August 31, 2026
Announcements
Webinar: Alma’s new “Physical Items” experience, Sept 1, 10AM
Please register for a live Ex Libris demonstration of the new Physical Items experience on September 1 at 10-11 a.m. Alma has undergone a significant modernization of the Staff User Interface over the last several releases. This includes the complete redesign of the Physical Items experience, which streamlines workflows, reduces unnecessary navigation, and helps staff users remain focused on their work. It also introduced new capabilities for searching, viewing, editing, and managing physical inventory.
Please share feedback by Sept 4 for 2026 Vibe Check
We’ve been live on Alma/Primo for a year now and would like to check in with the community on the migration. The OhioLINK 2026 LSP Vibe Check is the same three very brief questions as we asked in the September 2025 survey. Aggregated results will be discussed at the Summit and shared with OhioLINK members in a fall update.
Last week for Summit registration
We hope you can join us for the 2026 Membership Summit on Friday, September 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.at the at OCLC Conference Center. Please register by Friday, September 4. Check the Summit page for more information. The schedule offers sessions for Deans and Directors, discussions about AI, practical information on Leganto and Primo NDE implementation, resource sharing, acquisitions and collections, cataloging and metadata, and reference and instruction, as well as Primo “glow ups” and Analytics drop-ins.
Submit your idea for Steal My Idea! also by Sept 4
If you have a successful idea that you’ve implemented at your library, please consider submitting your example for a “Steal My Idea” session! These are very short, 5–10 minute sessions that share something that worked well at your institution—related to Alma or Primo or not!—for OhioLINK colleagues to try and adapt for their own libraries.
Ex Libris September Update Release Notes, Sept 6
The September release notes for Ex Libris products will be available on September 6.
Webinar: What’s new in Alma authority control rules, Sept 8, 10AM
Please register for an Ex Libris presentation/demonstration on September 8 at 10-11 a.m. about recent developments in Alma authority control, including:
- Reviewing how authority control rules work in Alma
- Exploring recently released enhancements and their practical applications
- Learning how to create rules that compare diacritics between bibliographic and authority headings
- Learning how to create rules that compare specific subfields between bibliographic and authority headings
- Discussing real-world use cases and implementation considerations
Webinar: LibKey Update and New Features, Sept 30, 3PM
Please register to join Third Iron presenters at 3:00 pm on Wednesday, September 30 for a LibKey product update webinar for OhioLINK member libraries. Topics will include recent enhancements across LibKey and BrowZine, including expanded retraction notifications, their latest AI integrations to connect researchers from AI-driven discovery environments back to the library’s content, and how LibKey works with gen-AI platforms. Although researchers increasingly begin their work in AI platforms, these integrations help ensure the library remains central to the research process. Finally, Third Iron will preview their product roadmap and coming integrations, workflow enhancements, and new opportunities to increase library impact and usage across the user community.
Action needed! Proxy.ohiolink.edu redirect ends Sept 30
Any links to the OhioLINK shared proxy "proxy.ohiolink.edu" after September 30th will result in a "Server Not Found" error. Local library staff should identify and replace all proxy.ohiolink.edu links on web pages, A-Z lists, and/or within resource admin tools (e.g., EBSCO). These links were included in OhioLINK-provided e-resource records prior to the GO implementation. The ERIT Implementation team has received communications about this issue. More information is available in the GO FAQ.
Supporting changes in September
September marks one year since we “switched to support” with Alma, Primo, and Rapido. Please be aware of the following changes that will take place in September:
- Innovative catalog redirects end on September 30. Until then, all links to the OhioLINK Central Catalog redirect to this page. Action Needed: review your LibGuides and web sites to ensure that links to the OhioLINK Central Catalog (http://olc1.ohiolink.edu) are removed or updated. Communicate this to faculty and staff as needed.
- References to the Central Catalog will be removed from the public OhioLINK.edu web site. Library users looking for library materials will be instructed to use their institution’s library to find OhioLINK shared resources.
- The Ex Libris Alma, Primo, and Rapido Basecamps will be taken offline. Action Needed: Review Basecamps and save local copies of files and information that you want to retain for your records. The OhioLINK office will retain a partial offline archive of the Ex Libris Basecamps for a minimum of 5 years.
Ostaff password expiration emails
For security reasons, Ostaff passwords expire every six months. OhioLINK sends three emails reminders to change the password before it expires from no-reply@ohiolink.edu. Details can be found at How to Set or Reset Your Ostaff Password.
Info Hub and Micro-learning: Resolving MDE Alert Warnings with Extension Packs
There is a new Info Hub article Resolving MDE Alert Warnings with Extension Packs for an introduction to extension packs and how they can be used to remove MDE alerts/warnings by updating Alma metadata profiles. This document will review how to use community-contributed extension packs to resolve MDE alerts for records that contain 019 and/or 035 subfield 9. There is also a new recorded microlearning training on this topic. Also recently added: Configuring “Beyond My Library” Rapido Search Profile and Slot for Primo VE/Primo NDE
