Navigating in Alma is the same as navigating on any website - use side and menu navigation to get to pages, and follow links on the page to get to related information.
However, there are a couple of typical website functionalities that work slightly differently when using Alma.
Back/Return Button
It is possible to use the Back/Return button in your browser to go back to the previous page. However, the best way to move back a page in Alma is to use an on-screen back arrow (typically in the upper left) or an Exit/Cancel/Back button. If you use the browser button, the contents of your page might change in ways you do not want. For example, your search results might refresh or the fields you were editing might change.
Tabs
It is possible to open and work in Alma in multiple tabs in your browser at the same time. See this article for details if you are interested in doing this.
Persistent (Main) Menu
The menu on the left of every page in Alma allows you to quick shift from one function to another. The menu is organized by functional areas. Depending on your roles, you may not see all of these areas:
Acquisitions - Everything related to orders, invoices, funds and ledgers, vendors, and electronic resource licenses.
Resources - Cataloging and inventory management for all materials, regardless of format. Includes import and publishing functions.
Fulfillment - Any function that fulfills a patron or library request: circulation, resource sharing, course reserves, temporary moves and deposits, and more.
Admin - Managing Sets and Managing Jobs, as well as system/functional area administrator functionality.
Analytics - Use to run or subscribe to existing reports and dashboards, or access Alma Analytics to create analyses.
Quick Links
On the main menu, you can identify Quick Links for a few functions that you use often or use so infrequently you can never find them.
To set your Quick Links:
To remove a Quick Link, click the blue star to turn it grey again.
To see your Quick Links:
Linked Information in Records
Many records contain links to related information, identified by blue text instead of black. Click on the link to go to the related information or records. For example, in the image below, clicking the title would open the title's bibliographic record, and clicking the barcode would open the item record for editing.
The persistent search bar has up to six parts. From left to right, they are:
Advanced search (magnifying glass with plus sign): Opens the advanced search options. Most, but not all, search types have advanced search as an option. The plus sign will turn green once you have done a search using advanced search options.
Search Type (first drop-down menu): Select the type of records you want to find. The way the records display in your search results and the facets available for narrowing your results will be different depending on the Search Type.
Criteria (second drop-down): Select the field you want to search within those records. This list changes depending on the Search Type you choose.
Search term (blank box): Enter the search term(s). When you click in this box, if you have done this type of search before, a list of your recent previous searches will display below the search box that you can select. See the Search Tips section below for more info on composing your search terms.
Zone (icon drop-down): Choose whether you want to search the Institution Zone (house icon), Network Zone (hierarchy boxes), or Community Zone (people). See the Terminology page of this guide for details on what each of these zones are. The Zone option will only appear for some Search Types.
Search button (magnifying glass): Click to search or hit the Enter key
Attribution: Much of the content on this page was slightly adapted from the SUNY Office of Library and Information Services LibGuide, Alma Search and Navigation.