Note: Information below is subject to change
Jump to:
- Session 1– Thursday October 17th- 10:15am
- Session 2– Thursday October 17th- 1:30pm
- Session 3– Thursday October 17th- 2:45pm
- Session 4– Friday October 18th- 9:00am
- Session 5– Friday October 18th- 10:00am
- Session 6– Friday October 18th- 11:00am
Session 1- Thursday October 17th, 10:15am
Fulfillment Configuration, from Beginning to End 
Patrick Cassidy
Union College
A complete breakdown of how Alma’s fulfillment configuration functions from the point of view of an institution that recently redesigned their own system. Covers how fulfillment works to how to restructure it in order to create a unique workflow, on top of external factors to keep in mind when establishing policies. Will provide a clear picture for Alma users to better understand how to change their systems as needed.
There Is No I in AGS: Ending the Big Deal and testing Article Galaxy Scholar and LibKey in Primo VE 
Jared Cowing, Anna Shields, and Emery Shriver
Williams College
In the fall of 2023, Williams decided to end two “Big Deal” packages and implement Article Galaxy Scholar (AGS), a document delivery service, and LibKey, a linking service, beginning in January 2024. In order to make decisions based on user behaviors, we administered observational usability tests with students, staff, and faculty. Our presentation will focus on what steps we took to configure the Alma and Primo (VE) sandboxes to support our testing scenarios, and we will share how test results guided our configuration decisions.
Organized Chaos: Training for a Library Service Platform Implementation 
Jennifer Koerber
Independent Consultant
When an institution moves to a new service platform, the entire staff needs to be trained at the same time that the implementation team is learning the system and getting ready for Go Live. How do you give everyone what they need to start work on Day 1 with minimal interruptions to productivity? Using examples from consortia, multi-library institutions, and single-library institutions, we’ll examine a variety of approaches and tools that can spread the training net wide, including both in-person and online options.
Maximizing Impact as a Selector in Rialto: Tips for Tackling Profiles, Feeds, and Title Alerts
Mary Tuttle
University at Binghamton, SUNY
Binghamton University began using Rialto as our primary tool for selecting and ordering books in early 2022. As a subject librarian juggling different social science and humanities departments on campus, it took some time to get set up in Rialto, as well as some trial and error to figure out which selection method worked best to accomplish different goals. This session will discuss the best uses for Feeds vs. Title Alerts in Rialto; walk through setting up Recommendation Profiles, Ranking Profiles, Feeds, and Title Alerts; and provide tips and tricks along the way.
Session 2- Thursday October 17th, 1:30pm
Implementing Luxer One pick-up lockers
Abigail DiPaolo, Ann Marie Latini and Andy Martinez
Rutgers University
Providing patrons with 24/7 access to library materials via Luxer One pick-up lockers! In a time when contactless pick-up options are preferred by many, there are multiple vendors offering library locker solutions. In this presentation we will share our Alma and Primo implementation of Luxer One lockers at our library locations. Topics will include the policy decisions we made, workflow changes that were required, details of the interoperability between the locker system and Alma, and some surprises encountered along the way.
Bridging the Gap: a guide to harvesting special collections in Primo VE
Nancy Babb, Sarah Cogley, Marie Elia, and Reed Jones
University at Buffalo, SUNY
Primo VE offers users a one-stop, single search interface to a library’s holdings. The user’s reach can be extended beyond catalog and discovery index records to the multiple platforms used to host special collections, such as DSpace, ArchivesSpace, LibGuides, Digital Commons, and Omeka. The University at Buffalo researched and tested many options to develop relatively simple and sustainable workflows for harvesting OAI-PMH records from all five of these platforms. This presentation will share the experiences from the perspectives of Archives, Special & Digital Collections, Discovery, and Systems, with practical tips for both manageable and extendable projects suitable for Alma/Primo users of various skill levels.
Implementing SUSHI accounts at City College’s Cohen Library 
Sean O’Heir
The City College of New York (CUNY)
Activating SUSHI accounts to automatically load Counter Usage data has been on our to-do list at the City College of New York since the CUNY consortium adopted Alma as its LSP in 2020.
After some false starts and some intimidating stories about the inconsistency of SUSHI uploads, City College began its SUSHI implementation in 2024. In this session we will share our SUSHI activation experience, what we found to be best practices, what the outputs looks like so far, and what our expectations are going forward.
From Form to Record: Using Deposit Forms to Collect Digital Material and Streamline Cataloging 
Terri Ann Coronel
Ithaca College
With Alma Digital, libraries can collect digital content from patrons by using deposit forms. This presentation will review a project designed to help a staff member without cataloging expertise create detailed MARC-formatted records for objects in a digital collection using customized forms. This presentation will include a review of MARC Slim configurations, MARC 21 bibliographic forms, controlled vocabulary forms, normalization rules, and deposit profiles. We will dissect a catalog record and review the components that would need to be collected and configured to populate a similar record. This presentation may be of interest to libraries interested in growing their digital collections with help from student workers or content specialists without cataloging experience. It may also be of interest to those just getting started with Alma Digital and wondering about deposits.
Session 3- Thursday October 17th, 2:45pm
Getting It Right: Common Alma Mistakes and How to Fix Them 
Kristen Fredericksen
CUNY Office of Library Services
In this session, we will explore common issues faced by Alma users and offer practical solutions to address them. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the inner workings of Alma and leave equipped with the knowledge to optimize their Alma experience. This presentation is tailored for librarians, system administrators, and anyone seeking to enhance their proficiency with the Alma library management system.
Using Primo Collections to Promote Discovery of Related Library Materials
Joseph Deodato and Bret McCandless
Rutgers University
This presentation explains how to use Primo’s Collection Discovery interface to showcase and facilitate discovery of related library materials. This feature offers libraries a way to bring together resources that might not otherwise be easily discoverable through traditional means and present them in ways that encourage connective thinking. Presenters will provide an overview of how this feature works, describe local workflows for creating and maintaining collections, offer a case study for using this feature to showcase music scores from diverse composers, and discuss ideas for future improvement.
Creating E-Resources Usage Analyses in the Usage Data (COUNTER) Subject Area of Alma Analytics
Elizabeth York
Rutgers University
After loading your library’s electronic resources’ COUNTER usage statistics into Alma, whether via SUSHI harvesting or spreadsheet uploading, your next step is to create meaningful analyses in the Usage Data (COUNTER) area Alma Analytics so you can share and act on your usage statistics. This presentation will share the process followed by Rutgers University Libraries for creating these analyses, including summary reports with yearly usage totals and prompted reports you can use to find usage for a specific platform or title. It will also include tips for pivot table design that can improve the readability of your analyses. This presentation should be relevant both to libraries who are getting started with usage statistics analyses in Alma Analytics as well as to libraries that have some experience in this area.
This presentation will focus on how to create e-resources usage data analyses in Alma Analytics; it will not cover the process of loading the usage data into Alma.
Not All Digital Course Reserves are Sequel
Sui Mei Grierson, Lisa McLaughlin, and Sarah Patton
University at Buffalo, SUNY
Curious what we’ve been up to since last year’s ENUG presentation, A New Chapter: Digital Course Reserve Then and Now? Join us for a sequel where we will discuss our migration from DLSG’s DSE Content Server solution to Alma-D at the University at Buffalo Libraries. We will explore implementation, analytics and our user’s experience with the product.
Session 4- Friday October 18th, 9:00am
Maritime Heritage: Using Alma & Analytics to support special collections
Noah Grover
SUNY Maritime College
The Stephen B. Luce Library at SUNY Maritime College houses and maintains the Maritime Heritage special collection. This presentation will discuss several ways in which Alma and Analytics are currently being used to facilitate special collections projects and fill in gaps where historical data about the collection have been lost. Examples include developing a collection development policy and beginning a long-term weeding project.
Find It Faster: Improve Stack Navigation Using Primo’s Discovery Interface Integration 
Timothy Kohn and Matthew Hartman
Stony Brook University, SUNY
It can sometimes be difficult for patrons to locate a book in academic libraries with multiple locations and hundreds of stacks. At Stony Brook, we set out to empower our patrons to find their materials faster without having to ask for help. To that end we created ShelfFinder, an open source codebase that leverages Primo’s Discovery Interface integration profile to enable “Map to Location” functionality. ShelfFinder dynamically displays maps to materials in our stacks based on a call number array and holding data. We will discuss our approach to developing the code base and how you may be able to integrate this functionality into your instance of Primo.
Brief Level for Rapid Cataloging
Fernando Aguirre
New York University
Many libraries maintain dedicated cataloging teams for both copy and original cataloging. NYU Libraries previously had a similar structure, with distinct units for original and copy cataloging, along with a metadata unit. However, this traditional setup has evolved. Advances in NYU automation, the development of comprehensive metadata policies, and participation in cataloging cooperative programs like LC PCC have reduced the need for extensive cataloging teams at most institutions. As a result, in NYU DoL non-catalogers (Acq staff) are now able to manage copy cataloging for routine materials.
Avoiding the “L” Word: Adventures in Attempting a Local Course Reserves Solution
Pambanisha Whaley and Arianna Schlegel
Vassar College
We at Vassar College Libraries have been searching for an affordable solution to our unique course reserves needs as a small, residential, liberal arts college. Taking into account all of the different pieces that make up the puzzle, we have been trying to come up with a Reserves solution that addresses student, faculty, and of course our library colleagues’ needs, while minimizing complicated workflows and redundancy. Spoiler alert: We don’t have any concrete answers yet, but we will present our findings up to this point, and we look forward to a helpful conversation with our peers.
Session 5- Friday October 18th, 10:00am
Out with the old in with the new! Weeding for renovation
Natalie Wadley and Nicole Barnabei
Stockton University
Stockton has been preparing for a major Library renovation – significant physical title downsizing was needed. Covering our use of Alma, Analytics, Rialto, Sustainable Shelves, plus the tremendous staff involvement, faculty reactions, and our first steps out of the library building.
Artificial Intelligence Across the Discovery Landscape
Nancy Babb (University at Buffalo, SUNY) and Heidi Webb (SUNY Upstate Medical University)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a trite topic to some but it is now beginning to appear in library discovery tools. Learn about the current emerging landscape as well as reasons to be excited and reserved about AI in discovery. Then delve into the experience of a beta tester for the new Primo Research Assistant and conclude with insights into this new feature rolling out to more libraries soon.
“Change the Subject” at Rutgers University: Leveraging Ex Libris Tools for Reparative Description
Sungmin Park
Rutgers University
The Preferred Term Correction Rules allow Alma libraries to update their LC subject headings automatically. While this tool is useful, not all updated LC subject headings are automatically changed through it. One example is the obsolete LC subject heading “Illegal aliens.” Since the Library of Congress replaced this term with two LCSH terms, the Preferred Term Correction Rules were ineffective in replacing them. Adding more complexity, the two new LCSH terms fall into different categories, making it difficult to apply the Alma Normalization Rules: LC Subdivision headings attached to the original LCSH term cannot be simply transferred to the two new LCSH terms. As part of its ongoing reparative description project, Rutgers University has replaced the obsolete LC subject heading strings containing “Illegal aliens” or “Illegal alien.” We used the Alma Indication Rules, MARCEdit, and a new Import Profile to change them in its Institution Zone records. This presentation will demonstrate how this process works and introduce the Ex Libris tools that can be used for reparative description.
“User will bring the item back tomorrow”: Tackling User Note Maintenance in Alma
Rebecca Hyams
Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY
User notes can be an easy way to share information about patron interactions and loans among staff, particularly at the circulation desk. But when was the last time you really looked at them? Between migrated data, information about long-closed loans, and vague notes that have lost their meaning, chances are high you have plenty of notes that just don’t need to be there anymore. But how do you identify them, and then, how do go about cleaning them up? This presentation will look how one library retrieved complete user note data for analysis, the types of notes you may find lurking in your data, and an approach to straightening your notes up using the Alma API and some Python code.
Session 6- Friday October 18th, 11:00am
From Shelf to Spreadsheet: Taming Inventory Chaos with Alma, Excel, and a Little Help from AI
Jeff Goldstein
University at Albany, SUNY
Running the inventory and shelf-reading jobs/reports? Easy! Making that output actionable for a large team? That’s…less easy. Learn how UAlbany leverages Alma to conduct an inventory, and macros in Excel (thanks ChatGPT!) to flag problematic items to pull, put books back in order, and mark items missing.
Decoding Discovery: Using Troubleshooting Tools and Advanced Fulfillment Configuration to Customize Primo VE
Michelle Eichelberger
SUNY Library Services (OLIS)
This presentation will demonstrate some of the most useful Primo VE troubleshooting tools, including Record ID, Display CTO, and Debug Link. The presenter will show how to use troubleshooting findings to build custom General Electronic Services and Display Logic to solve problems like EBSCOhost links for pre-publication articles or eBooks with no Get It links.
Automating the Transmission of Invoices 
Christopher Sterback and Yang Yu
Rutgers University
The implementation of Alma in 2018 introduced more functionality related to processing invoices and integrating the exchange of this information with Rutgers ERP system. The result is a mostly automated process with very little manual intervention. The presentation will cover the state of invoice processing at Rutgers pre-Alma, a review of the solutions and workflows we put in place to automate it, and report on how it’s been working these past 6 years.