Library Answers: Los Rios Common Questions

Each system administrator should be responsible for their library's open hours and any centers or affiliated libraries in Alma. The lead system administrator should maintain the semester events and district-wide exceptions. 

The instructions below pertain to Los Rios Library calendar management. To learn more, view the Alma documentation. 

End-of-Semester Event and District-Wide Holidays and Recesses (Exceptions)

The following are handled at the institution, Los Rios Community College District, calendar:

• End of Semester event
• Labor Day
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving Recess (Thursday - Sunday only)
• Winter Recess
• Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday
• Lincoln's Birthday
• Washington's Birthday
• César Chávez Day
• Summer Recess (I)
• Juneteenth
• Independence Day Holiday
• Summer Recess (II)

Note that Spring Recess is not handled centrally, because closure policies vary among our libraries. It is not necessary to enter holidays that are already covered by a recess exception (e.g. Memorial Day).

Open Hours and Exceptions

The purpose of open hours is to control due dates and times, holdshelf expiration, and some overdue and lost loan profiles. Provided the library has at least some open hours set, lending can be done outside of opening hours. But when a loaned item falls due, expires from the holdshelf, etc, depends upon the library's open hours.

To manage a library's open hours, go into Configuration, select the library from the top drop-down menu, and select Fulfillment, Library Management, Opening Hours.  

In this table there are: 

• Standard opening hours: The usual dates/times that the library is open. To allow items to fall due one hour after the library opens, set the opening one hour later than the library actually opens. You only need to enter rows for days the library is open. If a day is not included, the library will be closed in the Alma calendar that day.
• Exceptions: Specific dates or date ranges that the library is closed or has a modified schedule. Only exceptions that are not inherited from the institution (see list above) need to be entered.
• Events: Currently the events are only used for the End of Semester date that applies the due date for semester loans. This is inherited from the institution.

Records with a checkmark as "inherited" are setup on the district level for all libraries. These can be edited by selecting Los Rios Community College District from the "Configuring" drop down. 

Note: Events can only be edited within their "valid dates". (Meaning, you will get an error if you try to edit an event that has already past). 

Library-level updates

Responsible: Each system administrator for their libraries

At least once per semester, the library's system administrator should go in and set up the calendar for the year including standard operating hours and exceptions other than those in the list above. (Note that spring recess is not inherited from the institution.) This must be done for each library and center that the system administrator is responsible for. 

To add holidays or closed dates, add a record, include a description and the applicable dates (or use Excel download/upload). 

After adding exceptions or modifying hours, save, and click the Apply changes link at the top of the calendar job. 

Central updates

Responsible: Lead system administrator

Prior to the start of a new semester, the lead systems librarian should update the "End of Semester" event for the upcoming semester. This will ensure that any semester loan items receive the applicable due date. (Reminder: Patrons will also need a valid expiration date for semester loans to work correctly.)

Select Los Rios Community College District from the configuration dropdown. Select Fulfillment, Library Management, Open Hours. 

Use the more actions menu to Edit the event. Change the event date to the upcoming semester's last day. Do not add a time as this is determined by the library. (Note: avoid deleting and recreating the event since the TOU's that use end of semester are tied to this specific event title.)

Click Apply Changes to make the changes live. 

The systems lead should update the end of semester event for each upcoming semester (following the last day of the prior semester). The outgoing systems lead should update the summer semester event. 

Timing: It's helpful to update the end of semester event after the last day of the prior semester. This event should be updated no later than two weeks prior to the start of a new semester (for those libraries who lend to special programs early). 

Once a semester, the systems lead also needs to update exceptions for the upcoming terms. The authority for these holidays and recesses is the academic calendar posted on the LRCCD website. Spring and summer academic calendars will be posted before the end of fall semester. The fall academic calendar should be posted before the end of spring semester. So it should be possible to update exceptions twice a year.

Considerations when managing the calendars:

• We have found that using the export/import by Excel option is much easier than making edits within the web interface. Note that the end-of-term event will show in the library-level export, but you can't actually edit it at the library level.
• Calendar exceptions may be added to show a library as closed. This is useful to avoid fines accruing, but should be avoided if lending is happening. (Note: this technique was used for early pandemic closure exceptions and can be used for intersession). 
• If performing bulk due date changes:
  • A library must show open in the calendar for a due date to fall on a specific date. If a library is closed, then the "closed library due date management" terms on the TOU will go in effect, possibly pushing the due date forward or backward. 
  • If a bulk due date update fails, check to make sure that no closure exceptions in the calendar are interfering. 
• Avoid adding closure exceptions too far in advance because of the due date considerations above. 
• Even the Standard Opening Hours have valid dates. Check annually to make sure that these extend into the future to avoid problems. 
• The opening hour should be one hour past the library's actual opening hour to allow reserve items to fall due one hour after opening. So if your library opens at 9:00 am, the calendar should show it as opening at 10:00.
• Do not attempt to establish multiple sets of Standard Opening Hours for different terms (for instance, having one set ending at after spring semester and another set beginning at start of summer session). This does not work. Instead, if open hours are changing, change the Standard Open Hours after the end of a term.
• Always Apply changes after making your changes. This runs an Alma job, at the close of which your changes will be live.
• After applying changes (and checking that the job has completed), use the Full Calendar link in the Calendar Management editor to see if your changes took hold as you expected.
• Remember
  • The Library's open hours relate to lending (due dates, hold shelf, etc.). 
  • Patrons will also need a valid expiration date for due dates to fall correctly.  When troubleshooting a due date issue, check the patron expiration and use the Fulfillment Configuration Utility.
  • Events can only be edited within their "valid dates". (Meaning, you will get an error if you try to edit an event that has already past).