How should I record recurring one-time purchases in Alma, such as annual licenses for Kanopy streaming videos?
Alma is not designed to manage recurring one-time purchases (e.g., annual licenses for the same streaming title) in a fully automated way. For example, you might license a title for one year and then purchase a new license for the same title the following year. There are a few common ways to record these purchases in Alma:
- Option 1: One bibliographic record with a single electronic portfolio and multiple purchase order lines (POLs)
Only the first POL is linked to the electronic portfolio; subsequent POLs are not attached to electronic inventory. This approach reduces duplication but can be confusing when staff notice that some POLs are not linked to a portfolio.
- Option 2: One bibliographic record with multiple electronic portfolios and multiple POLs
Each POL is attached to its own electronic portfolio. This method provides a clearer record of what was ordered, but may cause confusion due to the presence of multiple portfolios for the same title. One of the portfolios should be inactive.
- Option 3 (Not Recommended): Multiple bibliographic records with multiple portfolios and multiple POLs
Each license year is represented by a separate bib record, portfolio, and POL. This can lead to unnecessary duplication and confusion in discovery and inventory management.
Choose the approach that best fits your institution’s workflows, but try to avoid creating multiple bib records for the same title when possible.