• the Type_6_header label is missing in the Values where labels are to be configured for the Query to Patron Letter

• St Lawrence and Conestoga both noticed this issue with their letters: https://clo-collaboration-spaces.atlassian.net/wiki/

• Cambrian College is unable to see resource sharing request option in Primo VE records, blank form gives a “This form cannot be displayed” error message.

• Northern College is unable to select pickup location and submit form

• Ex Libris Support initially suggested the issues at Cambrian and Northern are related to a known issue involving the Resource Sharing form and that they had found and addressed the regression that was causing it on. This did not resolve the issues.

• Ex Libris Support then suggested that the issues could be resolved by ensuring that Cambrian and Northern have their libraries attached to the respective campuses in Alma, as the Page 1+ Borrowing Rule and TOU are configured with a Pickup Location Policy of "in patron's affiliated Campus." This configuration change has not resolved the issue for Cambrian College.

• Loyalist College has been testing disabling Cancel Request on Locate Failure in their borrowing setup.

• They found that:

  • Borrowing requests with a 'locate failed' status remained in their active borrowing requests and they could review and place the request externally. The Requester does not receive a Request cancelled letter. They are satisfied with this functionality.

  • However, the request with "locate failed" status is only showing a "View" option and Cancel is not available in the row action menu.  Staff can click on the specific request and select "change status" under the ellipsis (...) action menu. It allows them to select "change status" and "Cancelled by staff > Reason: Failed to locate potential suppliers".  However, the job does not make any changes (0 or 1 changes applied).

  • They can also "remove the request" and monitor the "failed to locate" requests in analytics.

• https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/030Fulfillment/050Resource_Sharing/020Borrowing_Requests/030Managing_Resource_Sharing_Borrowing_Requests

   

• Niagara College was unable to submit a Resource Sharing Borrowing Request form in Alma without filling out the Request Costs portion.

• The issue was resolved by changing the value in their Request Cost TOU Policy from 0 to "None". Since the policy was configured to have a value (even though that value is 0), it means that Alma is expecting a value in the RS form when it is created. If None is selected, it circumvents this entirely.

In order to facilitate a no recalls policy when a physical item request is placed for an item that has been loaned through a resource sharing request, the Recalled by Partner and Borrower Recall steps have been disabled in the Page 1+ Borrowing and Page 1+ Lending Workflows distributed from the Network Zone. With these steps removed from the workflow profiles, all behavior will be dictated by the normal operation of TOUs and the Loan Recall Configuration menu, as with any other kind of loan. In testing, we noticed that removing these steps from the workflow profiles preserves the due date for the item. However, renewals for the item could be blocked and the status of the item might not be changed in the borrowing or lending requests lists. Staff will be able to see the status in the history of the request.  

Alma is not currently able to accommodate for the delay between when a request is placed and when it is loaned to the patron (how long an item may spend on the hold shelf and in transit) automatically.

Members of the RSWG were able to come up with a work around. We are recommending two steps in the work around for the resource sharing loan lengths being too short:

1. if you changed the delivery delay in each partner profile to 7, please return the value to 0. Initially this step showed promise. However, it seems there was a change in the July update that makes the problem worse.

2. be aware that we have made a change to the Page 1+ Lending Resource Sharing Rule’s attached terms of use “Page 1+Lending Rules.” Lending rule due date (NOT the loan rule due date) has had the value changed from 14 exact days to 21 exact days. If you are not attached to the NZ, you will have to make the change yourself.

This change should result in approximately 14 days for the loan to the patron. Approximate because it will actually be [Lending Due Date]-[Shipping Time]-[Hold Shelf Time]=[Loan Due Date].

We have proposed an idea on the idea exchange to prefer the loan due date length unless it exceeds the lending due date. Please consider voting for the idea. https://ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/48669257-resource-sharing-loan-due-date

• Presently, institutions outside of the networked environment do not have access to the catalog of networked institutions. In order for an institution outside of the networked environment to have access to the catalog on a networked institution and place resource sharing requests directly from an item record in Primo VE, both institutions will need to implement deep search configurations for Primo VE. The deep search functionality is currently limited to one institution/search profile. Alternatively, patrons can place requests through the Blank ILL form in Primo VE.

• Loyalist and Seneca Colleges successfully added an NZ search profile through deep search configurations and tested placing requests using this configuration

• Ex Libris do not foresee any issues with the colleges outside of the network adding the deep search scope configurations for the NZ and using them to search and place requests in Primo VE

• For more information, see: https://clo-collaboration-spaces.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AYBEX ; https://clo-collaboration-spaces.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AQAUXw ; https://clo-collaboration-spaces.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/resumedraft.action?draftId=1595211777&draftShareId=1ece85b6-3eb0-4d3c-b4fd-3968cd211a3e ; Resource Sharing – Search Options for Colleges Outside of the Networked Environment – Instructions

• when the Page 1+ rules distributed from the NZ are edited in an IZ they become managed in the IZ

• for the Page 1+ rules distributed from the NZ appear in your IZ again, you will need to rename the edited rules

• x/FoB2Yw

• Ex Libris Development has fixed your issue regarding the query_6 display issue and you should see the fix with the April 2025 release.

• They advised that as a workaround you can fill in the XSL. Instead of '@@Type_6_header@@' you can add any other text.

• Loyalist was unable to search Seneca’s catalogue using their deep search configurations

• the local search profile P_NH_SY was not defined as a search slot in the view configuration for the view that Seneca College provided access to through the Primo VE Deep Search Configuration; the issue was resolved after Seneca adjusted the configurations for their view and search profile

• colleges were unable to send borrowing requests to Seneca

• a trailing space in the Partner information for Seneca, on the Parameters tab, the server information (na02.alma.exlibrisgroup.com) was causing issues with the delivery of ISO messages. Updating that field in the NZ and distributing the update resolved the issue.

• Fleming and Conestoga successfully tested sending borrowing requests and completing the request process with Seneca

Summary of issue from Ex Libris ticket opened by Loyalist College:

We are not part of a consortium, so we are only able to search our institution for titles in Primo.
We are using the Blank ILL form in Primo (testing stage), which sends the borrowing request to Alma.
When the "locate" function is run on the borrowing request in Alma, it does not give a warning message that it is owned by the institution.
When a borrowing request is created manually in Alma, and the "locate" function is run, it does provide a warning message that the title is owned by the institution.

We have two "sending borrowing requests rules" - 1. Do not send request automatically - no input parameters, output parameter = False, and 2. Do not send if owned by institution - input parameters "Self-ownership = True, output parameter = False.

Ex Libris Support resolution of the ticket:

Our development team has confirmed that Alma is currently not designed to provide this functionality on the blank ILL form, so the next step is to pursue this as an enhancement.

We strongly recommend that you pursue this enhancement through the ELUNA Product Working Group enhancement voting process. On a periodic basis the ELUNA Alma Product Working Group does an open call for enhancement suggestions that are voted on by the ELUNA Alma user community and presented to Ex Libris Development. This is the best way to have your enhancement request heard. Please see the article linked below with common Q&A's regarding the IGeLU and ELUNA enhancement process.

Ex Libris has also made available sharing ideas directly with our product managers using the Ex Libris Idea Exchange website (http://ideas.exlibrisgroup.com ). We welcome you to sign in to the site and share your ideas with us . Additional information can find on the website’s FAQ.

Here is the article - https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Knowledge_Articles/Enhancement_Process_-_Common_QandA

• Loyalist College has added "view local resources" as a first step in their managing borrowing requests workflow to address this issue

• Colleges can address this partially through Display Logic Rules that hide specific resource types (see sections and by limiting the New_Discovery_Network search profile to physical materials (see sections ;

• However, some colleges have noticed that requests can still be placed if patrons access the resource from databases outside of Primo VE, through related resources link, bypassing the DLRs: https://clo-collaboration-spaces.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/RSIP/pages/1369243679/Humber+-+Discussion+Page?focusedCommentId=1513291777; Page 1+ Study Group Session 86 (at approximately 41 minutes); Resource sharing appearing when clicking on "Check for fulltext" in EBSCO databases. These requests for electronic resources should be automatically cancelled in Alma (“cancelled by staff” status) and patrons will receive the Ful Cancel Request letter.

• DLRs that hide the RS Request Link based on Resource Type are based upon the "recordtype" tag in the Control section of the PNX record for a Primo result. The PNX pulls this information from a record's associated bibliographic information. When this is properly populated in a PNX record, you will see this resource type show up at the very top of a Primo page, right above the resources title (e.g. https://app.screencast.com/3JqKPjqEergnB). But this does rely on the PNX being able to pull information from a full bibliographic record. For Network-catalogued resources, as well as CDI records, this is not an issue. However, it can be a problem with OpenURL records.

When users find an article in a database which then redirects them to a Primo page, this redirection from an outside service/database is done using OpenURL protocol. The problem with that is there's no guarantee that the information sent in the OpenURL will contain all of the necessary information for your DLRs to work as expected. If the service/database sends an OpenURL without a proper resource type, there's no way for Primo (the PNX) to properly populate the recordtype tag, and so the DRL cannot be applied.

You can see this using the example URL: https://humber.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/openurl?institution=01OCLS_HUMB&vid=01OCLS_HUMB:HUMB&date=20240501&issue=2&isbn=&spage=75&title=Critical%20Education&atitle=Connecting%20the%20Dots%20Between%20Extreme%20Ideologies,%20%22Parent%20Choice,%22%20and%20Education%20Privatization%20in%20Alberta%20and%20Canada.&sid=EBSCO:Education%20Research%20Complete:177504579&volume=15&pages=75-83&issn=19204175&au=Ganshorn,%20Heather&genre=article&ID=doi:10.14288%2Fce.v15i2.186885

First, add &displayCTO=true to the end of the URL, and then load the page again. Once you do, you'll see the button to Display CTO. Clicking on this will open a new tab with the CTO information, which will include a PNX section. If you review this section in the above link, you'll see that the recordtype tag has "bibliographic" for a value, which does not match what's configured in the DLR. This means that the RS Request link will appear for this OpenURL-generated record.

Meanwhile, compare that to the same article but if it was discovered via Expanded Search Results when searching directly in Primo: https://humber.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=cdi_erudit_primary_1111308ar&context=PC&vid=01OCLS_HUMB:HUMB&lang=en&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Primo%20Central&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,Connecting%20the%20Dots%20Between%20Extreme%20Ideologies,%20%22Parent%20Choice,%22%20and%20Education%20Privatization%20in%20Alberta%20and%20Canada.&pcAvailability=true

When searched for in Primo, this instead pulls up the CDI record (instead of the OpenURL). Because it's CDI, the PNX can properly apply the record type and the DLR will work as designed. You can see this by adding &showPnx=true to the end of the URL for the CDI record.

In summary: this is an unfortunate situation that can arise when working with Primo records generated via OpenURLs. Primo and the Link Resolver can only work with the information provided in the OpenURL, so if that information is inadequate it can lead to this occasional request that "slip through the cracks."

Alma currently lacks a direct method to prevent Resource Sharing Requests on OpenURL-generated records.

• Ex Libris has recommended a workaround that involves creating a dummy GES/DLR to hide the RS request option for each college:

  View file
  name ResShar-OpenURLWorkaround_DRAFT_20240912.docx

• Colleges have also chosen to address this by redirecting the requests to their ILL departments to locate the resources with other partners, sending queries or direct e-mails to users, customizations of their RS Request Form, and using Libwizard form (subscription) or Google Forms (free) for ILL requests for these records: see Primo VE settings for Resource Sharing (RS) - best practices?; https://clo-collaboration-spaces.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AYAUWw ; Resource sharing appearing when clicking on "Check for fulltext" in EBSCO databases; Add a Libwizard ILL form to the Primo VE full record (can also add a Google Form instead of Libwizard)

• adding CSS code for in links to the customization package is another potential solution that could be explored

• Loyalist College has been testing disabling Cancel Request on Locate Failure in their borrowing setup because it was sending the request cancellation letter very quickly to patrons and Loyalist is not ready to disable the letter

• They found that:

  • Borrowing requests with a 'locate failed' status remained in their active borrowing requests and they could review and place the request externally. The Requester does not receive a Request cancelled letter. They are satisfied with this functionality.

  • However, the request with "locate failed" status was only showing a "View" option and Cancel is not available in the row action menu.  Staff can click on the specific request and select "change status" under the ellipsis (...) action menu. It allows them to select "change status" and "Cancelled by staff > Reason: Failed to locate potential suppliers".  However, the job does not make any changes (0 or 1 changes applied).

  • They can also "remove the request" and monitor the "failed to locate" requests in analytics.

Issue was resolved: Loyalist was able to cancel a few "locate failed" requests and is happy with this setting for Loyalist.

• See: https://clo-collaboration-spaces.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AQAVXw

https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/030Fulfillment/050Resource_Sharing/020Borrowing_Requests/030Managing_Resource_Sharing_Borrowing_Requests

• staff at Northern College were unable to select pickup location and submit form in Alma

• issue was resolved by attaching libraries to their respective campuses in Alma

• the Page 1+ Borrowing Rule and TOU are configured with a Pickup Location Policy of "in patron's affiliated Campus."

• staff member at Cambrian College was unable to see resource sharing request option in Primo VE records, blank form gives a “This form cannot be displayed” error message: this was caused by staff member exceeding 5 active resource sharing request limit in Page 1+ Borrowing Rule

For more information on associate the library with the campus, please see Ex Libris Documentation on Configuring Campuses.

• Niagara College was unable to submit a Resource Sharing Borrowing Request form in Alma without filling out the Request Costs portion.

• The issue was resolved by changing the value in their Request Cost TOU Policy from 0 to "None". Since the policy was configured to have a value (even though that value is 0), it means that Alma is expecting a value in the RS form when it is created. If None is selected, it circumvents this entirely.

In order to facilitate a no recalls policy when a physical item request is placed for an item that has been loaned through a resource sharing request, the Recalled by Partner and Borrower Recall steps have been disabled in the Page 1+ Borrowing and Page 1+ Lending Workflows distributed from the Network Zone. With these steps removed from the workflow profiles, all behavior will be dictated by the normal operation of TOUs and the Loan Recall Configuration menu, as with any other kind of loan. In testing, we noticed that removing these steps from the workflow profiles preserves the due date for the item. However, renewals for the item could be blocked and the status of the item might not be changed in the borrowing or lending requests lists. Staff will be able to see the status in the history of the request.  

Alma is not currently able to accommodate for the delay between when a request is placed and when it is loaned to the patron (how long an item may spend on the hold shelf and in transit) automatically.

Members of the RSWG were able to come up with a work around. We are recommending two steps in the work around for the resource sharing loan lengths being too short:

1. if you changed the delivery delay in each partner profile to 7, please return the value to 0. Initially this step showed promise. However, it seems there was a change in the July update that makes the problem worse.

2. be aware that we have made a change to the Page 1+ Lending Resource Sharing Rule’s attached terms of use “Page 1+Lending Rules.” Lending rule due date (NOT the loan rule due date) has had the value changed from 14 exact days to 21 exact days. If you are not attached to the NZ, you will have to make the change yourself.

This change should result in approximately 14 days for the loan to the patron. Approximate because it will actually be [Lending Due Date]-[Shipping Time]-[Hold Shelf Time]=[Loan Due Date].

We have proposed an idea on the idea exchange to prefer the loan due date length unless it exceeds the lending due date. Please consider voting for the idea. https://ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308173-alma/suggestions/48669257-resource-sharing-loan-due-date

• Presently, institutions outside of the networked environment do not have access to the catalog of networked institutions. In order for an institution outside of the networked environment to have access to the catalog on a networked institution and place resource sharing requests directly from an item record in Primo VE, both institutions will need to implement deep search configurations for Primo VE. The deep search functionality is currently limited to one institution/search profile. Alternatively, patrons can place requests through the Blank ILL form in Primo VE.

• Loyalist and Seneca Colleges successfully added an NZ search profile through deep search configurations and tested placing requests using this configuration

• Ex Libris do not foresee any issues with the colleges outside of the network adding the deep search scope configurations for the NZ and using them to search and place requests in Primo VE

• For more information, see: https://clo-collaboration-spaces.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AYBEX ; https://clo-collaboration-spaces.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AQAUXw ; https://clo-collaboration-spaces.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/resumedraft.action?draftId=1595211777&draftShareId=1ece85b6-3eb0-4d3c-b4fd-3968cd211a3e ; Resource Sharing – Search Options for Colleges Outside of the Networked Environment – Instructions

• when the Page 1+ rules distributed from the NZ are edited in an IZ they become managed in the IZ

• for the Page 1+ rules distributed from the NZ appear in your IZ again, you will need to rename the edited rules

• see https://clo-collaboration-spaces.atlassian.net/wiki/x/DwDxWQ

All Colleges MUST add code to the Resource Sharing Shipping Slip letter. Currently there is a coding error that excludes Address Line 3 from displaying in your own shipping slip. This means that you may not print out the street address of your partner.  This is not a contact issue for your partner, it is an issue with your letter. This has been reported to Ex Libris to resolve, but they have not fixed it yet. All environments are experiencing this and will need to modify their code. Address Line 3 is missing altogether.

Image Added

Here is how to solve it:

1. Go to Configuration > General > Letters Configuration

2. Seach for Name: Resource Sharing Shipping Slip letter

3. Select Edit from the more options (…) menu beside the letter

4. Scroll down the XSL script to the section for:

notification_data/partner_shipping_info_list/partner_shipping_info">

5. Add this row:

   <tr><td><xsl:value-of select="address3"/></td></tr>

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