FAQs

If your library is closing due to an emergency or Alma is down for scheduled maintenance, you can add closed dates to your library's calendar.  Libraries inherit closed dates from the Institution, so this configuration work must be done at the Institution level.  In order to do this work, you will need the General System Administrator role.

Once you've added the closed dates, you can run the Loans - Due Date Correction After Calendar Change job to adjust your due dates accordingly.  You will need the Fulfillment Administrator role to run that job.  How your due dates change (moved up vs. moved back) will be determined by the Closed Library Due Date Management policy in your Loan TOUs.  When a due date is changed, Alma sends the Loan Status Notice letter.  You may want to disable that letter before you run the Loans - Due Date Correction After Calendar Change job.  To disable that letter, you will need the Letter Administrator role.

1. Go to Configuration, make sure you have your Institution selected in the Configuring dropdown, click the Fulfillment tab, and then click the Opening Hours link.

2. Click the Add Record button.  An Add Record window will open.

3. Select "Exception" from the Record Type dropdown, make sure the Status dropdown is set to "Closed", enter the first day you will be closed in the Valid From field, enter the last day you will be closed into the Valid To field, and then click the Add and Close button. You'll then see an alert that reads "Please note that the changes have not been applied yet. To apply calendar changes press Apply Changes."

Note: If you do not select a Day of the Week, the closed exception will be applied to all days between the Valid From and Valid To dates.  If you need to configure closed exceptions for a specific days of the week, you can select a day from the Day of the Week dropdown.  It is not possible to select multiple days, but you can configure multiple closed exceptions if needed.

4. Click the Apply Changes link. The Apply Calendar Changes job will then run.  This may take several minutes.  You can monitor the progress of the job by going to the main Alma page and clicking the Monotor Jobs link in the Admin menu (check the History tab if you don't see the Apply Calendar Changes in the Running tab).

5. Click the Full Calendar link to make sure the closed exception was applied properly.

6. If you want your due dates to be adjusted to match the calendar changes you've made, go to Configuration | Fulfillment | General | Fulfillment Jobs Configuration and make sure the Loans - Due Date Correction After Calendar Change job is set to Active. 

Note: The Loans - Due Date Correction After Calendar Change job sends the Loan Status Notice letter for every time it changes a due date.  If you don't want to send all of those emails to your users, you should temporarily deactivate that letter.  For information on managing letters, please see https://sunyolis.libanswers.com/faq/277717