Summon over Alma: Getting the Best from Both for Your Users

Abstract

Libraries that have opted to implement and migrate to a Summon over Alma (SoA) configuration are hoping to capture the power of both products, however they also face unique issues that may live in one or both products and how they interact. For example, Alma Course Reserves functionality is extensive and recently added Summon features attempt to capture this data and present it to users. Limitations in how the Summon features are configured require particular formatting on the Alma side. SoA libraries also face issues surrounding the matching and merging of records, the fine tuning of indexes and content type mappings and multiple link generation with unintended results. Additionally, because all SoA libraries represent recent migrations, there are also lingering migration issues that may impact performance. In this session, the presenters will address these issues and others that require configuration of and cooperation between both Alma and Summon.