FAQs

Using Technical as the Acquisition Method in the Alma PO Line allows for the most streamlined use of the order process and does not require use of funds or invoices.

Additionally, having your circulation desk serve your acquisitions work order is the simplest way to receive items you've ordered.

Below are step-by-step directions on how to order and receive physical items using technical acquisitions method and receiving at the circulation desk.

This workflow assumes you have the following roles:

• Purchase Request Operator
• Receiving Operator Scoped to Library
• Circ. Desk Operator Scoped to Library

This workflow also assumes that you have your circulation desk serve your acquisitions work order.

Workflow Steps:

1. Search using the search index All Titles from the NZ:
   
    
2. Make sure that the book/item you’re ordering is a physical book/item, which can be achieved by using the facet on the left of the search results. Selecting Resource Type: Physical Book is a good way to narrow your results.
   
    
3. When you’ve found the right record, select Order:
   
    
4. The order button will bring up the POL Owner and Type Screen. Select Print Book One-Time as the POL Type and select your library for PO line owner. The last step on this screen is to select the Create PO Line Button:
   
    
5. On the Purchase Order Line Details, you will need to select/enter the following information:
   • Select a Vendor
   • Change the Acquisition Method to “Technical”
   • Enter the List Price (optional)
6. When all of this information is entered, select “Order Now”:
   
   
    
7. Unless you are using Reporting Codes (which are optional), you will get a confirmation message that the order is about to send and is missing a reporting code
   
    
8. Select the confirm message to send the order, to make the order ready to receive.
9. Since we want to receive from the circulation desk, make sure you are at your library’s circulation desk by checking the location prompt at the upper right:
   
    
10. Your next step will be to receive the order/book. Navigate to the receiving workbench by selecting Acquisitions>Receiving and Invoicing>Receive:
    
     
11. When selecting the Receive option, you’ll be brought to the “Receive New Material” screen.
12. From the button with the “three dots/ellipses” select Manage Items:
    
     
13. This brings us to the Received Items List Screen:
    
     
14. If you do not need to make any changes to the item, all you need to do is select the item, enter a barcode and select Save and Receive.
15. If you want to make any changes to items, select “Edit Inventory Item” from the ellipses button on the right. The Edit Inventory Item will open the Physical Item Editor screen, which has 4 main sections:
    • General Information: Fields you will want to enter are Barcode, with optional fields of replacement cost.
    • Inventory Number Information: For basic workflows, you do not need to enter any information here.
    • Location Information: If you need to change a permanent location, you can change the location here. There should be no need to enter the call number here, as this will be automatically generated via Alma’s call number mapping from the holdings, but note that the call # field may be blank at this point.
    • Temporary Location Information: If your workflow for books includes putting a book into a temp. location such as new books, this is a good place to set the temp location here. The Due Back Date can be set if you would like to have the books show up on a pull slip task list a certain amount of days after you receive. Unless you have configured item policies, you do not need to enter any item policies here. The circulation policies for this item will come from the temporary or permanent location’s terms of use and fulfillment unit rules.
16. When you’re done making any changes in the physical item editor, select Save. This will bring you back to the Received Items List. 
17. From the Received Items List, select the item (using the small check box on the left of the copy status column), and then select Save and Receive.
18. Since we have received this book in the circulation desk, and the circulation desk serves Acquisitions work orders, the book should be listed as Item In Place.
19. To check the status, search using the Physical Items index using the barcode from the book: