Primo VE Views

What is a View in Primo VE?

The Primo VE discovery interface can have multiple Views that have different configuration settings, look and feel, and other customizations. The data being searched from your Alma IZ, the CARLI I-Share Network Zone, and the Central Discovery Index is all the same, but the search interface and options can differ between Views.

Why would you want or need more than one View in Primo VE?

  • You might create different Views to represent different libraries or campuses so that you can present a unique look and feel or specialized options, such as search slots.
  • You might create a Test View so that library staff can test new/different configuration options before putting those changes in front of your users. (CARLI Strongly Recommends this practice!)
  • CARLI staff often create a Test View in every I-Share library’s IZ when we need to troubleshoot or test. It typically has the View Code CARLITEST.

How do I create a Primo VE View for Testing Purposes?

Creating a View requires the user have the Discovery – Administrator role in Alma  

  1. Go to Alma Configuration > Discovery > Display Configuration > Configure Views.
  2. Identify your library’s current production View.  For most I-Share libraries this is the one with the code 01CARLI_XXX:CARLI_XXX (where XXX is three-letter I-Share code in UPPERCASE); however, a handful of libraries have a different code for their production View.
  3. Click the ellipsis/row action menu button on the current production View and choose Duplicate. This will open a “Duplicate View” pop up box where you will enter a new, unique code for the Test View you are creating. Enter a code of your choosing and click the “Duplicate” button to save it.
  4. The Test View has been created and a new row will appear in the Views List in Alma. CARLI strongly recommends that you now choose Edit from the ellipsis/row action menu to add a Description about why this new Test View was created. For example: “Created Sept. 2024 to test the Primo Research Assistant”. Click the Save button in the upper right.
  5. You can now make configuration changes in this View that you would like to test out before putting them into production in front of all your users. 
    • Most configuration/customization changes to the View are reflected immediately.
    • You can see the changes in the Test View by clicking the ellipsis/row action menu button and choosing Go to View. This will open in a new tab in your browser with the URL of the Test Primo VE View. You can bookmark this URL for later. The URL will have the general format: https://i-share-xxx.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=01CARLI_XXX:TESTVIEWCODE

For more information on configuring and customizing Primo VE Views, see CARLI's documentation and/or Ex Libris documentation.

If you have any questions, please contact .