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ALMA Real Time Ordering API (External)

• Introduction 
• Obtaining the API Key from ExLibris
• Setup on Alma
• Information to be sent to ProQuest OASIS
• Post Setup Workflow
• What happens next?

Introduction 

This document will help the ProQuest OASIS customer prepare their Alma system for use with the API that will allow communication between OASIS and the customer’s Alma system to insert purchase order lines as items are purchased in OASIS.
The setup process will involve configuration on both the Alma and OASIS systems.  Information will need to be obtained from the ExLibris developer’s website and some information will need to be sent to ProQuest  as well.
The API will create the order line in the Purchase Order as well as create a brief bibliographic record which may be used in the OPAC or discovery systems.  That record is very brief and we highly recommend that you be set up to do a nightly load of “brief” MARC records from ProQuest OASIS to overlay those records to provide better access.
ExLibris calls this process RTO or Real Time Acquisitions and has provided a good overview via their documentation: https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/blog/Real-time-Acquisitions

Obtaining the API Key from ExLibris

An API key must be obtained from ExLibris in order to provide a link between the customer’s system and ProQuest OASIS.  This will be a unique key. 
To request a key, use this URL: https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/alma/apis.  Please remember the following:

1. Log on using your institution logon, not a personal logon.  Your System Administrator for Alma should be familiar with this process.
2. Request the API Key for your production system, not a test or sandbox system.

Once you have the key, you will need to send a copy of it to ProQuest along with other information as requested below.  You should only have to request the key once. 
In addition the following link provides information from ExLibris if needed: https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/blog/Real-time-Acquisitions-setup-for-institutions

Setup on Alma

For data being passed to Alma, several things need to be in place on Alma for this to work successfully:

1. Please make sure that there is a default Metadata template completed.  This will allow order line data to flow into your system.
   • Create a New Order API Integration Profile.   This will set the matching rules for MARC records created by the API.   We suggest that the ISBN be the first match point as the data is so minimal.
2. ExLibris has provided documentation on these setups: https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/blog/Real-time-Acquisitions-setup-for-institutions

Information to be sent to ProQuest OASIS

If you are a current customer, then ProQuest will need the API key and we will make changes to your setup to turn off EDI ordering (if you were using it) and set OASIS to “Firm order. 
Note: Some Libraryies choose to retain the EDI ordering for certain orders type. If this is the case, be sure to inform the ProQuest Configuration team  of this choice. Proquest will then set up the API at the individual Customer account level and NOT at the library level.
If you are a new or existing customer and are loading brief MARC files for the first time, we need information from you such as:

• MARC tags to exclude
• 9XX MARC tags to include information from OASIS fields such as fund, location, notes, etc.
• If you have values for funds, locations, etc.  Please send them to us in a spreadsheet and we will load them into OASIS
• Also, if any of those values have dependencies on each other – we can set up and respect those in OASIS.  An example would be that the location MATH could only use funds M123, M567, G888, or R312. 

Once ProQuest receives the information, we will complete setup procedures on our side.

Post Setup Workflow

The workflow is that titles are selected in OASIS and ordered.  Here’s a typical order screen: 

• The acquisitions librarian simply needs to use Express Checkout to place a firm order for the desired title or titles. At this point the order information will be passed to Alma in real-time.
• Then the data will show up in Alma.
• Please note that holding information is created in Alma.
• Here is an example of the brief order record.

What happens next?

The order has been placed in OASIS and created in ALMA and now you wait for delivery.  If requested, an email confirmation of the order will arrive shortly.
You may elect to receive EDI order status reports on a periodic basis. This information would be placed in your ftp folder for retrieval by Alma and processed so Alma knows the current status of your orders. if this is a required feature, then please contact your ProQuest Customer service rep and they will perform the setup.
If you elect to use EDI invoicing, an EDI invoice file will be posted to the ftp server for your system to retrieve at the time the book is shipped.  If you are purchasing MARC records from us, those records would be available at the time of invoicing as well. 

When orders arrive, the library will receive the items into Alma, it will reconcile the invoice with the PO, and report  which invoices need to be paid.