Knowledge Base

Creating temporary item records for ILLiad borrowing requests in Alma will allow your staff to circulate ILLiad items in Alma, and it will also allow your users to view and renew their ILLiad requests from their Primo VE ("OneSearch") accounts. These temporary records will be created when you click the Check In button while receiving the item in ILLiad.

The Alma configuration work has already been completed.

You will need to install the borrowing NCIP client addon. If you would like Alma due dates to be automatically updated when a request is renewed in ILLiad, you can also install the borrowing renewal server addon in ILLiad.

Installing the ILLiad Borrowing NCIP Client Addon

1. Download the addon .zip file: https://atlas-sys.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ILLiadAddons/pages/3149522/ILLiad+ALMA+NCIP+Borrowing+Client+System+Addon
   • Note: There is a line of code in the LUA file that checks to make sure the external identifier being passed from ILLiad to Alma is valid. This addon was created for use by SUNY libraries, so it defines a valid external identifier as anything beginning with "01SUNY." Change that code to 01CUNY_XX, where XX is your 2-letter campus code in uppercase letters.
2. Open the ILLiad_Alma_NCIP_Borrowing.zip file and copy the addon folder to the C:\Program Files (x86)\ILLiad\Addons directory.
   • Detailed instructions on installing ILLiad client addons can be found here: https://atlas-sys.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ILLiadAddons/pages/3149384/Installing+Addons
   • Please note that this client addon will need to be installed at each workstation individually unless you redirect ILLiad's default addon directory.  More information on how to do that can be found here: https://atlas-sys.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ILLiadAddons/pages/3149399/Addon+Locations
3. If you have multiple pickup locations in ILLiad, configure the sublibraries.txt file in the addon folder. Open the file and edit it to so the NVTGCs and Alma library codes match the NVTGCs and Alma library codes used at your library. Entries should list the NVTGC and then the Alma library code separated by a comma.
   1. Examples:
      • NVTGC of LAW and Alma Library code of BUFLA →  LAW,BUFLA
      • NVTGC of ILL and Alma library code of ALBC  →  ILL,ALBC
   2. If you have ILLiad pickup locations for home and/or office delivery, the Alma library codes you will need to enter into the sublibraries.txt file are HOME_DELIVERY and OFFICE_DELIVERY.
4. Open the ILLiad Client, click the Systems tab, and click the Manage Addons button.
5. Select the ALMA_NCIP_Borrowing_Client_V3 addon and enter the following information into the settings fields. (Fields not listed below can be left at their default settings.)
   
   • NCIP_Responder_URL: https://cuny-xx.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/view/NCIPServlet (where xx is your 2-letter campus code in lowercase letters)
   • ILLiad_field_to_get_external_identifier: TransactionNumber
   • ILLiad_field_to_get_barcode: This setting determines which ILLiad field is used as the item barcode in Alma. If you would prefer to use the barcode from the book you borrowed, you can change that setting to any ILLiad field you're not currently using and then scan the book's barcode into that field before you click the Check In button in ILLiad. If you do not wish to do this, you can leave the setting at TransactionNumber.
   • acceptItem_from_uniqueAgency_value: 01CUNY_XX (where XX is your 2-letter campus code in uppercase letters)
   • ApplicationprofileType: ILLiad
   • EnablePatronBorrowingReturns: make sure this box is checked
6. Change the "Active" value to Yes, click Save Settings, and then restart the ILLiad client. The addon will not start running until the ILLiad client is restarted.

Important Notes:

• CLICS and ILL requests will appear together in the patron's OneSearch account. They will be indistinguishable from one another.
• Alma will send hold notifications to users for ILLiad items. To avoid sending your users duplicate hold notifications, you may want to stop sending hold notifications from ILLiad. Alternatively, you may request that Alma hold notifications for ILLiad requests be turned off.
• You will need to figure out how you would like to handle borrowing requests in ILLiad once temporary item records have been created in Alma.

Installing the ILLiad NCIP Borrowing Renewal Server Addon

1. Download the Alma NCIP Borrowing Renewal addon .zip file and save it to your desktop: https://atlas-sys.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ILLiadAddons/pages/3149601/ILLiad+Alma+NCIP+Borrowing+Renewal+Server+Addon
2. Log in to the ILLiad Customization Manager and click the Server Addons tab.
3. Click the New button, navigate to your desktop in the "Chose file to upload" window that appears, select the addon .zip file you downloaded, and click the Open button.
   • Detailed instructions on installing server addons can be found here: https://atlas-sys.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ILLiadAddons/pages/3149594/Installing+and+Configuring+Server+Addons
4. Highlight the Alma NCIP Borrowing Renewal addon, enter the configuration values listed below:
   
   • FieldToUseForBarcode: TransactionNumber
   • NCIP_Responder_URL: https://cuny-xx.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/view/NCIPServlet (where xx is your 2-letter campus code in lowercase letters)
   • renewItem_from_uniqueAgency_value: 01CUNY_XX (where XX is your 2-letter campus code in uppercase letters)
   • ApplicationProfileType: ILLiad
   • RenewItemSearchQueue: Awaiting Renewal OK Processing
   • RenewItemSuccessQueue: Checked Out to Customer (The queue where borrowing loan requests are routed after they're transferred to Alma via the NCIP addon)
   • RenewItemFailQueue: NCIP Error: Renew Item Failed
5. Set the "Active" field to Yes and click the Save button.