
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
UNILINC with Alma was slide 6
mobile views
APIs
Primo Central; bX; etc…
Primo
(discovery)
Alma
(management)
KB
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
integration
collaboration
APIs
data services
Training and Orientation
• Produced 16 customised training videos
• Produced customised training materials
• Developed customised programs for face to face and
videoconference training
• Conducted many one-on-one videoconferences post-STP
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Implementation is ongoing...
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Export to Libraries Australia
Resource Sharing/ILL
Copyright compliance process for Digitisation Requests
Creation of Confluence Wiki for UNILINC FAQs
Alma-Primo Sandbox setup
Assorted leftover Alma and Primo tasks (more Analytics
reports, setup of local extension fields, local authorities,
further Primo customisation, eBook repository imports, etc)
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Why Alma
• Alma promised an integrated workflow for Electronic, Print
and Digital resource processing
• Alma would replace 4 disparate systems all requiring high
levels of support.
• With Aleph the loading of e-resources requires complex
processes
• Alma replaces 2 knowledgebases (SFX and Verde) with 1
• Alma promised a high level of consortial functionality
• Our Member libraries were keen to adopt new technologies
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli
Miscellaneous
• EZproxy Authentication for 2 Members
• Setup of Members’ Alma support area on the UNILINC
website (Drupal)
• Maintenance of project documentation in Confluence
(UNILINC) and BaseCamp (Ex Libris)
• Setup and use of Jira to manage project tasks and issues
UNILINC Alma Implementation: IGeLU 2015 | Helen Loosli