How do I configure Alma's Digitization Feature?
Answer
Alma's Digitization feature allows users to submit requests for book chapters and journal articles from your print collection via Primo. To configure Digitization at your library, you must:
- Make sure your Request Terms of Use allow Digitization requests
- Configure a Digitization Department
- Configure a Digitization and Copyright Rule
- Configure a Copyright Declaration
- Customize the Digitization request form
- Customize the Digitization request link
- Enable and/or Edit the Document Delivery Notification Letter and Ful Resource Request Slip Letter
In order to do this work, you will need the Fulfillment Administrator, Discovery - Admin, and Letter Administrator roles. All configuration work should be done at the Institution level unless otherwise noted.
Make Sure Your Request Terms of Use Allow Digitization Requests
In order for your users to submit Digitization requests, the Is Digitizable policy in the Request TOUs being applied to the items you want to be eligible for Digitization must be sent to "Is Digitizable" (as opposed to "Not Digitizable"). If your library already allows users to submit hold requests, you should edit those Terms of Use so they also allow Digitization requests. If your library does not allow users to place hold requests, you will need to configure Request TOUs and Request Fulfillment Unit Rules that allow Digitization.
For more information on how to create or edit Terms of Use and Fulfillment Unit Rules this, please see:
Configure a Digitization Department
You have two options for configuring a Digitization Department. If you'd like items that have been requested for Digitization to be routed to a circulation desk specifically for Digitization once they've been retrieved from your stacks, you can configure a standalone Digitization Department. If you would like items that have been requested for Digitization to be handled at your main circulation desk, you can designate that circulation desk as your Digitization Department.
Configuring a Standalone Digitization Department
1. Go to Configuration | Fulfillment | Digital Fulfillment | Digitization Departments
2. Click the Add Department link. The Department Details page will open.
3. Enter a code for the department into the Code field, enter a name for the department into the Name field, enter the amount of time you need to complete digitization requests into the Work Time (days) field, select a printer from the Default Printer dropdown, and then click the Next button. You will be taken to the Served Libraries page.
Note: The Work Time (days) value determines the due back date listed in Primo when an item is placed in transit to the Digitization Department. Other than that, it serves no functional purpose. Digitization requests will not be automatically cancelled if they're not filled within the number of days listed in the Work Time (days) field.
4. Click the Attached Libraries link, select all of the libraries you would like this Digitization Department to serve from the dropdown that appears, click the Attach button, and then click the Next button. You'll be taken to the Contact Information page. Click the Next button again and then click the Save button.
Note: A Digitization Department's contact information serves no function purpose, so there's no need to configure the Contact Information page. The Operators page can be used to assign the Work Orders Operator scoped to the Digitization department to relevant staff. You can also add that role to individual staff accounts after the fact.
Designating Your Main Circulation Desk as a Digitization Department
1. Go to Configuration, select the library that contains your main circulation desk from the Configuring dropdown, and then go to Fulfillment | Library Management | Circulation Desks.
2. Click the ellipsis next to your main circulation desk and then click the Edit link. The Circulation Desk - General Information page will open.
2. Scroll down to the Digitization Department section of the General Details tab, check the Supports Digitization box, enter the amount of time you need to complete digitization requests into the Work Time (days) field, and then click the Save button.
Configure a Digitization and Copyright Rule
Digitization and Copyright Rules determine whether a request require approval or copyright clearance and how the digitized item is delivered to the user. We recommend you do not require approval or copyright clearance and you deliver a download link to your users.
1. Go to Customization | Fulfillment | Copyright Management | Digitization and Copyright Rules
2. Click the Add Rule link. The Digitization Workflow Setup page will open.
3. Enter a name for the rule into the Name field, select Document Delivery - Link from the Select Digitization Target dropdown, enter the number of times a user should be able to download the file in the Maximum Views field, and then click Save button. The rule will appear at the bottom of your Digitization Workflow Rules List. There's no need to move it up the list.
Configure a Copyright Declaration
Your copyright declaration will appear on the Digitization request form. We recommend you use the language recommended by RUSA.
1. Go to Configuration | Fulfillment | Copyright Management | Copyright Declaration.
2. Click the ellipsis next to Digitization Request Copyright Declaration and then click Customize.
3. Enter your copyright declaration in the Content field and then click the Customize button.
Customize the Digitization Request Form
You must make sure the Partial field is always set to Yes and cannot be changed by users. Otherwise, users could potentially request digital copies of entire books. You must also make sure users acknowledge your copyright declaration. Other than these two things, you may customize your Digitization request form as you see fit.
1. Go to Configuration | Discovery | GetIt Configuration | Digitization Request
2. Set the Partial field's Display to Public value to No and Default value to True. Make sure the CopyrightDeclaration field's Public value is set to Yes, and make sure its Mandatory box is checked. Change the Display and Mandatory settings for other fields as needed and then click the Save button.
Customize the Digitization Request Link
By default, the Digitization request link will be labeled "Digitization". We recommend changing that value to something that is more meaningful to users like "Request a Chapter".
1. Go to Configuration | Discovery | Display Configuration | Labels. The All Code Tables page will open.
2. Scroll down to the Request Options Labels table (#63), click the ellipsis, and then click Customize.
3. Click the ellipsis next to the AlmaDigitization label and then click the Customize link. Change the AlmaDigitization label's Description value and then click the Customize button.
Enable and/or Edit the Document Delivery Notification Letter and Ful Resource Request Slip Letter
When you print a pull slip for a Digitization request, the Ful Resource Request Slip Letter will print. In order for information on the pages requested to print on the pull slip, make sure the Ful Resource Request Slip Letter XSL template contains the following code.
<xsl:if test="notification_data/request/chapter_article_title != ''">
<tr>
<td><strong>Chapter Title:</strong> <xsl:value-of select="notification_data/request/chapter_article_title"/></td>
</tr>
</xsl:if>
<xsl:if test="notification_data/request/chapter_article_author != ''">
<tr>
<td><strong>Chapter Title:</strong> <xsl:value-of select="notification_data/request/chapter_article_author"/></td>
</tr>
</xsl:if>
<xsl:if test="notification_data/request/pages != ''">
<tr>
<td><strong>Pages:</strong> <xsl:value-of select="notification_data/request/pages"/></td>
</tr>
</xsl:if>
<xsl:if test="notification_data/request/note != ''">
<tr>
<td><strong>@@request_note@@:</strong> <xsl:value-of select="notification_data/request/note"/></td>
</tr>
</xsl:if>
When a Digitization request is filled, Alma will send the Document Delivery Notification Letter to the user. Make sure that letter is enabled, and edit the text of the letter as you see fit.
For more information on enabling and editing letters, please see How to I activate, edit, test, and set retention periods for letters in Alma?.