Regular database maintenance is required to find and correct errors in the system and identify items that have been overlooked. On a weekly basis, perform the following activities:
PO Line Maintenance
Cleaning up PO Lines in status "Claim"
Cleaning up PO Lines in status "In Review"
Cleaning up PO Lines in status "Sent"
Invoice Maintenance
Invoices in Review
Items Maintenance
Items in Department
E-Resources Maintenance
Electronic Resource Activation Task List
PO Lines for books stuck in status "Sent" that have been received and paid
This procedure is for PO Lines for print books that have been received and invoiced, but the PO Line is stuck in status "Sent."
Start with PO Lines with claims. Go to: Acquisitions => Purchase Order Lines => Claim.
Facet to "Physical - One Time" and then "Print Book - One Time".
Visually scan list for items that were received.
Click edit to view the POL. Make sure that the item was invoiced and paid and that the item was received. Copy the barcode number.
Follow this procedure to close the POL:
Find out the barcode of the ordered item.
Go to Acquisitions => Post-Receiving Processing => Scan In Items.
Set status to [blank], Done: Yes. Paste barcode into box and click OK to scan the item in.
Go to Acquisitions => Receiving and Invoicing => Receive. Search for the POL in the receiving list. (It should be there now.) Receive it. This will close the order line.
Change your location in Alma to Carothers Library - Main Circulation. Go to Fullfillment => Resource Requests => Scan in Items. Enter the barcode in the "Scan item barcode" box and press OK.
(Note: This procedure can be done in batch by making a spreadsheet of barcodes and then doing the five steps.)
See: https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Knowledge_Articles/Orders_missing_from_receiving_workbench
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Invoice Maintenance
Invoices in Review
Most invoices will be in review because we just haven't gotten to them yet. There are usually not problems here.
Nonetheless, check periodically that there are not any "old" invoices here that got stuck or for some reason were duplicates.
Duplicates could happen if the EDI invoice was delayed, and instead of waiting we entered the invoice manually. Later, if the EDI invoice showed up, it would just sit there.
If you do see a suspicious invoice, note the invoice number and some POLs on the invoice. Check the vendor record or our internal Google sheets to see if an invoice that looks like that one was already posted. Also check the POLs to see if they were paid.
If the invoice is in fact a duplicate invoice that has already been paid, delete it.
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Items Maintenance
Items in department
Background: When a book is received, we check "Keep in Department" and set the book's status to Copy Cataloging. When Cataloging is finished cataloging the book, they scan the book's status to Physical Processing. When the student assistants are finished physically processing the book, they scan it to "Done." The benefits of this are that we can always see where a book is in the process, so if someone is looking for it, we can home in on it faster. The disadvantage is if a book isn't scanned to Done, Alma will still think it is stuck in the department and display it as unavailable to patrons. Forever.
(This can also happen if items in the repair or binding process are not scanned to Done before being re-shelved.)
Open two Alma windows in separate browsers.
In the first browser, make sure you're at Carothers Library - Tech Services.
Go to Fulfillment => Manage In Process Items.
If you want to segment the task, filter to a single Process Status: Copy Cataloging, Physical Processing, Repair, or Serial/Mono Binding. Most of the time, you'll target Physical Processing.
Sort the list by the Date received at department, with the oldest items at the top.
Note: you can re-size columns to better see what is in them. You can also hide unneeded columns using the setting wheel in the upper right.
You can also download the list as an Excel file.
Investigate any items that are suspiciously old.
Figuring out what is going on with each item might take a fair amount of investigation -- checking POLs to see how many copies were ordered, checking the shelves for the item, etc.
If you have confirmed that an item is really on the shelf where it should be, use the drop-down menu to mark the item Done.
Alternately, you can use the drop-down to select Edit Inventory item and then change edit the item and set the Process Type field to blank.
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Electronic Resources Maintenance
Electronic Resources Activation - passed due date
When an e-resource is ordered, a task is created in Resources => Electronic Resource Activation to remind us that the e-resource needs to bet set up, tested, and activated. Also, if a continuing POL for an e-resource (e.g. an e-journal) is closed, a task will be created to remind us to de-activate that e-resource if necessary.
In general, if we forget to activate an e-book through the correct process, we will catch this under the PO Lines with claims checking process above.
Also, a lot of the e-resource activation tasks will belong to the Acquisitions/E-Resources Librarian.
Nonetheless, a quick check of this area is a good idea.
Go to Tasks => Electronic Resources => Activation - passed due date (both "assigned to you" and "unassigned").
Sort the list by Due Date or Expected Activation Date, with the oldest items at the top.
Note: you can re-size columns to better see what is in them. You can also hide unneeded columns using the setting wheel in the upper right.
Scan the Type column for "Book" to quickly identify e-books.
Identify items that should have been activated by now but haven't been.
Investigate and correct as needed:
Activate if appropriate.
If the item has been delayed, change both the Expected Activation Date in the POL as well as the Due Date in the e-activation task list by selecting Edit using the ... button on the right.