Page 1+ Alma & Primo Guide

The purpose of this web page is to provide transparency for the Ontario colleges about OCLS's e-resource management practices in the Network Zone.

The ERM Practices are a living document and a collaboration between OCLS and the eResources Steering Committee (ESC). New practices will be added to this page and updates to existing practices will be made as new circumstances arise and with approval of the ESC.

When adding a new collection to the NZ, OCLS will follow this order of preference:

1. ExLibris-managed CZ collection
2. Contributed CZ collection
3. Local NZ solution

OCLS will move to next step in the hierarchy when there is no collection available or when the available option is unacceptable. We will use our best judgment to determine what qualifies as “unacceptable.” We will consider access and discoverability in Primo and we will take college feedback into consideration. In the event of uncertainty, OCLS will consult with the ESC.

Context

For e-resources that can’t be discoverable by title or item level (e.g., directories, bibliographies, abstract/indexes, 3D imaging tools; identified here as “databases”), but do have some high-level permalinks (e.g., direct URLs to each module, product, or collection on the platform), there are two methods for access in Alma/Primo:

1. One collection that links to the platform landing page
2. Multiple collections; one per hyperlink

For example, ReferenceGroup directories can be accessed from the platform landing page, or by direct URL (e.g., to the White Pages directory, the Businesses directory, etc.)

Practice

Per Practice 1, OCLS will activate the CZ collection(s) available regardless of which of the two methods above is employed.

If OCLS creates a local collection instead, we will use information about the e-resource in ConsortiaManager to guide our decision-making about which method to use. In the event of uncertainty, we will consult with the subscribing colleges for guidance.

Whether OCLS has activated CZ collections or created ones locally, if a college requests that we use the alternate method for any given e-resource, we will create new collection(s) locally for that college and offer other subscribing colleges the choice between the two options.

Decisions about changes to NZ collections for French e-resources will be made in consultation with Boréal and/or La Cité directly and exclusively rather than by involving the ESC.

If there’s any uncertainty about whether other colleges might in the future be interested in the resource (e.g., it’s not exclusively a French-language resource or it’s a French language learning resource), then OCLS will consult with the ESC for guidance.

4.1 Local collections

OCLS will consider the following factors when naming local collections.

• Brevity/succinctness
• Naming conventions in ConsortiaManager
• Naming conventions in effect for that vendor’s other collections in the CZ
• What the vendor calls the resource per their website/promotional materials
• What the colleges call the resource on their A to Z lists
• What the resource calls itself when you’re accessing it as an end-user

Communications

OCLS will announce new local collections to the subscribing colleges – either on the eResources listserv or else to the colleges' Page 1+ ERM Contact directly, depending on the number of subscribers – as well as the ESC.

In the event of uncertainty, OCLS will consult with the ESC and subscribing colleges prior to making the new collection available in Primo.

4.2 Suffix on local records

OCLS will append local vendor records and electronic collections with "(OCLS).” For the electronic collections, we will override the title to exclude the reference to OCLS in Primo.

Screenshot of fields in the Electronic Collection Editor in the Alma NZ:

Screenshot of record heading in Primo:

Context

In CDI, ebooks are indexed at the title and chapter level. (As opposed to e.g., e-journals, which are only indexed at the article level.) Because ebooks are also indexed at the title level in Alma (as portfolios in package collections), Primo returns duplicate records for ebook titles. (Exceptions apply; the foregoing describes typical Alma/Primo behaviour.)

ExLibris suggests two optional methods to eliminate the duplication of ebook titles in Primo: the “Do not show as Full Text available in CDI even if active in Alma” field at the collection level (a.k.a. the “Suppress CDI eBooks” option), which also has the effect of suppressing item records for that collection from Primo; and the “Exclude CDI eBooks” Primo search configuration parameter, which doesn’t have any effect on item records.

More information is available in the ExLibris Knowledge Center article, eBooks in Discovery.

Practice

OCLS will not use the Suppress CDI eBooks option to eliminate ebook duplication because of its adverse impact on item-level discoverability and access.

Colleges may use the Exclude CDI eBooks option in their IZ. See “e-Resources in Alma: Troubleshooting“ in the Alma & Primo Guide for more information.

Context

By default, package collections are not discoverable in Primo by collection name.

For example, a Primo user can find a link to Academic Search Premier by searching for a journal or article in that collection, but not by searching by name, “Academic Search Premier."

Practice

OCLS will adhere to this default behaviour in the NZ and local package collections will either be created without a collection-level MARC record (“bib”) or with a suppressed bib.

Options for colleges to enable platform-level access for package collections in their IZ are set out under "eResources in Alma: Activating & Managing“ in the Alma & Primo Guide.

History

In “Briefing Note 13: Unsuppressing Record Names for Electronic Collections in the NZ” (Aug 2022), the eResources/Acquisitions Subcommittee of the Page 1+ Implementation Project recommended that OCLS reverse the default Alma/Primo behaviour described above by un-suppressing collection-level bibs for CZ package collections. Their objective was for the Page 1+ colleges to be able to use Primo as a replacement for the traditional “A to Z” library web page.

OCLS’s preliminary tests to make collection-level records discoverable in Primo were not successful and indicated that even if it could be possible for some collections (further testing required), it would not be for the ~50% of NZ collections that require linking parameters.

In re-consultation with the Subcommittee (Dec 2022), the decision was made to accept the Alma/Primo default rather than pursue a partial fix.

Context

There is a recurring issue where Network Zone and Institution Zone collections and portfolios activated from the Community Zone become un-synced from the CZ collection/portfolio. This means that updates made to the CZ collection or portfolio by Ex Libris have not made its way to the NZ or IZ collection/portfolio. For example, we have noticed coverage details updated in CZ portfolios not appearing in the NZ portfolios, and a CZ portfolio list that had been updated to remove withdrawn content, but the NZ portfolio list still including the removed content.

This is a known issue that we are working on resolving with Ex Libris, but, as a workaround, we have been advised to delete and re-activate the collection or portfolio to ensure they are up to date. The implications for re-activating a collection include the creation of new identifiers (collection ID, MMS ID) and permalinks in the NZ or IZ. There should be no interruption to CDI records appearing in your Primo.

Practice

OCLS’s practice moving forward will be to advise affected colleges of NZ collections/portfolios that have become un-synced and when we plan to re-activate them. We will aim to re-activate collections during intersession periods when possible.

Context

Public notes in NZ collections and portfolios are visible to end users in Primo and are being used for a number of purposes, such as informing users about access instructions, platform behaviour, and access restrictions. To see a complete list, see the NZ Collections with Public Notes page in the LibGuide.

How Notes Appear in Primo

Practice

When OCLS becomes aware of a situation that warrants adding a note to an NZ collection, OCLS will review existing notes and use them as templates for new notes when possible. OCLS will then inform licensed colleges for that collection of the proposed note and seek unanimous approval for the note before adding it. If any concerns are raised by the licensed colleges, the ESC will be consulted.

If there is no existing note that applies to the situation, OCLS will draft a note and consult with licensed colleges for that collection to finalize it. If any concerns are raised or consensus cannot be reached by the licensed colleges, the ESC will be consulted.

Colleges may request personalized notes, which will appear in only their Primo, under unique circumstances. Because maintaining personalized notes adds complexity to NZ maintenance, we request that personalized notes are limited to unique cases where there is no other viable option.

For NZ practices involving notes when access to an e-resource is unexpectedly unavailable, please refer to Practice 9: e-Resource Access Interruptions.

When OCLS learns that access to an e-resource is unexpectedly unavailable, we will add a canned note (see below) to the relevant NZ collection(s) to inform users in Primo of the situation. When access is restored, OCLS will remove the note. For more information on NZ practices regarding notes, please refer to Practice 8: Notes.

Where changes to collection configuration may improve user experience (e.g., by suppressing certain records from appearing in Primo, or by disabling proxy in cases where on-site access is working), OCLS will consider the following factors and consult with the subscribing colleges before making any changes:

• Our sense of how quickly the access issue is likely to be resolved
• How much time it will take to implement (and undo) the changes in Alma
• How much time (if any) the system will take to effect the changes in Primo

Canned Note

Access to this resource may not work as expected. We are working on resolving the issue. 

All references below to Primo search results refer to filtered search results specifically. Coverage settings in Alma do not impact whether or not records appear in an expanded Primo search.

Context

In Alma, coverage settings for embargoes assume a "moving wall" style of embargo where new content is available every month. However, some of the colleges' periodicals operate on the basis of a "current year" style of embargo where coverage is fixed throughout the year, and only rolls over in January.

Options in Alma: Discoverability vs. Error-Free Access

If a longer embargo is implemented in Alma for a "current year" style of embargo, then discoverability of licensed content is artificially limited – especially at the start of the period, and then decreasingly so until, by the end of the period, licensed access and discoverable access are almost aligned.

The table below illustrates these effects on a resource with a one-year “current year” embargo.

Alternatively, an Alma administrator could shorten the embargo period to maximize discoverability, knowing that some Primo results will lead to authentication errors for users. The risk of errors begins in the second month of the period, and then increases monthly.

The table below illustrates the effects of this alternative option.

Practice: Option 1

For e-resources with a “current year” style embargo, OCLS will favour error-free access over discoverability and apply a longer embargo in Alma.