QuickSearch goes live on June 5.
Our new library system Alma and Primo (a.k.a QuickSearch) are expected to go live next week. It is incredibly exciting to be in the home stretch after more than a year of hard work. We truly appreciate what library colleagues, especially those on the Implementation Team and working groups, have done to get us to this point. We anticipate that the last few days before launch will be full of questions and new developments, so we have started to send daily emails to RUL everyone with updates and additional information. Please follow these daily messages for up-to-date information. In this report, we will summarize the progress made in the previous month.
Migration Update
The Libraries began technical services freeze to extract Sirsi data for the migration to Alma in early May. The Implementation Team submitted the data on May 11 and received the migrated data in the Alma implementation environment from Ex Libris on May 25, both on schedule. Over the Memorial Day weekend, we discovered some errors in the migrated data and had a conference call with Ex Libris. Ex Libris assured us that they would work with us to correct the errors but several additional days would be required to complete the necessary work. Therefore, we determined the launch of the new system would be delayed until Tuesday, June 5. The delay has ramifications for workflows, work schedules, and more, but there are also benefits to the change. Going live early in the work week is much better and the extra time can be used for additional preparations. We thank everyone for their patience and support as we work through these unexpected hiccups.
The Access Services staff started to use Alma offline client for circulation activities on May 26. On May 28, we delivered to Ex Libris the Sirsi circulation (or fulfillment) data for migration to Alma. The offline client will be in use until go-live on June 5.
In anticipation of the launch of the new system, the Implementation Team and working groups made significant progress on many issues related to the new system, including the access for barcode and PIN users, simplification of location codes, digitization and ILL workflows, and Alma permissions and roles. The content on the library website has been updated to reflect the adoption of Primo, and further changes will be planned and implemented after go-live. Our communications activities were strengthened by the expert advice and support from the Communications Department. In the meantime, we are continuing to investigate some outstanding issues, such as book delivery to offsite locations.
Primo Training and Important Links
Earlier in May, a total of over 150 library faculty and staff attended nine Primo (QuickSearch) training sessions across all four campuses. We thank everyone who participated in the training. Here are some additional resources about Primo features and functionalities:
- Answers to Follow-Up Questions from Primo Training
- Primo FAQs on the Implementation Project Website
- QuickSearch Help (public-facing)
- Ex Libris Knowledge Center
Search Box and Website
We have finalized what the search box and website will look like at go-live. We are happy to share with you this sneak peek (see below). The decision was made to use a full-width single search box and you can see the QuickSearch logo in place.
Please feel free to email the Implementation Team at exlibris@rutgers.libanswers.com for any questions. Thank you!
Tao Yang and Abbey DiPaolo
