FAQs

As of August 2022, Alma is capable of using Digitization and Copyright Rules to check borrowing article requests for CONTU Rule of 5.  If the request does not exceed the rule of 5, the request will be sent to potential lending libraries automatically.  If the request does exceed the rule of 5, it will be put in the Pending Approval status.  That will give you the opportunity to review the request and address the copyright issue before sending it to potential lending libraries. 

To see borrowing article requests that are in the Pending Approval status, go to Fulfillment | Resource Sharing | Borrowing requests and then click the Pending Approval status facet.  If a request ends up in the Pending Approval status, you can do one of four things:

• purchase the requested article directly from the publisher or a commercial document provider like Reprints Desk
• pay a copyright fee to the Copyright Clearance Center
• send the request to potential lending libraries if you don't feel a copyright payment is necessary
• cancel the request

Details on how to process the Alma request in each of these scenarios are below.  If you make any sort of copyright payment for a request, you should note the external ID of the request, the method of payment, amount of payment, and any relevant order numbers in a separate spreadsheet.  This information will not be retained in Alma.

Processing Requests That Have Been Purchased From the Publisher or a Commercial Document Provider

When you purchase an article directly from a publisher or from a commercial document provider, you should receive a pdf copy of the article.  Take the following steps to deliver that pdf to the user.

1. Click the ellipsis next to the request and then click the Upload File link.  The Document Delivery window will open.

2. Click the Browse link to select the pdf file of the article, wait for the file to finish uploading, and then click the Send button.  The Document Delivery Notification Letter will be sent to the user, and the request will be completed.

Sending Requests Where You've Paid a Copyright Fee to the Copyright Clearance Center or You've Decided No Copyright Payment is Needed

If you pay a copyright fee to the Copyright Clearance Center or you decide  copyright payment is needed, you will need to send the request to potential lending libraries for fulfillment.  Take the following steps to send a request in the Pending Approval status to potential lending libraries.  Once the request is filled, the user will receive the Document Delivery Notification Letter, and the request will be completed.

1. Click the request's Edit button.  The Resource Sharing Borrowing Request window will open.

Note: Depending on how your library has your resource sharing borrowing request list customized, you may need to click the ellipsis to see the Edit link.  

2. Scroll down to the Request Attributes section of the request, change the Copyright Status field to either Copyright Approved (if you're paying a copyright fee) or No Copyright Restriction (if you're not paying a copyright fee), and then click the Save button.  The borrowing request will be closed.

3. Click the ellipsis next to the request and then click the Send link. 

Cancelling Requests

If you do not want to fill a request for copyright reasons, take the following steps to cancel the request.

1. Click the ellipsis next to the request an then click the Cancel link.  The Request Cancellation window will open.

2. Select "Cannot be fulfilled" from the Cancellation Reason dropdown, enter a note explaining why the request is being cancelled into the Cancellation Note field, make sure the Notify User box is checked, and then click the Confirm button.  The user will receive the Ful Cancel Request Letter, and the request will be cancelled.