ELUNA 2024 Annual Meeting Report: Megan Kinney

We Have Come So Far! 

ELUNA 2024 Experience

Drawing upon my former experience in the LSP Electronic Resource Management Work Group, and my current experiences in the CCL Electronic Access and Resources Committee, I look for the overlap between the technical aspects of Alma/Primo and the collection decisions we make in our libraries. I approached the ELUNA 2024 conference with this mindset, being curious about the shifts Ex Libris is making and how they may impact or alter our modes of work in making resources available to our school communities.

I went to two sessions on the upcoming Alma interface changes related to how it will impact different functions: searching and saving sets in Alma and title searching will change. Both are gaining the slide-out panels and split view options currently available in a few other parts of Alma. For example, this interface style is present in Acquisition functions (where I place orders on databases in Alma), as well as in the Overlap Analysis function (which I use to compare our current eResources with ones are considering subscribing to). The new interface helps to keep many pieces in view all at the same time and reduces the amount of back and forth clicking required when using Alma (that cause me to lose my train of thought). 

In another session, I learned about one institution’s research into how items are ordered in a Primo result list, and how they used their findings to improving the ranking order of particular source types. They reviewed “scores” from exported PNX records to inform how they would adjust various Boosting Factors to impact their Primo results. 

One stream of sessions that I sought out were related to the various ways schools were using Alma to make physical objects available, such as technology items and games. These are not directly related to eResources (although the proliferation of laptop and hotspot lending hopefully means students are gaining much easier access to library databases). These presentations often started with a focus on some of the technical implementation of the objects, but the sessions often segued into what it was like to inherit a glut of new items and responsibilities (such as grant funded tablets that were not discussed before purchase), and the process of developing workflows to manage successful partnerships with entities outside the library. 

Many of the questions in the sessions from attendees often centered on how decisions came to be made in the libraries, as well as requests for advice (from both presenters attendees) People shared what it was like to do this work, the difficulty of learning on the fly what parts of Alma do and do not work for the task at hand, as well as what it means to communicate library work to the broader institution. Sometimes, the key takeaways in the room were not so much about utilizing one field over another, but the simple things libraries implemented adjacent to the tasks of using Alma and Primo. For example, I learned of a library that weighed board games upon acquiring them. They entered this information into the Alma record and referred to it during check-in to easily confirm that the game came back complete (rather than counting pieces). 

The sessions at ELUNA were very informative, especially from those working in libraries. Some I left early to find another because you all are already so far ahead of the game and have shared all your wisdom and time generously! Luckily all the slides are still up and available to refresh upon as things come up in my library, as well as in conversation with all the library folks I get to meet through CCL and the LSP. The best part of attending ELUNA is meeting folks from other libraries, problem solving and learning from those who have worked through an issue before, and advocating with others for needs with Ex Libris in the room. I met one nervous librarian from a community college system just starting their Ex Libris transition, and it made me grateful to be in this work with all of you, struggling and supporting each other as we move deeper into this platform. 
(Unrelated, but if you ever find yourself in Minneapolis, may I share the best finds from my early morning bakery hunts before sessions started: Black Walnut Bakery and Laune Bread.)

-Megan Kinney, CCL-EAR Chair
Electronic Collections Librarian, City College of San Francisco