OCLS E-Resource Activation & the Network Zone

Owned by Aura Hill
Last updated: Nov 29, 2021
3 min read

OCLS Approach to E-Resources

OCLS will activate/create records in the Network Zone for all of the e-resources associated with current subscriptions in ERMA, and distribute access from the Network Zone to the colleges' Institution Zones.

Recommendation for Colleges

To maximize the consortial benefits of Alma, OCLS recommends the colleges only activate/create records for their independent e-resources. These may include open access/free resources, as well as any resources purchased or subscribed to directly from the vendor.

Colleges using E-Resource Activation Form: Only activate your college’s independent e-resources.

Colleges providing 360 Link Reports: Once the Network Zone activations are complete, OCLS will provide data about the Network Zone e-resources so colleges can omit them from their 360 migration.

UPDATE: OCLS has uploaded the final version of their E-Resources Activation Form to Basecamp. Colleges that need to submit 360 Link Reports may find it helpful.

Important Dates

E-Resource Activation Forms (for colleges without 360)

  • Wednesday Nov. 10: If you do not want OCLS to activate your e-resources, notify them by this date.
    (see first FAQ question below)

  • Friday Nov. 12: Draft E-Resource Activation Form due

  • Friday Nov. 19: Final E-Resource Activation Form due

360 Link Reports

  • Monday Nov. 22 OCLS data about the Network Zone e-resources available

  • Friday Dec. 3 360 Link Report due

FAQ

If your questions are not addressed below, please leave a comment and we will do our best to address it.

Alma is highly customizable, and the first CLSP data migration is a test implementation that gives all of us an opportunity to explore our options. You are welcome to activate ERMA resources in your own Institution Zone.

If you do not want OCLS to distribute e-resource access to your college from the Network Zone, please let us know in the comments below before Nov. 10.

Download your ERMA data, and cross-reference it with your own internal list of e-resources. Anything on your list that can’t be found in ERMA is an independent e-resource.

Method 1: All College Subscriptions

The All College Subscriptions index is a list of current subscriptions and perpetually-owned resources. Filter the index by your college, and download the results by clicking on the orange CSV button at the bottom of the page.

Method 2: My Subscriptions

If you would rather see a list of your 2021/22 subscriptions (for example, if you know you have many new subscriptions coming up that would be missed by the All College Subscriptions index), then visit your My Subscriptions area of ERMA instead.

  1. Go to your My Subscriptions and click on the All Tab.

  2. Filter by Start Dates Beginning and Start Dates Ending (for example, to filter for 2021/22, select 2021-04-01 and 2022-03-31).

  3. Click Apply.

  4. Scroll down to the bottom and click on the orange button labelled CSV.

Ex Libris suggests that you look for matches in the “Package Name” columns in the Activation Form and, when you encounter one you’re unsure of, search the sandbox for that e-resource and review the additional metadata available there.

Loyalist has offered to share their data to try and help colleges with the matching process for their independent resources. Please find the file attached below.

OCLS is filling in an E-Resource Activation Form for the Network Zone.

Mapping local subscription data to the Alma Community Zone (CZ) is not a straightforward task, and some of it has already been done by current Alma and 360 subscribers. OCLS is aiming to leverage that work and we welcome any data that could help us identify quality records in the CZ!

We do anticipate that evaluation and clean-up will be required in the Network Zone post-activation. The first migration is a test that will allow all parties to review the data and the system, and make informed decisions about the live implementation.

OCLS will work with Ex Libris and the CLSP E-resources/Acquisitions Subcommittee to determine best practices for creating new resources in the Network Zone.