Testing Requesting for Alma

Prior to testing

• You must be on the Duke VPN.

• Download a local copy of the test records sheet (Box - available to LSP SG project members: https://duke.box.com/s/t1897k376t3tfj919ghxmukwi9aw26ze )

• Your Alma patron account must have a user record type of “Internal” in order for you to use it for testing.

Reference URLs

• Link to Alma where you’ll change patron info - https://duke.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/SAML

• https://circulation-sandbox.lib.duke.edu - this is the environment you will place test requests from

• Test results reporting form -Kuali

Testing Directions

1. Choose a patron group to test

   1. Change your Alma account to that patron group. (directions)

   2. Make sure that your statistical categories are correct (directions)

2. Identify your test records from the spreadsheet.

3. Log in to the requesting system.

   1. Go to https://circulation-sandbox.lib.duke.edu and click “Login”. You should be prompted to log in with your netid and password.

   2. Your “My accounts” page will load and should show your Alma account information. You are now logged into the test catalog request system

Now, you can begin testing. You may want to have two browser windows open side by side - one for testing in the sandbox, and one for reporting the testing result.

4. Choose a record to test - copy/paste the URL into your browser.

5. Let the list of item(s) load, and in the test result page, report your patron group, the URL, what availability options you see, and what request button options you see. Checking the Request Options will cause response buttons to appear on the form to test each option.

6. If you see….

   1. A blue request button or button(s) for items not held at University Archives or Rubenstein, click the request button and try to place a request in Alma. You only need to try one or two (if there are multiple records.)

   2. A blue request button for an item held at Rubenstein or University Archives, click the request button and see if the page in AEON will load. You only need to try one or two (if there are multiple records.)

   3. An Orange “Where to find it” button, click the button and see if a map or other information loads. You only need to try one or two (if there are multiple records.)

   4. An Interlibrary request box, click the “Place an Interlibrary Request” button and see if the page in ILLiad will load. You only need to try this once.

   5. A “Scan and Deliver” option on the request box - click the “Request Scan” option and see if the page in ILLiad will load. You only need to try one or two (if there are multiple records.)

Types of request options

Blue Request button - items held at any library except for Rubenstein and University Archives

• You can request this item to be pulled from the shelf, or you can request an item to be held for you when it’s returned, or you can request to have an item digitized.

• Behavior - when you click the button a modal appears; if you click Request on the modal to request the physical item, a new page opens to choose a pickup location.

• A successful request shows up in the “Requests” section of your library account.

Blue Request button - items held at Rubenstein or University Archives

• When you click the request button, a new tab will open to direct you to AEON, the system used to manage special collections materials.

• Behavior - A form will load in the new tab with information from the item you were viewing in the catalog.

Orange “Where to find it” button

• The item is available, but you are not in a patron group that is eligible to have staff pull the book for you.

• Behavior - When you click the button a modal appears with a location map or informative text about how to find / use the item.

Interlibrary request button

• There are no available copies of an item, and you are one of the patron groups that is eligible for interlibrary request services, meaning that Duke will borrow a copy of the book for you from another institution.

• Behavior - when you click “Place Interlibrary loan request”, a new page will load in ILLiad, the software used for interlibrary loan, with information about the item.

Scan and deliver

• You are in a patron group that is eligible to have a section of a print item scanned for you and sent to you electronically so you don’t have to come to the library to get the whole book.

• Behavior - when you click Request, the scan modal includes text labeled as Scan and Deliver describing the service. When you click “Request Scan”, an ILLiad form loads with information about your desired item.

Example screenshots

Blue request button

 

Open

Orange “Where to find it” button

Open

Interlibrary request button

Scan and Deliver

 

 

When finished with testing a patron group

When done testing a patron group, go to https://circulation-sandbox.lib.duke.edu to your My Accounts page, scroll down to requests, and cancel the requests you placed.

Then when ready, choose your next patron group, edit your Alma patron record to set that patron group and the associated statistical categories, and then repeat the testing process.

Reference documentation

How to change your patron group

If fields on your user record are grayed out, ask Erin for assistance as your account may still be set to an “external” type. You need to have your account as an “internal” type in order to test.

1. Go to Alma and look up your patron record from the Users search.

    

2. Edit your user record and change your patron group.
   
   

3. Save your user record.

Make sure that your statistical categories are correct for testing

You need to make sure that the statistical categories on your patron account are correct for the patron that you are testing.

Prior to testing a patron group

• Remove any statistical categories on your patron account.

  • Look up your User Record

  • Go to the Statistics Tab

  • Right click on the “More actions” “…” menu and select Delete. Repeat until all categories are removed.

• Add any new statistical categories that are needed

  • From the statistics tab, click “Add Statistic”

  • Choose “Eligible For” as the category type

  • Choose “Statistical Category” as the appropriate value

  • Click “Add” or “Add and Close” if you have added all of them.

  • Click “Save” to save your patron record.