Migration FAQ

General:

The Alma-Primo system is being implemented statewide as part of a legislative mandate. Special funding for this project was provided to the Florida Academic Library Services Cooperative (FALSC) for the system implementation.

The Florida state legislature has mandated that all public college and university libraries in Florida will be adopting a next-generation library system with an integrated, shared library catalog/discovery resource.

Not at this time, but we will be updating instructional videos in the latter half of July to provide tips on how to use the new interface. Much of the search functionality will be the same.

Please use the form on this webpage, it will be sent the appropriate person and answered as soon as possible.

Catalog/Discovery Details:

An Ex Libris product, Primo (FindIt/Articles+) is the application providing your interface to USF’s resources (print, electronic, and digital). It’s also called a discovery layer as it helps you discover the resources we have and is a comprehensive tool for finding resources.

An Ex Libris product, Alma supports the tasks necessary to keep your library in operation. These include acquisitions, cataloging, fulfillment, and assessment. It is the staff side of the catalog.

Our current discovery service (EBSCO discovery service) and catalog interface (Mango) will be replaced with Primo by Ex Libris. The underlying library management system (Aleph) currently used by library staff will also be replaced by Alma by Ex Libris. The look and feel of everything will change but the resources will still be available and librarians are here to help as we make the transition

These will not transfer over to the new system. Alerts, feeds, and folders will have to be newly set up after July 13. The new system will require you to set up a personal internal account to have this functionality.

Yes, it will have capability to export to several citation management systems. We will update as we have more details.

While no NEW items can be added to the catalog between May 27-July 13, anything already in our holdings can still be added to course reserves. Additionally we can add any new item manually to the front desk lists or on Canvas course guides.

You will be able to search for USF library material using the new Primo system (through QuickSearch/Articles+). Primo will be the new USF-wide discovery layer and will replace the current EBSCO Discovery System tool.

This change will update the QuickSearch/Articles+ tool and underlying management system to a newer, more sophisticated, system. It will not change your access to the scholarly articles, the online catalog (books/media/etc.), the Ejournals list, or Reserves collections.

While USF Libraries does not yet have a Search Tips sheet, the vendor does provide this Search Tips page. Another helpful resource is our Introduction to PRIMO Video.

Getting Materials:

The new Primo system will have new links to ebooks and other materials. These will go live on July 13th. Current catalog permalinks to ebooks will stop working on September 30. If you include any permalinks to ebooks in your courses, you will need to update these links with the new links provided by the catalog before the end of September. Please note that direct links to ebooks and eresources will still work and will not need to be updated. If you have any questions or need help with these updates, please contact your subject librarian for help.

The records of materials checked out will shift over to the new system. Circulation in the old system will function up to just a few days before the changeover date, at which point we have a manual backup that can be uploaded into the new catalog to reflect accurately books checked out and returned.

Library staff have been reaching out to faculty and students that currently have lost materials and have been working with these individual cases. Lost and overdue material information will transfer into the new system, but record of previously paid fines will not transfer. The USF Libraries staff will have access to the old system for a period of time to resolve questions after the migration.

Library staff have been reaching out to faculty and students that currently have lost materials and have been working with these individual cases. Lost and overdue material information will transfer into the new system, but record of previously paid fines will not transfer. The USF Libraries staff will have access to the old system for a period of time to resolve questions after the migration.

No, Uborrow links will automatically refer USF faculty and students to the InterLibrary Loan system.

Yes

There will be no change to interlibrary loan, you will continue to use the same process to order materials from other libraries. https://lib.usf.edu/ill/