Alma Implementation Updates

2024/01/25

We now have access to our Alma instance with our Duke Data loaded. The LSPSG has been working to validate that all the data we expected to load into Alma is in fact there. We’ve found some quirks and some clean-up projects, but all in all, our data is there and usable. We will continue to check the data until February 1. Until then, we’ve been asked to not change any of the data. We’re finding that Alma Analytics and the creation of sets of data using the Alma searching options are very helpful.

Coming up, we’ll be kicking off the agile development team on January 29 to work on the integrations for Alma that need developers to do. Those projects are being tracked in the DULDEV Atlassian instance, and in the Basecamp site Ex Libris uses for our implementation. The integration projects include (but are not limited to) publishing our data to TRLN Discovery, importing users from Identity Management, sending fines to the Bursar, creating Invoices and sending them to Accounts Payable, setting up SpineOMatic for label printing, sending bib and holdings data along with requests to CaiaSoft, and projects like that. We’ll also be configuring Z39.50 access, ReShare access, and the data exports we send to OCLC, ShareVDE, HathiTrust.

We’ve scheduled training with Ex Libris for our Duke Early Users and Trainers for the week of February 5-8. There will be morning and afternoon sessions of about 2.5 hours each. Each of the sessions has a detailed agenda of topics to cover, and is focused either toward Tech Services functionality or Circulation functionality. The Early Users will then work in our Alma instance to learn workflows, test permission sets, circulation rules as we add them. The Trainers will be working in their subject areas to review Ex Libris training resources as well as the training resources our peer institutions have shared to see what could be shared for our local training. If local documentation or training material needs to be created, the trainers will work on that as well.

2024/01/05

This week, the Alma Configuration Form, the logos for Duke’s instance, and the form to configure authentication were submitted!

2023/11/29

The first extract of Aleph data was completed on November 22.  The process took 21 hours to run, and Ex Libris has transferred the data to their servers for review. We have about three weeks before the extract will be run again to fill our Alma instance with Duke's test data. We should have access to that instance in mid-January.

Coming up next week is the Kickoff for the Configuration and Integrations phase with the Ex Libris Implementation Team. We will have a few weeks to do a first pass on the Alma Configuration Form. On this form, we'll list data such as our sublibraries, location codes, patron statuses, circulation policies (loans/requests/fees/fines), circulation desks, ordering units, vendors, etc. Some of this data will be pre-populated based on the test extract that was run last week. We'll review the pre-populated information, add some more, and submit a draft of this form to have the information included in our test instance in January. we will be able to continue making changes to the configurations over the next few months. We'll submit our changes, Ex Libris will do the configuration, and we'll verify the outcome. Once we go live, our local staff will be able to change configurations.

2023/11/09

This week, we kicked off the Alma Café Series with your barista, Julie Brannon, and an overview of the Alma interface. Thank you to all who attended and made this series kickoff successful. If you missed it, you can view the recording on WarpWire (NetID login required) and the slides on Box. The next Alma Café will be on Wednesday November 15 at 9:00. The topic will be "Intro to Acquisitions". Your barista will again be Julie Brannon.

In other project work, we are finalizing migration mappings with our Ex Libris partners. We have exported Courses data from FOLIO and are working on exporting data from the Licenses app this week. Ex Libris ran a small extract of bibliographic data from Aleph so that we could see how LKR data for bound-withs would be imported to Alma so we could think about whether any data clean-up should happen in Aleph or if it would be easier to wait until after our final export is completed. Alma's "sets" feature is going to be really handy as we look at our data projects post go-live.

The LSP Steering Group also began talking about staff training and putting together a plan to make sure everyone has the training and documentation to learn how to do their work in Alma. We want to make sure everyone is confident with their new workflows before go-live. More to come on the training plan!

Finally, we are beginning the transition from working with the Ex Libris Alma Orientation and Migration teams to the Implementation Team. The Implementation team will work with us on our permission structure, our fulfillment rules, and the integrations.

2023/10/04

Check out the First Wednesday presentation!

Alma Implementation - First Wednesday 20231004.pptx

2023/09/18

This week we started sharing information with Ex Libris about our local integrations that are required for go-live. Integrations are connections between software that allow information to be moved from one to the other. Things like loading patrons and staff users, sending requests to AEON for the Rubenstein Library material tracking, and self-check out are just a few integrations we'll be detailing. Some integrations involve adding connections to third-party software, such as meeScan, or ReShare for interlibrary requests to our IvyPlus or TRLN partners. Some include import of data like embedded order data we get from vendors like Yankee Books so that orders can be created at the same time a bibliographic record is loaded. We also export our data to sites like our very own discovery layer, HathiTrust, or IvyPlus's Platform for Open Data, and will need to consider those as integrations. Some integrations will require work from the library's developers in Discovery Strategies and Technologies where we take data and transform it programmatically before it's loaded such as our patron records. 

Ex Libris has prepared "cards" (like Trello) for integrations they have implemented with Alma on a regular basis. We have added cards for Duke-specific integrations such as my.duke.edu, and My Accounts. We've sorted them into ones we'll need at go-live, and a few that we either won't need at all or will do after go-live. The card for each integration is already populated with descriptions, functional notes, and links to existing Ex Libris documentation. Projects that require local developers will be outlined and tracked in the Library's Jira instance.

2023/08/30

We have begun!

Ex Libris is well-versed in the management of Alma implementation projects. They group activities into five groups; Onboarding, Define, Build, Deploy, and Life in Production.

The LSP Steering Group has begun meeting regularly with our Ex Libris onboarding manager. As part of the onboarding process, the steering group will work with Ex Libris on milestone planning, e-learning, and project analysis. The analysis will include third party integrations, project scope, and data migration readiness. The onboarding phase is designed to make sure that we really understand Alma before we start making migration and configuration decisions. Each week in September, the steering group has been assigned a section of the "Getting to Know Alma" course. If you're interested in following along, you can find the courses at https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Training/Getting_To_Know_Alma/Getting_to_Know_Alma_-_English. 

Project Overview

Open

The Define phase will include more regular calls with our Ex Libris implementation team, more e-learning, and filling out the important migration and configuration forms so Ex Libris can set up our environment with the data we deliver.

The Build phase is when we will review the environment that has been loaded with our data and configured as we requested in the Define phase. We will start working on the third-party integrations and the integration of our discovery layer. This is the phase when an Ex Libris will train our trainers and we'll work on training plans for all library staff. At the end of this phase is the "cutover" when we'll stop working in Aleph and do a final data extract and load into our Alma production environment.

The Deploy phase starts with our go-live. Ex Libris will continue regular calls with Duke to help us through any functional issues and to monitor project status. At the end of the Deploy phase, we'll say goodbye to our Ex Libris implementation team and will start working with their support team.

The Life in Production phase includes continued education, and Ex Libris' "First Year Success Program". We'll start reporting issues through their support portal and keep our instance up to date with regular releases.

Our tentative schedule as defined by Ex Libris is below. We will add more Duke-defined dates such as local training as we learn more.

2023/06/12

Duke has selected Alma as our next Library Services Platform. The blog post announcement can be found at https://blogs.library.duke.edu/blog/2023/06/12/duke-university-libraries-selects-new-library-enterprise-system/