Basics of Fulfillment
In Alma, Fulfillment refers to circulation desk activities, such as loans, returns, renewals, holds, and more.
In depth information about fulfillment tasks can be found via ExLibris documentation on Managing Patron Services at a Circulation Desk
Viewing a Patron Record
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| title | To find and view a Patron Record |
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Navigate to Fulfillment > Checkout/Checkin > Manage Patron Services. Bring up the patron record by having the patron tap their DukeCard; scanning their DukeCard; or searching by typing their name or NetID. You’ll see a snapshot of their current status and any user notes in the right sidebar, and tabs for Loans, Returns, and Requests down below.
 The Patron Services Page displays the following core patron information: Patron Name, ID (NetID), User Group, Active balance, Notes, Number of items of the Hold Shelf, Overdue Items. A small, folded blue corner indicates that a tab has content.
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| title | To view a Patron Record in more detail (User Details) |
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From the Patron Services page, click the patron’s ID in the Patron ID Card (right, or top) to enter a more comprehensive User Details view, including tabs for Contact Information, Identifiers (alternate IDs), Notes, Blocks, Fee/Fines, Attachments (emails sent to patron), Proxy Information, and History. You can also search for patrons using the persistent search bar, with Users selected from the dropdown menu, which will bring you directly to the more comprehensive User Details view.
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Patron Services
From the Patron Services page, you can manage loans, renewals, and item requests.
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| title | To change the loan due date |
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On the Patron Services page, select the Loans tab. In the Loan display drop-down list, select All loans. In the row actions […] of the loan, select Change Due Date and select the new due date and time from the Calendar dialog box. If a time is not specified, the system uses the library closing time of the new due date. If the library is closed on the chosen day, the due date will default to the next open day. Select Change Due Date. The new date is saved in the Loans tab. A Loan Status Notice letter email is sent to the patron with the new due date and saved as an attachment to the user record. For more: https://answers.library.losrios.edu/lrcq/faq/346468
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Item Records - Viewing and Searching
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Searching for Items Use the persistent search bar to conduct either a Physical Titles or Physical Items search. Choose search criteria (Title, Keywords, or whatever information you have), and type in your search term and click the search icon. The results will show all item records matching your search.
 Searching by call number To search for a physical print item by call number, you can use a number of search criteria from the dropdown menu as described above, such as Keywords, LC Call Number, and others. To search for a physical A/V item, like a CD or DVD that is catalogued by accession number (ie, DVD 101), you’ll need to use the search criteria Permanent Call Number to retrieve any results.
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Viewing the Item Details Note: Clicking the title itself will display the MARC record view, NOT the item record.   When in this items view, you can customize the order of the columns by selecting a column and dragging it to the preferred location. You can also change the width of the columns. Click the Gear icon to customize which columns are shown. To access details from hidden columns, click the row action item list icon […] and select View.
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Requests and Recalls
Hold requests and recalls in Alma are mostly handled at the title level instead of item level. This means that Alma will automatically put the hold on the nearest available copy. If there is information in the item description field, such as a volume number, then the request will be handled at item level instead. Staff can also submit requests at the item level (see “Requesting a Specific Item” below).
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| title | Requesting a Specific Item for a Patron |
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Best practice is to make title-level requests, to offer the best chance of the request being filled quickly, but it is possible to place item-level requests for specific issues or volumes, or a unique copy of a more common work (one with marginalia, for instance). To request a specific item: Search for the item using the Physical Items search type, the Title search criteria, and the title. You can also use other criteria and terms as appropriate. Click Items to view the List of Items for the requested title. Click on the row action list icon […] for the requested volume or copy and select Request. In the Request type field, select Patron physical item request. Scan or manually type patron ID number into the Requester field. Make sure to select the user. You should see their “lastname, firstname” in the field before continuing. Add any special instructions or comments about the request in the Notes field. Select the Pickup At location. The Additional Request Attributes are optional. Click Submit to place the request. A green check message box at the top of the page confirms the request. Hold requests can be verified from a patron’s Patron Services page, under Requests.
Alternatively, you can place requests from the title record by following the above directions (“Requesting a title for a patron”) and choosing the requested volume or copy in the Description drop-down field.  |
Notices and Letters
Notices (letters) will be sent by email to patrons automatically, such as overdue and courtesy notices, but can also be sent manually by library staff.
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