Alma Discovery: Primo VE

You can provide access to Primo VE in several ways:

• Direct links to a general or specific search on your library webpages
• Search widgets, which are covered in the Look and Feel section.
• Link Resolvers

SLS FAQs:

Your full-text linking parameters are set up in Alma for everything except Link in Record content from the CDI.

• You can determine if you want patrons to be able to link directly from the brief result to the available content, called "direct linking," or if you want them to open the full record and link from there.
• Your proxy and authentication settings can impact the success of your linking.
• You can set up additional links for things like ILLiad, Unpaywall, Reprints desk, etc. using General Electronic Services and other methods, and then determine when those links will display based on display logic. 

Ex Libris Documentation:

• Adding a General Electronic Service
• Configuring Discovery Interface Display Logic
• Configuring Display Logic Rules
• Fulfillment 14: Discovery - Direct Linking (6 mins)
• Fulfillment 16: Discovery - Display Logic Rules (12 mins)
• Fulfillment 17: Discovery - General Electronic Services (18 mins)

SLS Training Videos:

SLS FAQs:

SUNY is using Alma Resource Sharing for sharing physical material between SUNY campuses. See the SLS Resource Sharing Guide for an in-depth review of Alma Resource Sharing.

Ex Libris Documentation:

• Configuring Request Forms

SLS Training Videos:

SLS FAQs:

Primo VE works as your link resolver as well as your discovery system. When you set up your Alma/Primo link resolver in external systems like stand-alone databases (e.g. CINAHL, JSTOR), WorldCat, or Google Scholar, the link will send OpenURL data to the link resolver services page. The system will then check to see if you own the item either physically or electronically, and if so, it will provide that information. If not, it will provide request links based on how you've set your linking up.

The system defaults to search by ISBN/ISSN and if that data isn't available, it will try to search by title, which can result in poor matching. The searching and transfer of data to request systems is only as good as the incoming data, and you may need to do additional set-up to deal with some of the known issues with bad incoming data.

Ex Libris Resources:

• Configuring the Services Page (the page that resolves after clicking on the link resolver)
• Using the OpenURL Link Resolver Electronic Services Page
• Using the OpenURL Debugger Tool

SLS Training Videos:

SLS FAQs: