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The following issues were identified during testing and the soft launch. OCLS is working with Ex Libris Support and college library staff to resolve them.

Outstanding Issues

Query to patron letters

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

  • OCLS and St Lawrence have opened cases with Ex Libris

Borrowing Requests - Seneca

  • colleges are unable to send borrowing requests to Seneca

  • OCLS has opened a case with Ex Libris

Deep search configurations for Seneca

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

  • Seneca is able to search Loyalist, the NZ

  • OCLS has opened a case with Ex Libris

Resource sharing request option appearing in records for electronic resources

  • 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.

Resolved Issues

Cancel request on locate failure

  • 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.

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

 

Issue with pick up locations field in Borrowing Request Forms at Northern and Cambrian Colleges

  • 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.

Request Costs section of RS Request Form issue at Niagara

  • 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.

Recalls

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.  

Due date

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

 

Colleges outside of the networked environment placing requests

TOU Distributed from the NZ not appearing in IZs when they have been edited

  • 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

Letter Customizations

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-20240830-182702.png

 

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">

 

  1. Add this row:

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

image-20240830-182729.png

Hold Shelf Expiry Date matches due date for requests, rather than Request TOU

  • The rs_hold_shelf_expiration parameter, in combination with the ignore_lender_due_date parameter, determine how hold shelf expiration is calculated for items received for resource sharing borrowing requests. This parameter is not managed in the Network Zone.

  • If your parameter is set to due_date, the hold shelf expiry time will match the request due date. If it is set to circ_desk, the expiration date will match the hold shelf configuration for the circulation desk.

  • Instructions have been added to the Documentation for how to customize this parameter.

Move requests not appearing at applicable libraries for virtual resource sharing libraries

  • To ensure that move requests show up in the Pick from Shelf list of the library that owns the item, set the rs_auto_request_lending parameter to false and the Show in Pick from Shelf list setting in the Resource Sharing Request Rule in your Request Pickup Configuration to True.

  • Instructions have been added to the Documentation for how to make these changes.

New lending requests don’t appear on Tasks Widget without notes

  • Lending requests only appear on the Tasks widget when they require intervention, with active notes attached. Requests with a New request status do not appear on the widget.

  • optional configuration to have new lending requests appear on your Tasks widget without active notes as new requests that require manual intervention by customizing the value of the rs_auto_request_lending parameter added to Documentation

Restore Item status

  • Internal mapping table updated to exclude resource sharing requests from restore job for colleges in the networked environment

  • Ex Libris can also enable this in the IZs of colleges outside of the networked environment, please let OCLS know if you would like us to open a ticket and/or if you need more information

Converting Resource Sharing Requests to Purchase Requests

  • ‘SUBMIT_PURCHASE_REQUEST_RS' is now enabled for Fulfillment Services Operator / Fulfillment Services Manager roles for colleges in the networked environment

  • Ex Libris can also enable this in the IZs of colleges outside of the networked environment, please let OCLS know if you would like us to open a ticket and/or if you need more information

Lost Item Replacement Cost not automatically applied to patron records

  • Previously, when borrowing institution marked an item as lost, the request was changed to lost communicated and no fines and fees were applied to the lost loan. The lender received a message regarding the lost item, and they had to manually send a message with the fines and fees that would be applied to the borrowing institution. The borrowing institution had to manually add the fines and fees to the patron.

  • rs_use_tou_for_lost_item parameter was enabled in the NZ so fines and fees will be added automatically to the patron, based on the borrowing library’s Loan TOU

  • Note: if the lender would like a lost item replacement cost other than the default applied, they will need to send a note/communication to the borrowing library and the borrowing library will need to add this cost to the item record as a lost item replacement cost when they receive the item

  • Instructions were added to Documentation for creating Loan TOU for resource sharing requests

Limit pickup location in Resource Sharing Request Form to one default location

  • La Cite College was interested in limiting the pickup location options in their form to the one library working with resource sharing requests

  • There is no direct method to achieve what La Cite is asking for. It can be done, but it would require either a) changing the Deliver To relationships between the RS library and the other libraries (not an ideal situation), or b) removing the Hold Shelves from the other libraries (definitely not a realistic option). Or, worded another way, the only way to remove those libraries from the Pickup Location dropdown is to make them ineligible pickup locations; there's no other way to customize the contents of these dropdown menus.

  • Alternatively, if the desired outcome is that all incoming RS requests will only be sent to the RS Library's default pickup location, then the simplest solution might be to remove the Pickup Location field from La Cite's RS form. Since a default location is configured, all incoming RS requests will be routed to this location unless a user configured the dropdown menu otherwise. So if the menu is not visible (and a user can't edit it), then every request will use that default pickup location.

Customization of resource sharing labels

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