Alma Resource Sharing

Resource Sharing in Alma: SUNY is using Alma Peer to Peer Network Zone resource sharing to facilitate the sharing of returnables (books, media, etc.) between SUNY campuses.

• Lending loan periods for all SUNY institutions are set according to SLC policy (see below for details).
• Borrowers are not obligated to give their users the full resource sharing loan period.  Borrowers may shorten resource sharing loan periods however they see fit. 

SUNY is also using Alma Alma Peer to Peer Network Zone resource sharing to facilitate the sharing of articles and book chapters at some campuses. 

• Article and book chapter borrowing is most appropriate for libraries with low request volumes.  Libraries with higher request volumes should borrow articles and book chapters through ILLiad/OCLC.  
• Only the university centers and a handful of comprehensives are currently lending articles and book chapters in Alma.
• Alma article borrowing and lending in Alma may be expanded if Alma article request processing functionality improves.

Resource Sharing Libraries: Most SUNY libraries have been configured to use their main library as their resource sharing library.  This was done to prevent libraries from needing to transfer items back and forth between their main library and their resource sharing library.  If your library wishes to switch its resource sharing library, please contact SLS staff.  Do not attempt to switch your resource sharing library on your own.

ILLiad Integration: Alma/Primo can be integrated with ILLiad in the following manners.

• Borrowing: automatically create temporary item records in Alma for items received in ILLiad, export unfilled borrowing requests from Alma to ILLiad, create OpenURL links from Primo to ILLiad request forms
• Lending: automatically move items being loaned to other institutions to Alma's temporary resource sharing lending location

Please see the Alma/ILLiad Integration and ILLiad GESs & Display Logic sections of this training guide for further details.

Your Alma account will need the following user roles to process resource sharing requests.

• Circulation Desk Operator - scoped to library & circulation desk
• Fulfillment Services operator - scoped to library
• Requests Operator - scoped to library & circulation desk

For lending and borrowing workflow details, please see the Lending Request Processing and Borrowing Request Processions sections of this training guide.  If you are unable to perform any of the actions described in those sections, please consult the staff member at your institution responsible for assigning Alma roles.

Alma uses the following letters in the resource sharing process.

• Printing pull slips for lending requests from the Pick From Shelf list: Ful Resource Request Slip Letter
• Shipping requests to other libraries: Resource Sharing Shipping Slip Letter
• Receiving requests from other libraries: Resource Sharing Receive Slip Letter
• Placing resource sharing items on hold: On Hold Shelf Letter
• Returning requests to other libraries: Resource Sharing Return Slip Letter

For details on how to edit letters, please see the following FAQs and webinar recordings:

• How to I activate, edit, test, and set retention periods for letters in Alma?
• Is there a central repository for sharing customized letters?
• Alma's New Letter Editing Features

All general collection materials should have the same loan periods across the SUNY Libraries Consortium (SLC).

General Policies on Network Zone Circulation and Resource Sharing:

• Campuses are encouraged to map their local circulation policies with the Network Zone policies in order to have a consistent patron experience. Campuses are also encouraged to add as many collections to the Network Zone as possible to enable the broadest collection possible for SUNY.
• Due dates should adjust based on the patron’s expiry.
• Network Zone recalls will not be used unless the item is needed for course reserves.  Recalls will be due 10 days from request. If a local patron requests a copy of an item that is locally owned, but checked out to a Network Zone patron, another copy will be obtained from another Network Zone library to fulfill the local need/hold. 

Regular loan for Fulfillment and Resource Sharing in the SLC Network Zone:

• Long (general circulating collections):
  • Faculty, Staff:
    • 16 week loan, 3 renewals (patron initiated)
  • Graduate Students:
    • 16 week loan, 3 renewals (patron initiated)
  • Undergraduate:
    • 16 week loan, no renewal
• Community and other borrowers:
  • No Network Zone permission
• Institutional options based on closures and internal policies:
  • Exceptions: Covers library closures (e.g. holidays, breaks)
  • Events: Allows institutions to set due dates to end of the semester
• Short (media, and other protected circulating collections):
  • Faculty, Staff:
    • 30 Days, 1 Renewal (patron initiated)
  • Graduate Students:
    • 30 Days, 1 Renewal (patron initiated)
  • Undergraduates:
    • 30 Days, 1 Renewal (patron initiated)
  • Community and other borrowers:
    • No Network Zone permission

External to SLC Resource Sharing:

All borrowing should be done at the Network Zone where possible. When all options through SUNY have been exhausted, campuses will need to seek out materials from libraries outside of SUNY through resource sharing networks such as OCLC. As a Borrower, we cannot set the Loan Periods of Lending institutions, but we can set the amount of time we allow institutions to borrow from SUNY campuses. We recommend that general circulating materials be lent through resource sharing to institutions external to SUNY for 16 weeks, with the exception of media with a loan period of 30 days. Having a longer loan period for resource sharing will help facilitate greater reciprocity between the SUNY Libraries Consortium and other resource sharing groups and consortia, vastly expanding the collections available to SUNY.

Policy Approved at SLC LSP Task Force Meeting 2/8/2018