Alma Acquisitions

What are the benefits of using Acquisitions in Alma?

SUNY Library Services recommends that all schools use Alma for Acquisitions:

• AWG 1 Policy: Minimal Use of Alma
• MSP-18 SUNY Libraries Consortium Metadata Policies Policy: Minimum Acquisitions Data

The system is built to support tracking and management of all items (electronic and physical) from the point of order to the point of withdrawal (or un-subscription).

Alma supports one-time, continuous, and standing-order acquisitions of physical resources, electronic resources, access and database services. Alma also supports the full end-to-end workflows required for these different types of acquisitions.

There are three basic workflows to the acquisitions process in Alma, which are common to most types of acquisitions:

• The Purchasing workflow governs the way a purchase order line (PO Line) is handled from the point of its creation to the point at which it awaits receipt or activation.
• In the Receiving workflow, physical material that was ordered from a vendor is received. If the PO line is for electronic material, it proceeds to the activation workflow.
• The Invoicing workflow governs the way an invoice is handled from the point of its creation to the point at which the invoice is closed.