How to activate and use the Fine Fees Currency Converter cloud app

See also:

• Ex Libris Introduces Cloud Apps Open Framework
• The Ex Libris App Center
• Deploying Cloud Apps
• Announcing the Cloud Apps Open Framework for the Ex Libris Higher-Ed Platform (Video)
• Cloud Apps in Alma (Video)

The cloud apps is “an open framework which allows developers to write apps which run inside Ex Libris higher education products such as Alma, Primo VE backoffice, Esploro, Leganto and Rapido.” (Announcing Ex Libris Cloud Apps)

The Fine Fees Currency Converter cloud app allows the Alma staff user to convert fulfillment fines and fees from one currency to another.

This is particularly useful in situations where a patron wants to pay a fine or fee in a currency which differs from the default currency of the institution.

This app converts a user’s specific fees or the full owed balance from the institution’s default currency to any currency that has been defined in Alma.

The screenshots and flow below is effective as of the April 2023 Alma release.

ONE

On top right of the Alma landing page click the link to the Cloud App Center

TWO

In the “Available Apps” column find the  Fine Fees Currency Converter cloud app and click it.  You can find it by scrolling through the list or by using the search icon.

THREE

After clicking the app you can click the link to read more about it on the app center or click ‘Activate’.  We will click ‘Activate’.

FOUR

The app will then appear in the activated apps tab and clicking it will open it for use

FIVE

It is possible to see documentation on how to use the Fine Fees Currency Converter cloud app by clicking the three dots and then the question mark icon.

Here is the help:

SIX

In our example patron Alicia Chen has a total of 120.00 EUR active balance Fines and Fees, consisting of three Overdue Fines of 40.00 EUR each.

SEVEN

Also in our example, we have currency EURO as our default currency.

At “Alma Menu > Acquisitions > General > Currency Subset” we see the following:

At “Configuration > Acquisitions > Advanced Tools > Exchange Rates Report” we see that the Australian Dollar has a ratio of 1.6715156 to the EURO.

EIGHT

With the Fines and Fees tab of the user open we now access the Cloud Apps and under the “Suggested Apps” tab we see the Fine Fees Cloud App.

NINE

We click the Fine Fees Currency Converter Cloud App and leave the default option “Convert fees from the user fees list” selected.

The app  displays a list of fees (The entire list of the user’s active fees).

We choose “Check All” and all active fees of the user are selected.

The patron wants to pay the library for the Fine and Fees in Australian Dollars.  Therefore in the field “Select Target Currency” we select “Australian Dollar”.

We then click “Convert”

TEN

When ‘convert’ is pressed, the Fine Fees Currency Converter Cloud App calculates the total amount of fees in the institution currency as well as in the target currency.

The Converted Amount” is 198.97 Australian Dollars (because 120 * 1.6581092 = 198.97)

ELEVEN

Now we know that if the patron wants to pay in Australian Dollars he or she needs to pay 201 Australian Dollars.

The patron pays the library staff 201 Australian Dollars and then the library staff uses the regular Alma workflow and pays the Fine and Fees.