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Electronic Resource Management (ERM) Work Group

Activating Electronic Resource Content

NOTE: After activating any electronic resource in Alma, be sure to verify that any records and links surfaced in Primo are displaying and working correctly. If a large collection of portfolios has been activated, test a random selection of titles.  

Activate Electronic Collection: Aggregator and Selective Collections

  1. If the aggregator or selective collection has been ordered using Alma acquisitions, refer to the Electronic Resource Activation Task list on the main Alma page or under the Resources tab

  2. If not using the acquisitions module, use the persistent search bar to search the title of the collection in the Community ZoneAlma's persistent search bar located at the top of each page in Alma

    • Once the correct collection is located, click on the Activate button to the right. Note that the Aggregator and Selective collections list the number of portfolios included in the collection: Alma buttons to activate a collection from the Community Zone that include the Portfolio List and Activate button.

    • Activation Wizard: Electronic Collection and Services set up screen provides options to set up the collection. Choose the options necessary and select Next.
      Alma collection activation wizard, step 1. This step allows the user to add public name override, URL override, specify library, and add additional descriptive information such as enhanced OCLC records. You can also engage collection level proxy configuration.
      Collection activation wizard, step one. Alma user can set CDI or Central Discovery Index settings also in step 1.
      Collection activation wizard, step 1. Alma users can also select Full Text Service options at this step, in addition to adding notes and automatically activating new portfolios.

    • Local Electronic Collection Information

      • Public Name (override): update only if another name is more apt

      • Level URL (override): only if the collection level record is to be surfaced in Primo for discovery, insert resource URL if this is different from the default provided by Alma. Do not include EZProxy prefix. 

      • Mark bib as suppressed: normally, leave this checked. Uncheck only if the collection level record is to be surfaced in Primo for discovery.

      • Electronic Collection Proxy Enabled: collection level records for aggregator and selective collections are normally suppressed. Unless the collection level record is to be surfaced in Primo for discovery, leave this set to NO. Proxy information for PORTFOLIO level linking will be set in a later step. If the the collection level record is to be surfaced in Primo, and the resource requires the user to authenticate, set to YES.

      • Additional Descriptive information: only if the collection level record is to be surfaced in Primo for discovery, use this option to enhance the bibliographic record attached to the collection. If the bib record already exists or has been imported to Alma, click on the outline button to open the Repository Search. Search for the correct record and click on the record to attach it to the collection.

        • Please note, the preferred method to add enhanced bibliographic records to collections is to catalog the record in Alma first, then activate the collection. This method will not bring the brief CZ record into the catalog for you to clean up later.

    • Central Discovery Index Information

      • We subscribe to only some titles in this collection: the default is set to the most appropriate value for the collection, and can norrmally be left as-is. 

      • Do not show as Full Text available in CDI even if active in Alma: leave unchecked 

    • Full Text Service: 

      • You MUST select Activate this electronic service and Make service available

      • You MAY select Automatically activate new portfolios if the library's entitlements will always include every title within the collection (generally valid for "aggregator" type subscriptions where titles may move in and out of a package)

      • Select Activate from Date

    • Click Next. If Automatically activate portfolios was selected for this collection, confirm this setting on the pop-up screen
      Confirmation window ensuring the user does wish to select Automatically activate new portfolios setting.

    • Activation Wizard: Linking Information screen sets the proxy information for portfolios within a collection. If portfolios should require users to authenticate prior to access, select YES and for Proxy Selected choose Default (currently: EZProxy). If the collection is open access, select NO. Click Next.
      Collection activation window, step 2. Select full-text services for the portfolio level in this step such as SHIBBOLETH information and proxy set up .

    • Activation Wizard: Select Activation Method - choose the Activation Type

      • Activate All - activation of the complete collection of portfolios

      • Activate electronic collection and selected portfolios via Excel file upload (Portfolio Loader)

      • Manual Activation - activate collection and manually select portfolios

      • Click Next Collection activation wizard, step 3. This step allows the user to select what type of activation should be set, activate all, activate collection and select portfolios via spreadsheet, or to manually activate portfolios.

    • Activation Wizard: Activation Summary - Review summary screen and select Activate

    • Monitor the progress of the activation under Admin > Monitor Jobs

Additional steps when activating new e-journal collections:

  • Include one of the following phrases in the Internal Description field, to indicate the type of Inter-Library Loan permissions associated with the material: permitted internationally, permitted only within the US ("country"), or not permitted (local use only). Phrases can coexist with other content in the field, but should be separated by a leading and trailing space. Consult with the Electronic Resources Librarian if you are not sure about which statement should be used.

    • lendable_international

    • lendable_country

    • local_only

 

Activate Electronic Collection: Database

  1. If a database has been ordered using Alma acquisitions module, refer to Electronic Resource Activation Task list documentation

  2. If not using the acquisitions module, use the persistent search bar to search the title of the database in the Community Zone (CZ)
    Alma's persistent search bar located at the top of each page in Alma

    • Once the correct database is located in the CZ, click Activate button on the right

    • On the Activation Wizard: Electronic Collection and Services set up screen, select the options necessary to complete activation and select Next:
      Electronic collection activation, step 1. Alma users can use this portion of the wizard to set up public name override, URL override, designate the library, and add additional descriptive OCLC bibliographic records to the collection. Users can also unsuppress bib records and set collection level proxy settings.

      • Public Name (override): use only if another name is more apt for the database

      • Library: update to the appropriate library, generally this is Love Library

      • Level URL (override): Insert resource URL, if this is different from the default provided by Alma. Do not include the EZProxy prefix. 

      • Additional descriptive information: use this option to enhance the bibliographic record attached to the database. If the bib record already exists or has been imported to Alma, click on the outline button to open the Repository Search. Search for the correct record and click on the record to attach it to the database.

        • Please note, the preferred method to add enhanced bibliographic records to collections is to catalog the record in Alma first, then activate the collection. This method will not bring the brief CZ record into the catalog for you to clean up later.
          Alma electronic collection: bibliographic repository search

      • Mark bib as suppressed: uncheck for the database's bibliographic record to appear in the catalog for discovery

      • Electronic Collection Proxy Enabled: check yes if the resource should require users to authenticate to access the database

      • Electronic Collection Proxy Selected: always choose Default (currently: EZProxy) for this option 

    • Review Activation Wizard: Activation Summary screen. Click Activate
      Alma Activation Wizard- Activation Summary

Activate Single Electronic Portfolios

To activate a single electronic portfolio from the Community Zone (CZ): 

  • Use the persistent search bar to search the Community Zone by Electronic Portfolio for the correct title (ISBN, ISSN, title)

  • Locate the correct title. Be sure the title is associated to the correct electronic collection. Activated electronic collections will have the house Institution Zone icon before the collection name
    Searching Community Zone for an Electronic Portfolio

    • You can review the title linking information by clicking on Linking Information to view the title URL information

  • Click Activate from the title search results or from the Linking Information results to activate the title in the Institution Zone

  • Search the title in the Institution Zone to confirm activation. 

  • Test accessibility to the title by clicking on the portfolio ellipsis and select Test Access to verify the link is working (use a VPN connection to test access, to ensure that the link is correctly proxied, where appropriate).
    .Electronic portfolio management options

Activate Groups of Portfolios From Electronic Service

To activate Community Zone portfolios from the Electronic Service

  • Use the persistent search bar to locate the collection in the Institution Zone (IZ) that you need to add portfolios to

    • Click on the ellipses to the right and Edit Service

    • Navigate to the Portfolios tab

    • Click on the +ADD to expand the menu 

      • Add Local Portfolio: For creating an individual local portfolio that may not yet be available in the Community Zone

      • Add Portfolios from Community: Search, select, and localize portfolios from Community Zone Portfolio List for the entire collection

      • Add All Portfolios from Community: This option will activate all portfolios available in the Community Zone for the collection. When selecting Add All, an activation screen will confirm the number of titles being activated. Click Confirm. You will receive a confirmation 
        Successfully added and activated portfolio/s from community

      • Select Save to exit the Electronic Service Editor

Create Local Electronic Collection

If a collection is not available in the Community Zone for activation, Local Collections can be created in the Institution Zone for aggregator, database, and selective collections. If the collection level descriptive record needs to be discoverable in the catalog, import the corresponding bibliographic record prior to creating the local collection. 

Note that when creating a local aggregator or selective collection, electronic services that define how portfolios will be accessed will also be set up. Database collections do not include portfolios, therefore do not require electronic services.

  • From the Alma Menu on the left, select Resources>Create Inventory>Add Local Electronic Collection
    Alma menu - Resources - Create Inventory - Add Local Electronic Collection

  • On the Electronic Collection Editor page, add the collection information. For Collection Type, choose from aggregator, selective, or database. Note: if you are creating a database, the Service Type will default to NONE.
    Add a local collection - Electronic Collection Editor

  • Click Save and Continue

  • If you are creating a database and/or the Service Type is set to NONE, the Electronic Collection Editor will open

    • For a database to be discoverable in the catalog, at minimum you must include a collection level URL and attach a bibliographic record using the Additional Descriptive Information option on the Additional tab. 

      • From the additional tab, scroll to Additional Descriptive Information. Click on the outline icon to the right and complete the repository search in the Network Zone for the bibliographic record already imported to the catalog.

    • Finish adding collection level information and click SAVE
      Electronic Collection Editor - Additional Descriptive Information

  • If you are creating a collection with a Service Type of Full Text or Selected Full Text, the Electronic Service Editor will open 

    • Activation - set the activation status to Available and update the Active From date

    • Service Description - verify the service type is correct

    • Linking - set portfolio level proxy status based on collection. If access to content in the collection needs to be accessed via authentication, select Proxy Enabled=YES and Proxy Selected=Default (currently: EZProxy)

      • This tab can also be utilized to set up parser and parser parameters linking for portfolios

    • Portfolios - portfolios can be added in three ways

      •  Load Portfolios utilizes the Portfolio Loader template to add titles and access to a collection with an Excel spreadsheet. For more information about this process, see Portfolio Loader tab on the Managing Electronic Resources page of this LibGuide 

      •  The Add button provides two options to add portfolios to a collection

        • Add Local Portfolio - allows single portfolios to be added manually

        • Add From Set - addition of a saved set of portfolios. For this option, a set must already exist in Sets. Click on the outline icon to the right and search for a previously saved set. 

        • Select set to add to the collection and click Submit

        • Review confirmation message to add all standalone portfolios in the set to the collection. Click Confirm

    • Notes - use this tab to provide any authentication or public note information at the portfolio level in the catalog

  • Click Save when the all the electronic service information is updated.

  • The Electronic Collection Editor will open. Make any additions or changes to the collection level, click Save

Create Local Portfolio

Titles that are not available in the Community Zone for automatic activation can be created locally. Prior to adding the local portfolio, be sure to import the corresponding bibliographic record to Alma. 

There are two methods to add a local portfolio, via the Metadata Editor or via Resources>Create Inventory>Add Portfolio.

Metadata Editor Method

  • Search in All Titles persistent search bar to locate the bibliographic record. Newly imported records will be located in the Network Zone.

  • Click Edit Record on the bibliographic record to open the Metadata Editor 

    • Click on +Add Inventory and select Add Portfolio to open the Electronic Portfolio Edit  

  • In the Electronic Portfolio Editor, fields to edit:

    • Creation Type: use an existing title

    • Choose Title: this information should be prefilled from the bibliographic information
      In the Electronic Portfolio Editor, descriptive information can be selected to enhance discovery

    • Portfolio Type: If this portfolio is part of a collection, select that option and search for the appropriate collection to attach it to. If not, select Standalone and add the Interface and Library information. 
      This image shows the General Information section in the Electronic Portfolio Editor. This information allows users to choose a collection or create a standalone portfolio.
      ** Part of a collection
      This image shows the General Information section in the Electronic Portfolio Editor. This information allows users to choose a collection or create a standalone portfolio.
      ** Standalone Title

    • Coverage Information: Add any applicable coverage information; embargos are able to be added at the bottom of this section as well. Leave this information blank for eBooks
      This image shows the Coverage Information section in the Electronic Portfolio Editor. This information allows users to select coverage and embargo information for journals

    • URL: Add the URL (without proxy information); can be found in 856 |u in the bib record

    • Proxy Enabled: Choose NO if the resource is open access; choose YES if access to the resource will require authentication via the proxy server

    • Availability Status: Active

    • Electronic Material Type: Select the material type that best describes the resourceThis image shows the Linking Information section in the Electronic Portfolio Editor. This information allows users to choose complete inventory information for title, including URL, proxy information, and material type.

    • Notes:  (information about these fields if needed):

      • Authentication Note: Additional information related to authentication

      • Public Note: A note regarding the portfolio that appears to patrons (can include volume, edition, or access notes)

      • Internal Description: Additional information for staff regarding the portfolio

    • When all electronic portfolio information is complete, click Save and Done 

    • Other options include:

      • Save and Create Duplicate: Save the portfolio information and repopulate the New Portfolio page with the same information for you to edit the next portfolio

      • Save and Create New: Save the portfolio information and reopen the New Portfolio page to enter the next new local portfolio, thereby saving the steps of opening the New Portfolio page again manually

    • After selecting Save and Done, you will be directed back to the Metadata Editor. Save and Release the bibliographic record to complete the process. 

Resources>Create Inventory>Add Local Portfolio Method

This method is similar, but it starts from new local portfolio creation, not from a bibliographic record. Be sure you have already imported the bibliographic record needed for the resource. 

  • From the Resources tab on the far left menu, under section Create Inventory, select Add Local Portfolio to open the Electronic Portfolio Editor
    Alma, Resources Tab, Create Inventory, Add Local Portfolio

  • The Electronic Portfolio Editor will default to Creation Type > Create New Title. 

    • Change Creation Type to Use existing titleNew Electronic Portfolio Editor-Use existing title

    • Click on the outline icon to the right of Choose Title to open a repository search. Search for the previously imported record in the Network Zone (NZ). 
      Resources-Create Inventory-Add New Portfolio-Repository Search

    • Select the title to load it into the Portfolio Editor
      Loaded bibliographic record into the portfolio editor

  • Follow the remaining steps above to complete the General Information, Coverage Information, Inventory and Linking Information, and Notes