Alma Analytics

Alma Analytics is a powerful feature of Alma that allows searching of data across multiple subject areas, including inventory (physical, electronic, digital), fulfillment (circulation, resource sharing), and acquisitions (purchase requests, funds expenditures).

Looking for Trouble

In addition to using Alma Analytics to run reports of data we expect to find and assume is recorded in the correct format, we can also use it to search for data that should not be there, or is formatted in ways that it should not be.

I have created a bunch of analyses targeting various issues in Alma data and made these available in a shared folder that you can use and modify to make the results more relevant to your own library.

To access these analytics from Alma:

  • From the "Analytics" menu, go to "Access Analytics"
  • Once in Analytics, go to the "Catalog" view
  • Browse to: Shared Folders / Community / Reports / Institutions / University of Kentucky / Looking for Trouble

When you identify an analysis that looks interesting, click Open on that analysis to view the report of your library's own data.

Most reports have some standard limits, including:

  • All records should be in the repository / not deleted
  • All bibs and holdings should not be suppressed from discovery
  • All items have process type "None" (so we are not seeking out items that are missing or loaned out to try to address their problems)

Forking Analyses

If a particular analysis would be more useful to you with some modifications made, you may choose to "fork" that analysis and save your own copy of the analysis with those modifications made.

For example, you might choose to make multiple copies of a certain report, each restricted to a different "library" in your system. You might choose to restrict the report to not include certain items (such as those in known problem locations), or to include materials that are currently not part of the report (such as suppressed records).

If you are making changes that seem broadly applicable (such as correcting errors or adding exceptions that should not appear on the report), please reach out and let me know! I'd be happy to incorporate any improvements and credit you for the contribution.