FAQs

Every semester brings different exceptions to your Standard Opening Hours. Here is how to handle them. (To learn how to edit your Standard Opening Hours, please see How do I change my library hours?)

To edit the library calendar in Alma, you must have the Fulfillment Administrator role.

1. From the Alma home page, go to Configuration. In the upper left corner, use the drop-down menu to select the library you wish to work with. (Although you can create calendars at the institution level, they do not cascade down to the libraries. You should, however, create Events, such as the End of Semester, at the Institution level. For this you would need the General Administrator role.)
   
    
2. Once you've selected the library, while still in Configuration, select Fulfillment>Opening Hours.
   
    
3. First, check your Standard Opening Hours to make sure the Valid to date is far enough in the future that it will not affect any semester-long loans. If the Valid to date is close, simply click on the ellipses next to each one to open them, then click Save. This will add three years to the Valid to date. (Note: this will not work if you recently updated them.)
   
    
4. Clear out any old Exceptions so you have a clear view of what you're working with. Click on the ellipsis next to any outdated exceptions and select Remove. Click Apply Changes.
5. Now you are ready to add this semester's exceptions. Click Add Record at the top right of the calendar table.
   
    
6. The Add Record window opens. For the Record Type, select Exception. This will add several fields to the form. For the example below, I have created an early closing on the Friday before Labor Day. Status is set to Closed, Day of week is set to Friday, Description is optional, and the Valid from and Valid to dates are the same. 
   • Because our library usually closes at 5pm (1700 hours) on Fridays, we need to show that the library will be closed during some of that time. In this example, the library is closing at noon, so this exception will cover the hours between noon and 5pm. The From hour is set to 12:00, and the To hour is set to 17:00.
     
      
   • Because the library is usually open on Saturdays, you would create an all-day closed exception for that day, too. 
     
      
7. To make an exception that lasts for more than one day:
   • For example, Thanksgiving break. If you close early the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, you would create an early closing exception as shown for the early Labor Day closing above, except you would put Wednesday instead of Friday, the Valid from hour would be whenever you close, and the Valid to hour would be 19:00, because that is the usual closing time for Wednesdays. Then, you would create a block closure by leaving the Day of the week field blank and put the Valid from date to Thanksgiving day and the Valid to date to the following Sunday (or whatever the last day of break is). The From hour will be 00:00 and the To hour will be 23:59.
     
      
   • Another example: the library is open, but hours are reduced. In this case, you create exceptions for the hours that differ from the Standard Opening Hours (SOH). Let's say your SOHs are Monday through Thursday, 8am to 7pm, Fridays 8am to 5pm, and Saturdays 9am to 5pm, and you will have interim hours Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm and be closed on Saturdays:
     • Create an exception from Monday through Thursday by leaving the Day of the week blank and using the Valid from and Valid to calendars to choose Monday through Thursday of the given week. Valid From hour will be the new closing time, and To hour will be the usual closing time.
       
        
     • No exception is necessary for Friday because those are the SOHs for Friday already.
     • Create an exception for Saturday as shown above, using the Day of week Saturday, the Valid from date and Valid to date are the same Saturday date. Choose From hour 9:00 and To hour 17:00. (You can also choose From hour 00:00 and To hour 23:59 to accomplish the same thing.)
     • Follow this process for each week that differs from the SOHs.
8.  If your SOHs include hours past midnight, it's a bit more complicated. You'll need to create exceptions that cover two days.
   • Example: your SOHs are Sunday through Wednesday, 8am to 1am, Thursday 8am to 7pm, Friday 8am to 5pm, and Saturday 9am to 5pm. You need to shorten them to Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, closed Saturday and Sunday, for interim break.
     • Create an exception for Sunday: Day of week is Sunday, Valid from date and Valid to date are the same date, From hour is 00:00 and To hour is 23:00.
       
     • This covers all of Sunday, but your SOHs also run into Monday at 1am. So you need to create an exception for Monday from 00:00 to 1:00:
       
     • You would then create another exception for Monday from 17:00 to 23:59, and continue the pattern: Tuesday (two exceptions), and Wednesday (two exceptions).
     • For Thursday you would create an exception from 17:00 to 19:00.
     • Friday does not require an exception.
     • For Saturday, create an exception from 9:00 to 17:00 or 00:00 to 23:59.
     • Repeat this process for however many weeks you have the shortened schedule.
9. Very Important: When you are finished editing your calendar, click Apply Changes, then Save. 
10. If you have different hours for long periods of time, such as with COVID-19, it will probably be easier to change your SOHs rather than create exceptions. Remember, your SOHs should be at the library level, not the institution level.