Alma – FAQ

Alma

On Tuesday, November 26th, 2019, the National Library will complete the shift to the Alma system – the next generation in Library administration programs.

What is "Alma"?

Alma is a library administration system developed by "Ex Libris". It is an advanced and innovative system that will improve the Library's ability to manage its different types of resources (physical, electronic and digital) using one central system. In addition, it will enable more efficient cooperation between the Library's various departments and different libraries around the country and the world. With the completion of the transition period, these capabilities will lead to an improvement in user experience in relation to search features and the quality of search results.

Aleph, Alma, Merhav and OPAC

Which of these is going offline?

The Aleph GUI system is a library administration system, through which Library employees manage acquisitions, loans and cataloging activity. This system is only available to library employees and it will cease functioning following the transition.

The Aleph OPAC system (also known as the old catalog or Aleph catalog) is a component of the Aleph system which could also be accessed by library clients and readers for search purposes. This system will cease functioning following the transition.

The Alma System is an advanced library administration system which, like Aleph, will enable Library employees to manage acquisitions, loans and cataloging activity. This system does not include any component which is accessible to Library readers. This system will replace the Aleph system on November 26th.

The Merhav System is the search system which has been used by the Library for the past seven years. Up till now, Merhav worked in coordination with and received information from the Aleph system. Following the transition, that information will be received from the Alma system. This change will not affect the functionality of the Merhav search features nor the information displayed by the system.

Will there be any disruption in service?

Yes. As part of the transition, Library systems will be unavailable from Thursday, 22.11.19, until the morning of Tuesday, 26.11.19. On this day "Alma" will begin functioning and Library services will be restored.

How will this disruption affect Library services?

During the period of 22.11-26.11 the following services will be unavailable:

- Registration
- Ordering items from the Library stacks
- Interlibrary loans
- Actions in the Personal Zone
- Ordering scans

The following services will still be available:

- Viewing books in the Reading Hall that were ordered before 22.11
- Taking home books that were ordered and arrived at the Circulation Desk before 22.11
- Searcing for items using the "Merhav" and "Aleph" system. Disruptions are possible on 26.11

As a Library user, how will things change for me?

The main change will be the disappearance of the old Library catalog, which will no longer be available. With the transition to the new system, it will only be possible to search the Library collections and perform actions in the Personal Zone through the "Merhav" system. The rest of the changes will only affect the work of the librarians and cataloguers and will not be felt by readers.

Will there be any access to the old catalog?

No. Following the transition we will be saying goodbye to the "Aleph" catalog and thanking it for its service. It will no longer be available afterwards.

Will those who use "Merhav" feel the change?

In general – those who are used to working with "Merhav" will be able to continue working as usual. Slight changes will be possible during the initial period.

Will there be tutorials on how to use "Merhav"?

Ahead of the transition we will upload online tutorials and other instructional material regarding the use of the system.
In addition, the librarians at our Circulation Desk will be happy to help you with any questions you might have.

What happens to my loan history?

With the transition to the new system on November 22, 2019, your loan history will be reset. Your library card will only store information on loans and orders from the day of the transition onward. However, since we are aware of the importance of this data for you, your loan history will be sent to the e-mail address you entered during your registration process. This history will only be sent once the transition period begins to ensure that it is fully comprehensive.

What happens to the items on my electronic shelf?

With the transition to the new system on November 22, 2019, the information on your electronic shelf will be reset, in both the "Aleph" and "Merhav" systems, and there will no longer be access to items and searches what were once saved on it. However, since we are aware of the importance of this data for you, your electronic shelf information from the past 5 years will be sent to the e-mail address you entered during your registration process. It will only be sent once the transition period begins to ensure that it is fully comprehensive.

Will the RAMBI search feature be affected?

Following the transition, the old RAMBI interface will no longer be accessible. RAMBI will still be available via its new interface, which will not be subject to change. In addition, RAMBI items will continue to be included in "article" search results on "Merhav".

Will the transition affect the ULI catalog?

Following the transition, The ULI will remain unchanged and will be accessible through the OPAC system.

Will the Bibliographical Project be available?

Yes. The Bibliography of the Hebrew Book 1470-1960 will continue to be available through the Library website. The old URL will redirect to it as well.

Will old fines be cancelled?

No.

Will the links that I have saved still be active?

Yes. The links will be preserved and automatically converted to the new format.
If you notice a link that does not function, please update us here

How can I search for a manuscript?

The details of each manuscript in the Aleph catalog also appear in the "Merhav" search system.
The system enables you to search according to various different characteristics simultaneously (title, author, publisher etc.)
For you convenience, the "Ktiv" website offers search categories which are specially tailored to manuscripts and which can make the search queries more efficient.
You can access "Ktiv" through the Library website or by clicking on this link. Select "Advanced Search" to see all search options

Will information be lost during the transition?

All catalog information which existed in the Aleph system will be copied to the Alma system and will also be available in the Merhav system.