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Alma/Primo VE Migration

Circulation

Loaning Materials

Before checking-out physical inventory to a patron, you will need to log in to Alma and verify that your current location is the circulation desk where you want to work. Your current location will display on the main menu bar at the top of the screen. If the location is not displaying or is incorrect, click the location icon and select the desired location.

In the Fulfillment menu, click ‘Manage Patron Services.’ If you don't see this option, make sure that the account that you're using has the appropriate circulation role(s).

Scan the patron’s library card or use the list icon to find the patron by barcode or name and click Go:

  • The patron’s record is opened to the Loans tab.
  • Scan the item barcode or type the item’s barcode and click Ok. The item is checked-out to the patron.
  • Click Done to finish the transaction and generate a receipt if configured.

That’s the basic check-out procedure: swipe the patron’s card, scan the item barcode, click done.

Loan an Item via Proxy

A patron can be allowed to borrow material on behalf of another patron, for example a teaching assistant on behalf of a faculty member.

  1. Before scanning the patron’s card, select the ‘Use proxy’ checkbox.

    Fulfillment screen patron identifier with use proxy circled
     
  2. Scan the patron’s card, and then select the patron on whose behalf the patron can check-out items, and click Go.

    Patron Identification Screen with patron listed and Use Proxy checked
  3. We now see the other patron’s record. Notice that Alma indicates that our patron is serving as a proxy in this transaction. Note that Patron information may display on right hand of screen on browser window.

    Display of patron information after selecting Proxy
  4. Scan the item barcode to create the loan. The loan is charged to the other patron, not the proxy.​

Renewing Materials

To renew items for a patron:

  1. Navigate to Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services to bring up the Patron Identification screen, then look up the patron's record.
     
  2. Confirm that the Patron Services page has the "Loans" tab highlighted, then change "Loan Display: Loans of this session" to "Loan Display: All loans" by clicking on the drop down arrow and selecting "All loans".




     
  3. To renew selected items, click on the boxes on the left of the items you want to renew, then click on the "Renew Selected" button.


     
  4. To renew all of the patron's items, either click on the "Renew All" button or select all of the items and then click on the "Renew Selected" button.


     
  5. Items are now renewed. You may either continue to other tasks within the patron record, or click the Done to exit.

Note: Technically, it is possible to renew a loaned item by repeating the Loan Materials workflow with the barcode of the loaned item.  However, if these steps are performed on an item that has been declared Lost, the item will be renewed but the replacement cost of the item will not be refunded to the patron.  For this reason, this workflow is not recommended to renew loaned items.

Returning Materials

You can return materials either by viewing the patron's record or by simply scanning in the barcode of the item.

To return items via the patron's record:

  1. Navigate to Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services to bring up the Patron Identification screen, then look up the patron's record.
     
  2. From the patron record, click on the Return tab.


     
  3. From this tab, scan in the item barcode or enter it manually and click on OK.
     
  4. The item will be automatically checked in and summary information will appear below.

To return multiple items or without displaying the patron record:

  1. Navigate to Fulfillment > Return Items. The following screen should appear:


     
  2. Scan in each barcode. Information about each item will appear below including the patron's name that checked out each item.
     
  3. If you want change the return date for the items being returned, before scanning the first barcode, click on the "Override return date and time" box and choose the date and time you want the system to register with each item.

To Indicate a Lost Item

  • Lost – Specifies that an item is lost and charges the patron (see To indicate a lost item). Ensure that the value of the Loan Display drop-down list is All. Select OK to add the details of the loan to both the Loan Status column of the Patron Services page and to the Fines/Fees tab of the User Details page (see Editing Users).
  1. On the Patron Services page (see Selecting a Patron), select the Loans tab. 
     
  2. In the Loan display drop-down list, select All and then select the item that is lost.
     
  3. For the lost item, select Lost from the row actions list. The Lost Item dialog box opens with the fine/fee information.
     
  4. Select OK. The details of the loan are added to the Loan Status column of the Patron Services page, and to the Fines/Fees tab of the User Details page (see Editing Users).

Changing Loan Status to Claim Returned

  1. On the Patron Services page (see Selecting a Patron), select the Loans tab.
     
  2. In the Loan display drop-down list, select All and then select the item that is claimed to have been returned.
     
  3. Select Claimed Return from the row actions list. The value of the Loan Status column changes to Claimed returned.
    Claimed Return – Claim an item as returned (see To claim an item was returned). When claiming an item as returned:
  • The loan’s status is changed to Claim Returned.
  • The item’s Process Type value is Claimed Returned, and the item remains requestable and is considered to still be on loan.
  • By default, overdue fines accumulated prior to the item being claimed as returned are applied to the patron's active balance, but no new overdue fines accrue from that point onward. (This functionality, however, can be configured using the overdue_at_claim_return_loan parameter. For details, see Configuring Other Settings.)