Alma at the University of Salford (Angela Walker)

City of Salford

•North West of England – next door neighbours to Manchester

University of Salford

• 20,000 students• 3,000 international students• 2,500 staff• 4 Colleges & 9 schools

• 4 sites• 500,000 books• 2,500 Physical Journal

Titles• 17,000 e-journals• 300,000 e-books

Library

Digital Library Plan:• Media City Campus (new home of the BBC)

• Review of systems− RFID – completed 2010− PRIMO – implemented 2011− Consolidation of business systems & implementation of URM

Background to the Project

• UK based LMS: Talis• Talis Prism catalogue• SFX• Metalib• In-house Electronic Resource Management

System

Systems Review

• Talis since 1996• Very little change

• Electronic resource management

• Prism Catalogue – only displayed print

• Work arounds in place• Reliance upon IT department

• Bulk changes

• Financial year rollover

• Expensive• Staff comfortable with system

www.flickr.com/photos/indigoprime/2240127354

Talis LMS

• Increase in e-resources• Reduction in Total Cost of Ownership

− Fewer Systems

• Financial savings • Meeting strategic objectives• Benefits to users• Analytics

Business Case

Subscriptions

E-book and E-Journal usage

Spend

• Fewer systems to maintain• SFX• Prism• Electronic Resource Management system• Talis

• Maintained in the cloud by ExLibris

Reduction in Total Cost of Ownership

ALMA & Primo

• Talis didn’t integrate easily with external systems – additional costs

• Licences to connect to systems– Self issue machines– Primo– Student information system

Financial Savings

• Alignment to University Goals– Transforming Infrastructure and Services

• Streamlining Processes• Managing and enhancing access to our resources• Ensure an outstanding student experience

Strategic Objectives

• Understanding our collections• Prescriptive management information• Developing Services

Analytics

• Changing Library Environment• Roadmap with future developments• Early Adopter• Strong user community – sharing of expertise• 24 hour – 7 days a week support• Amsterdam Data Centre

Why Alma?

• Non ex-libris system• Cohort 3 of EA programme• Purchasing a system we couldn’t see –

development partners but no one in production• European Tender

Early Adopter programme

Timescales

15th J

uly

27th N

ovem

ber

11th M

arch

10th A

pril

12th A

pril

30th A

pril

27th J

une

27th J

une

• Data• Configuration • Process Mapping• Training• System Integration

Preparing for Alma

• Old sites• Messages attached to items• Repairs • User records • Users with old department codes

Data Clean Up

• P2E process (identify print and electronic)• Data which couldn’t be migrated• Migration Form• Historic data• Fines data

Data Migration

• Important to understand our workflows• Processes which mapped across different areas

of the library• Catalogue of 74 processes where LMS was

involved

Process Reviews

Tutors ASLs Collections

LaSU list updated

Shelf ready?

Updates listed in Alerts

Customer Services

Digitisation Requests – (See 1.9)

New items checked to establish if onother LaSU lists

Check module student numbers

Check purchasing formula

Calculate total number ofItems required

SOLAR checked forLibrary holdings

Supplier websites checkedfor latest edition ande-book availability

Orders placedSee 1.3.1

Update LaSURe-link ISBN/

SN’s. Add OOP

notes

Items arrivefrom supplier

Item queries

n

Item receiptedand processed

(1.3.12)

y

Added to Library shelves

Items receiptedand added to

Library shelves(2.27)

Tutors updated on query/delay

Tutors contacted -

student number/

formula queriesASLs copied

Into queryemails

Tutors provide requiredinformation

Supplier queries and

Delays etc

Item identified as Out of Print OOP

OOP query sent to tutors.

PurchaseOOP copy?

y

n

Latest edition found to be

In stock

ASLs cc’d

• ExLibris Spreadsheet• Configuration had been in place for so long and

never changed • Simplify locations• Circulation Review

Configuration

• Self check kiosks• LDAP – staff authentication• Student information system• British Library• Primo• Book suppliers• Printing• Easy to set up by the library and ITS

Integrations

• Bibliotheca• STunnel• Off Line Mode

Self Service

• Work carried out by ExLibris• Real Time Availability• Must log in to see loan periods

Primo

• API• Patron Loader• Add external users to University systems• Issues with internal systems

Student Information

• Engage with suppliers• 2 main suppliers• EDI set up by supplier in previous system• Different approach in Alma

– Inventory information in marc record– Previously EDI message

Book Suppliers

• Print to e-mail• Letter schedule

– Quite Rigid – Customise letters in XSLT

Printing

• Premium Sandbox• Test Plans• Test all scenarios

Testing

• Alma Academy• Web ex• Functional workshop• Wider library team• Alma Certification

Training

• Defining User Roles• Unexpected e-mails• Staff knowledge

Go Live

http://www.freeimages.com/photo/1435014

Changethe perfect storm at Salford

• Refurbished a library• Closed a library• Restructured all the staffing

AND• Alma

Change

• Good vendor project management• Monthly releases • Top 5 calls

ExLibris & Salford

• Alma PWG • Alma Mail List• Alma UK – local support

Collaboration

• New ways of working• Language of ‘Alma’• Fewer systems to maintain• Fine tuning configuration• Review Workflows• Ongoing training

Current Position

• Alma / Agresso Integration (finance system)• Online Fine Payments• Improve quality of data from internal systems• Get our staff to

‘Challenge Alma’

Going Forward

• E-mail: a.d.walker@salford.ac.uk

Thank you & Questions