Quickstart with Alma

Owned by Esmé Cowles
Last updated: Apr 04, 2022 by Peter Green
4 min read

Logging In to Alma

Logging In

To log in to Alma, go to the appropriate URL and log in with the Central Authentication Service (CAS). There are two URLs for Alma:

Production means the "live" or active version of Alma, with current records, real-time circulation data, and access to Alma Analytics.

Sandbox is the training or testing/QA version of Alma. Records are refreshed twice a year from the production environment, the circulation data is only valid within the sandbox (=not real), and it does not have access to Analytics.

Logging out

Alma will automatically log you out after 60 minutes of inactivity. If you work with your own login at a shared computer, log out (People icon > Sign out) at the end of your shift or if you'll be off-desk for an extended period of time.

If you are at your own work station, when you log out, Alma checks the Central Authentication Service (CAS) server to see whether your login credentials are still valid. If they are, Alma refreshes back to the Alma home page and starts a new session.

Login Tips

If you log in to any other system that uses CAS in your browser, your browser should remember those credentials for up to 30 minutes or so and automatically log you in, which makes switching from one CAS system to another easier.

If you set your browser to automatically clear cookies or the cache at close, it will not remember your device and you will have to use the 2-factor authentication each time. If you're concerned about cookies, you might want to designate one browser as your Alma browser to make login simpler.

The Home Page

Once you log in, you'll be on the Alma home page. Return to this page at any time by clicking the Princeton University Library logo in the upper left corner.

Main menu bar

The main Alma menu matches the functional areas of Alma:

  • Acquisitions - Functions related to ordering, receiving, and payment
  • Resources - Functions related to cataloging and inventory management
  • Fulfillment - Functions related to circulation, requesting, and work orders
  • Admin - Functions related to user management, sets, and basic configuration
  • Analytics - The main interface for running reports on all areas of Alma

Icons in the Upper Right Corner

Location: This indicates what location you are "set" at. It might be where you physically are, or it might be a library you're performing work for. You can change your location setting at any time to perform different actions - see About Your Location below for more details. To change this from an icon to the actual location name, click on the icon and then click on the box next to Always show location.

Account icon: Click here to see details about your profile and some basic usability settings (including font size and layout spread). Also click here to log out.

Tasks: The Task List helps keep track of things that need your attention, such as orders or invoices to be reviewed, course reserves to be managed, requests to be handled, and eResources to be activated.

Recent Entities: The Recent Entities List shows items in Alma that you have modified in the last 7 days, including bibliographic records, physical items, and sets. 

Question mark icon: This provides links to different kinds of help with Alma, all from Ex Libris:

  • Browse Online Help at the Ex Libris Knowledge Center
  • Get Help for this Page, which takes you directly to the relevant page in the Knowledge Center. This is an incredibly useful feature in Alma.
  • Additional links or status updates about the library's instance of Alma

About Your Location

To see what your location is at a glance, click on the Always show location box.

You can set your location at any time, and may need to change it periodically to complete your work. Your location can affect what options you see and what actions you can take in Alma, especially for circulation, receiving, and work order functions. If you aren't able to complete a task, check where your location is set first and choose the correct location for the work you're doing.

As a general rule, if you do most/all of your work for or at one library, it's safe to set your location to that library and only change it when necessary.

For staff who often work at/with multiple libraries:

Tasks that are not limited by location:

    • Searching
    • Viewing most records
    • Creating items (outside of the receiving process)
    • Cataloging/Working in the Metadata Editor (bibs and holdings)
    • Creating Orders (what matters is who you choose as the PO Owner, not your location)
    • Reviewing orders or invoices
    • Viewing requests on materials

Tasks that are limited or governed by location:

    • Circulation, pick list, and hold shelf functions
    • Receiving materials
    • Initiating and working with Work Orders

Context-Dependent Menus

The options underneath the main menu headings will change depending on:

  • Your account permissions
  • Your location

For instance, if your location is not set to a circulation desk, you will not see any circulation functions. If you do not have certain permission-defining roles (specific to Alma), you may not be able to see some options; if someone's primary responsibility is processing invoices, you will probably not see circulation functions.