Alma is the name of our Library Management System, provided by a company called Ex Libris.

Alma covers all library operations including: Acquisitions, Cataloguing, metadata management and, most importantly for Customer Services (CS) staff, Fulfillment.

In many libraries, Fulfillment is known as Circulation and is basically all the back-of house operations that are needed to run a lending library, i.e. issue, return, make reservations and paying membership fees or fines.

Click on the link below to read up on issuing and returning books using Alma at the Help Desk.

You will need to:

• log into Alma (shared account)
• have P.V. Supa Goodstuff2 (RFID action window) open

Library readers should be encouraged to use the Self-Service unit where possible.

The Law Library unit is located opposite the Law Library entrance. Readers will be prompted to follow the instructions on the screen - pressing the icons to issue or return a book in the first instance.

Readers are also able to check their Library Account using the Law Library Self-Service unit. They can also do this via the University App, and online by logging in via Library Search. While you are able to check a reader's account through Alma, we would advise that the reader checks themselves - or direct them to staff at the Philip Robinson Library/through Library Help.

If you are returning any book or item and see a message on the screen to indicate the return has not registered, then place the book or item into the black book return slot. The Law Library staff will remove the book or item from your library record.

Why a book might not be issued...

Reference Only Materials

Some books are REFERENCE ONLY, and cannot be loaned/taken out of the Library. These books are identified by a 'Not for Loan' sticker on the front and a blue 'Ref' sticker on the spine.

Please check if there is a loanable copy on the shelf or in another Library. If not, the user can:

• use the book in the Library,
• photocopy 1 chapter or 5% (whichever is greatest),
• place a reservation request by logging into their Library account/through the University App.

Journals, Law Reports and Government Publications are REFERENCE ONLY, and can only be used in the Library. 

RFID Tagging

Some books may be missing an RFID tag. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification and that is how each book is recognised by Alma and security tagged. If a book doesn't have an RFID tag inside then it won't be recognised by the system/Self-Service unit. You can check to see if a book has a tag by looking inside the back cover. If there is a white rectangle sticker inside then it has a tag. If there is no sticker then it is missing a tag. What you can do:

If a tag is missing, you can manually issue or return the book using the Library Help Desk PC and Alma. You will need to scan the library barcode on the front of the book (starting with an 'M'). Please also make a note of the barcode and that it is missing a RFID tag for Library Staff the next day.

If a tag is in place, but it still won't be issued/returned, follow the same steps above.

If a M1--- barcode is not recognised, you could manually issue/return the book using the 'Manual Issues' folder next to the filing cabinet, and leave a note to inform Library Staff the next day.

Overdue Charges/Lost Books

If a user has more than £5 in overdue charges then their account will be blocked and they won't be able to borrow a book. This can be checked (and paid) via their Library Account. If they contest a charge, please send them to the Philip Robinson Library (PRL) to discuss this, or ask them to return to the Law Library when Library Staff are in.

Other Possible Reasons:

• Book has not been returned properly - return the book first, and then try to issue again.
• Book has been requested by another user - advise that it has been requested and shelved incorrectly, look for an alternative, place the requested book on the 'Reservations Shelves' in the Law Library Office.
• Library Account has expired - please send user to PRL.
• User has another Block on their account - please send user to PRL.

• Ensure that Alma is set to ‘Currently at: Law Library – Law Main Desk’ at the top of the screen.
• You will mostly use:
  • Manage Patron Services
  • Return Items
  • Both screens will give you the option to switch between the two
• Alma will logout after 1 hour of inactivity. You will need to login again.
• Always use the ‘Back’ option within the Alma screen to go back a step. You cannot use the back arrow button on the web browser or you will be logged out.
• Philip Robinson Library or Walton Library books can be returned to the Law Library. If any are deposited in the bookbins, please pop them in the relevant box under Help Desk in the Law Library Office..
• Always check due date when issuing a book – if a Smartcard expiry date is approaching, or if a reader has been granted extra loan times on STC items, all books will be issued to that date. You may not be warned of any change of date.
• Ensure due date is checked when issuing a Reservation – the book may be requested by another reader and will only be issued for one week.
• Books cannot be renewed if a reader has an unpaid fine of £5.01 or over.
• If a book cannot be read by the ‘magic rectangle’, scan or enter the barcode manually (M1…) into Alma. Make a note of the barcode and the issue to pass to Law Library Staff.
• A list of loans previously borrowed by a reader can be viewed by the reader only (via My Account within Library Search).
• Always clear the screen when you have finished dealing with each reader for data protection and to prevent confusion between reader records.

Carol Bevan of the Walton Library has produced Alma Fulfillment Tutorials to complete. They are based around the Walton Library login account, but the information covered also applies to the Law Library service.

Click on each link to open a tutorial section in a new tab:

• Session 1: Introduction to Alma
• Session 2: Alma Home Page: Navigating the Different Elements
• Session 3: Paying/Adding Charges [to follow]
• Session 4: Loan and Item History [to follow]
• Session 5: Loan History
• Session 6: Managing Notes in Alma

If you have any questions about information you see on Alma, please contact the Philip Robinson Library Coordinators or leave a note for the Law Library staff to follow up with the reader the following working day. Please be discreet as data protection applies.