Technical Services Toolbox for Alma: a Windows Application for Technical Services Staff

Abstract

Alma offers a rich and powerful set of APIs to allow libraries to automate processes and provide functionality that doesn't exist out-of-the-box. A good subset of these APIs work with bibliographic, holdings, and item records and thus are of potential benefit to Technical Services functions. However, the skills required to develop solutions using these APIs are uncommon among Technical Services staff. Meanwhile, staff who do have these skills - often in libraries' Systems departments - typically develop for areas outside of Technical Services such as User Management, Fulfillment, etc. The Technical Services Toolbox for Alma is a freely available Windows application designed by and for Technical Services staff to address migration issues we experienced and to provide additional functionality to Alma. Currently it can carry out three functions: 1) monitor the libraries' funds during the year and issue warnings to fund managers if particular funds are over- or under-expended at pre-designated times during the year; 2) reformat the call numbers in 852 fields of holdings records to address certain MARC-compliance issues affecting some libraries that migrated to Alma from Sirsi (and possibly others); and 3) move volume designations from holdings records to item records (to fix a problem that may be unique to the University of Manitoba). This presentation will demonstrate the Technical Services Toolbox for Alma and discuss some of the issues and considerations in its development and use, as well as invite your ideas for additional functionality to add to the application that may benefit other libraries.