Student Training: Stuff you do in Alma

Check out a book:

• Under "Fulfillment" click on "Manage Patron Services"
• Scan their ID card or search by GID 
• Click go!
• It will default to show the Loans tab where you will scan the barcode 
• Watch for any pop up messages (example: scanning a DVD will prompt you to make sure multiple discs are present)
• Tell the patron when the item is due (community borrowers get 3 weeks, students get until the end of the current semester, and faculty/staff get 1 calendar year). We should be specific with the date so it hopefully clicks with them that they will in fact need to return the item.

Check a book back in:

• Under "Fulfillment" click "Return Items"
• Scan that barcode
• Special note: If you're checking in books from the book drops in the morning, override return date and time to the previous day

Or:

• If you're still in a patron account, click on the "Returns" tab
• Scan the item
• You did it!

 

Renewing materials:

• Start by getting into the patron's account! Under Fulfillment (Or the Recent Pages bar) find Manage Patron Services.
• Scan their card or search for their account.
• Toggle Loan Display from Loans of this session to All loans.
• You may select which loans by checking in the box and clicking Renew Selected. 
• Or click Renew All to renew everything they have that is renewable.

Sometimes you may get the question "Can you tell me what books I have checked out?" You can either pull up their account from Manage Patron Services 

OR send an activity report! Here's how:

Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services

• Scan ID or search by name
• Click "Send Activity Report"
• The patron will receive an email from the circulation@msubillings.edu address
• If they don't get it right away, verify their contact email in Alma and/or have them check their junk box

Here's what it looks like:

​

Here's an example of what the email they get will look like (it will show details, I just didn't include it in this snip because confidentiality): 

When you're working in Alma, especially when you're checking things out or returning them, pay attention to the screen! Sometimes important messages will pop up as you check books out so it's important to keep an eye on the screen.

There are multiple carts throughout the building for patrons to place books on. This is helpful so we can mark them as used (since clearly someone picked it up and at the very least looked at it) and re-shelve them correctly. Occasionally one of your tasks will be to collect those books. Also, occasionally staff people will hand you books and ask you to mark them "used". This helps us keep track of important book stats. Here's how to do it:

In Alma, under Fulfillment click Scan In Items. Then make sure the Register in-house use option is checked like this:

Then click in the "scan item barcode" field & scan the book! It can now be placed on a to-be shelved cart.

You can look up someone's netID in Alma?

 

• Fulfillment > manage patron services > click on their ID number > Identifiers tab

Students, faculty, and staff from other Montana university libraries are also allowed to check books out here. They are already registered in the Montana University System, but they're not yet in "Our System" so we just need to add them in Alma first, which is the same way you'd register a community borrower! 

How to Register a New User in Alma (courtesy borrowers OR students from other university libraries in Montana)

Always use correct capitalization and punctuation.

While in Alma:

Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services > Register New User

Next you will enter User Information.

-Enter the patron's First Name and Last Name

       -Select the appropriate User Group:  choose the group based on what they are at their home university: undergraduate, graduate, or faculty and staff
For now, leave Primary Identifier alone - this will be where you scan the barcode number or enter their University ID.

(This is also how you register Community Borrowers)

---

Next up in the User Management Information section, enter the password if the patron chooses one. This is not required, if they are not interested you may leave it blank. By setting a password they can log-in to their Library account in Primo. (Primo is the patron side of Alma. It's what you see when searching for materials from our Library home page.)

Courtesy Users will log in with their barcode number. Once they are logged in they will be able to view their

Loans, Requests, Fines + Fees, Blocks + Messages, and Personal Details

---

        Next up is Email Addresses.

-Select the appropriate Email Type: Personal or School

-Type in the patron’s Email Address.

Please take care to get their email address correct. This makes it much easier to contact them in the future if necessary.

---

The next section is Addresses. 

-Select the appropriate Address Type: Home or School

-Required fields are: Street Address (Use Address Line 1), City, State/Province, Postal Code.

---

The next section is Phone Numbers. 

-Select the appropriate Phone Type: Home, Mobile, or Office

-Type in the patron’s Phone Number.

---

If you are registering a new Community Borrower this is when you can assign their Primary Identifier AKA the barcode on their card. Delete the number that was automatically put in that box; scan in the barcode from the back of the patron’s identification card.

If you are simply registering someone from another university to use our stuff, just enter their ID number or scan their school issued ID card! 

---

Then click the Update User button in the top right of the screen.

Last step: Party because you're done! The patron is now set to check out materials.

 

Here are some hot facts you need to know about the Library Lockers!

• To open a lock, squeeze the top and bottom together twice to "clear" the lock then do the combination.
• They are for students, but fac/staff are also able to check them out.
• They can be returned at any point, maximum check out length is until the end of the semester. 
• If the lock is lost there will be a $25.00 replacement fee.
• When you check one out, a fulfillment note with the combo will pop up. It can also be found under "Notes". 
• We have a locker policy hand out to give out when a locker is checked out.
• They are located on the 1st floor right as you enter the lib (duh). IMPORTANT - please make sure to mention our hours when checking out lockers! When we are closed the doors will be locked and the lockers will be inaccessible!
• There is a Locker Binder that has a locker diagram as well as the bar codes for check out. That is also where the policies to hand out will be as well as a sheet for you to write the combination on to give to the student.
• When a locker is returned, we will re-set the combo before it can be checked out again. If you return a locker before the due date, just fill out a returned locker slip with the number and the date and leave it for Chandra.

---

What to do when someone wants to check one out:

• Ask if they know which one they want to use. If not, ask if they want a big one or a small one.
• Remind them of our Library hours - when the Library is closed the lockers will be inaccessible!
• To check availability, search "locker" or "locker test record" in Alma and click the three dots and select "items":

• There you will see all the barcodes with the description and loan status: 

• Next pull up the patrons account via manage patron services and scan the barcode to check the locker out. You may also copy the barcode from your search to paste into their account.
• Give the student a locker policy if it's their first time and grab a neon combination sheet. Fill in the number of the locker and write the combination from Alma.
• They may return the locker before it is due - there are bright little pink slips for you to fill out to indicate which locker, when it was returned, and who returned it. They also have the option of emailing me. There's a pale purple foam envelope on the desk to my right for returned slips.
• Once it's returned, we'll make sure it's empty and change the combination on that lock.