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Alma Workflows

This guide will help you learn about all of the different workflows in Alma that are specific to Miami Dade College, Learning Resources.

Reciprocal Borrowing from Another Institution

Unlike Aleph, Reciprocal Borrowing can now be done directly in Alma without having to create a new patron record from scratch. This functionality has replaced the old website used to verify university and college borrowers.

When students, faculty, or staff come in from another institution, there is an easy way to verify their status and create a new patron record for them at the desk. This record is linked to their home institution and they can see their loans from you when they log in to their home Primo account.

  1. In Alma, click on Fulfillment > Manage Patron Services.
  2. Click the Find User in Other Institution box.
  3. Choose the patron's institution from the drop down.
  4. Scan or type in their barcode or ID from their institution.
  5. If their record is found, a new screen will show fully filled out. Their expiration date will be the same as in their home record. Check and update their User Group if necessary, it should be set to 40 COMMUNITY.
    If their record is not found, a blank user registration form will appear. This may mean the number you scanned isn't in their record, they are not affiliated with the institution anymore, or they are only tangentially related to the institution
    and probably do not quality for reciprocal borrower privileges.
  6. Save the record.
  7. Check out their items.
  8. The next time this patron wishes to check something out, follow the same steps listed above. This will keep their record up-to-date in your system. Subsequent check outs will not make the new user registration from come up again.