LIBstick for label printing with Alma

Scope

This document covers how to set up and use LIBstick to print spine labels and serial check-in labels from Alma.

Contents

How LIBstick works with Alma

LIBstick is a web-based application that interfaces with Alma via each item’s saved unique barcode to look up call number data in Alma and display it on a specially configured label layout on your LIBstick “board” on our instance of the LIBstick website. LIBstick is compatible with Chromium browsers like Google Chrome and Edge.

You can configure your Alma account to use LIBstick via the Chrome Extension and/or the Cloud App. Whether you configure anything in Alma or not, you can also simply go to your LIBstick account and enter barcodes or an Alma set ID there to produce a label sheet. You can also choose a blank label slot and manually type call number details into the Edit Text menu in LIBstick and click on Create to add a label to the board if necessary.

Please see the details about known issues with label loading & formatting and printer settings before attempting to print labels and review these sections first if you experience problems with creating or printing labels.

Producing spine labels from Alma using LIBstick

If you have added the LIBstick Chrome Extension to your browser and/or configured your Alma account with the LIBstick Cloud App, you will be able to choose Print in LIBstick from the following screens in Alma:

  • Physical item editor - single barcode via either Chrome Extension button or Cloud App
  • Physical items repository search results - multiple barcodes, one screenful at a time via Cloud App; individual items, one at a time, from the Chrome Extension button
  • List of items - all barcodes on the current screen via Cloud App
  • Set Details - entire set (assuming they all have barcodes) via Chrome Extension button or multiple barcodes, one screenful at a time, by choosing Contents to display the List of items and using the Cloud App

Printing labels from Alma via LIBstick Chrome Extension

  1. Perform a physical item search.
  2. Click Print in LIBstick button from search results or from the physical item editor screen.
  3. LIBstick will automatically open a board in a new tab; you may be asked to log into LIBstick.
  4. Go back to Alma and add more labels if desired.
  5. When you’re done sending labels, go to your LIBstick board tab.
  6. Review label(s) for formatting issues & adjust as necessary.
  7. Click Print.
  8. Select printer & confirm settings.
    • You may also need to Print using the systems dialog box (Ctrl+Shift+P) if your printer setting isn't preconfigured for always printing labels.
  9. Click Print.

Printing labels from Alma using LIBstick Cloud App

  1. Perform a physical item search.
  2. Click on the Cloud App menu and choose Print in LIBStick.
  3. Click the Print in LIBStick button from the Cloud App:
    • From physical items search results (will add labels for all items on the screen)
    • From the physical item editor (will add label for just the open item)
    • From the List of Items (will add labels for all items on the screen)
  4. LIBstick will automatically open a board in a new tab; you may be asked to log into LIBstick.
  5. Go back to Alma and add more labels if desired.
  6. When you’re done sending labels, go to your LIBstick board.
  7. Review label(s) for formatting issues & adjust as necessary.
  8. Click Print.
  9. Select printer & confirm settings.
    • You may also need to Print using the systems dialog box (Ctrl+Shift+P) if your printer setting isn't preconfigured for always printing labels.
  10. Click Print.

Print labels from barcodes scanned directly into LIBstick

  1. Log into LIBstick.
  2. Click Create Labels.
  3. Scan or type or paste in a barcode.
  4. Hit Return or Click Add.
  5. Label displays.
  6. Add more barcodes/labels if desired.
  7. Review label(s) for formatting issues & adjust as necessary.
  8. Click Print.
  9. Select printer & confirm settings.
    • You may also need to Print using the systems dialog box (Ctrl+Shift+P) if your printer setting isn't preconfigured for always printing labels.
  10. Click Print.

Printing labels from Alma sets

LIBstick can only load a maximum of 100 labels from a set. If your set has more than 100 items, you will only get the first 100 labels using this method. You can continue to add labels to the board using other methods, but if you load another set, it will start another board.

Also note that Alma does not necessarily put items into a set in the same order you saw them in an item list. If you use this method your labels may be in a different order on your label sheet than they are on your cart of materials. Use caution and make sure you’re applying the right label to the right piece!

Print labels sent from a Physical Items Set in Alma via LIBstick Chrome Extension

  1. Create a physical items set in Alma.
  2. Highlight the set you want to use in the Manage Sets menu.
  3. Click the Print in LIBstick button in the right hand pane.
  4. LIBstick will automatically open a board in a new tab; you may be asked to log into LIBstick.
  5. Click Next.
  6. Change the Number of labels to load if desired.
  7. Click Next.
  8. Click Finish.
  9. Review labels & make adjustments.
  10. Click Print.
  11. Select printer & confirm settings.
    • You may also need to Print using the systems dialog box (Ctrl+Shift+P) if your printer setting isn't preconfigured for always printing labels.
  12. Click Print.
  13. CAUTION: Labels may not be in the same order as your pieces!

Print labels sent from a Physical Items Set Contents List in Alma via LIBstick Cloud App

  1. Create a physical items set in Alma.
  2. Open the Items List by clicking the Content button from the Manage Sets list.
  3. Click on the Cloud App menu and choose Print in LIBStick.
  4. Click the Print in LibStick button from the Cloud App.
  5. LIBstick will automatically open a board in a new tab; you may be asked to log into LIBstick.
  6. Labels for the items currently displaying on your Alma screen will automatically load onto the board. Please note, this may not be the entire set, since Alma only allows a maximum of 50 items (or fewer, if you’re set to a lower limitation) to be displayed on your screen at a time and the LIBstick Cloud App can only load labels for what’s on your screen when you click on Print in LIBstick.
  7. Review labels & make adjustments.
  8. Click Print.
  9. Select printer & confirm settings.
    • You may also need to Print using the systems dialog box (Ctrl+Shift+P) if your printer setting isn't preconfigured for always printing labels.
  10. Click Print.
  11. CAUTION: Labels may not be in the same order as your pieces!

Print labels retrieved from a Physical Items Set by LIBstick

  1. Save a physical items set in Alma.
  2. Copy the physical items Set ID from Alma.
  3. Login to LIBstick.
  4. Click Create Labels.
  5. Click Load Set.
  6. Paste the Set ID.
  7. Click Next.
  8. Change the Number of labels to load if desired.
  9. Click Next.
  10. Click Finish.
  11. Check and adjust labels if necessary.
  12. Click Print.
  13. Select printer & confirm settings.
    • You may also need to Print using the systems dialog box (Ctrl+Shift+P) if your printer setting isn't preconfigured for always printing labels.
  14. Click Print.
  15. CAUTION: Labels may not be in the order you expect!

Producing labels during serial receiving in Alma using LIBstick Chrome Extension Print in LIBstick button

  1. Manage Items for the title you want to Receive.
  2. Click the Print in LIBstick button for each predicted item you’re receiving.
  3. LIBstick will automatically open a board in a new tab for the first label you send; you may be asked to log into LIBstick.
  4. Go back to Alma and continue your receiving, clicking on the Print in LIBstick button for each issue as you go, until you are done or reach the maximum number of label sheets you feel comfortable sending in one print job.
  5. Go to your LIBstick board.
  6. Review label(s) for formatting issues & adjust as necessary.
  7. Click Print.
  8. Select printer & confirm settings.
    • You may also need to Print using the systems dialog box (Ctrl+Shift+P) if your printer setting isn't preconfigured for always printing labels.
  9. Click Print.

Printer settings

The label templates are designed to be printed to laser printers using the labels provided by Library Storeroom.

You will need to learn which way to orient the serial receiving labels in your particular printer paper tray.

The margins are pre-configured into the Label Layouts and Templates, so make sure the your printer settings are:

  • Paper size = Letter (8.5x11")
  • Pages per sheet = 1
  • Margins = None
  • Scale = 100% (Custom)
  • Two-sided/Print on both sides box = not checked

Known issues with label loading & formatting

Because LIBstick is communicating with Alma over the internet, labels can load slowly on your  LIBstick board. When scanning barcodes directly into LIBstick or sending records from Alma make sure you wait for each label to load before scanning another barcode or clicking another Print in LIBstick button or you may accidentally miss some labels due to lag time.

You can have multiple boards open in LIBstick at one time. Each will be on its own browser tab. LIBstick will automatically open a new board even if you already have one open, if there’s been a delay since the last time you sent an item to the board. You cannot move labels between boards or merge boards. But if you find that a new board has been opened and you want to continue adding to your existing board you can choose to add the new barcodes to your existing board by scanning barcodes directly in LIBstick.

Please note that LIBstick loads the call number assigned by the holdings record. If an item record has an Item Call Number that will not be the call number loaded into LIBstick. You will have to manually alter/enter the Item Call Number if you want to print a label for an item that carries an Item Call Number. Always double-check that the label data that came through from your barcode scan or set load matches what you expected. After the holdings-based label loads you can edit the label to match the Item Call number.

The Library field in the item record is used for the 3- or 4-letter Library name. This works for all but a few locations where the Library field doesn’t match what is normally printed on the labels, for example, MAIN, not DREF will appear. You will need to pay attention and manually alter the final field on your labels if you need to use something other than the Library code.

On the Serial Receiving template only, call numbers with a prefix (e.g., folios) must have the space between the prefix and classification letters removed so the full call number will print on the spine label portion. 

On the spine label layout, any prefix will appear above the classification letters. Traditionally at Berkeley a prefix appears immediately in front of the classification letters. If your library wants to continue with that traditional format, you will need to move the prefix to be immediately before the classification letters on your labels before printing.

Call numbers using periods and/or spaces in the Item Part ($$i) may require manual adjustment. This is a known problem for MUSI, and may be an issue at other libraries as well. Please thoroughly review your labels for odd formatting and adjust if necessary before printing.

In the spine label layout, any call number with a decimal in the classification part will not break on the decimal as was traditionally done at Berkeley. If a line break is required by the owning library, then it will need to be inserted manually before printing the label.

Traditionally, it was the fashion at Berkeley to remove the decimal before a cutter, but currently the decimal will appear. You may remove it if you feel that’s necessary.

A couple of things to be careful about

We advise that when you get started with labels you test how a few labels (up to 48, since that’s one sheet of spine labels) print for you before you produce a full board of multiple pages of labels. Printers can be finicky and we’ve found that even though the spine labels have the same margins at the top/bottom & right/left, sometimes the text prints a little too high on the labels, and turning the label sheet around makes it work just fine. If you see signs of “label creep”, where the text is shifting gradually into the neighboring label, make sure you double check your settings before printing again, in particular margins=None and Scale=100%/Custom.

Closing your LIBstick board will clear out all of the labels on the board at that time, so make sure you keep your board open until you have printed your labels successfully.

Working within the LIBstick website

Most users will have an account that allows them to add and modify individual labels on the board and can print, but cannot configure templates or layouts. You can log into LIBstick directly by going to our instance URL (https://libstick.org/berkeley/) and entering your account information.

Getting to the board in LIBstick

If you log directly into LIBstick (as opposed to having it open automatically when you send a label to it from Alma), you may see your profile screen instead of your board.

Click on Back To LIBstick in the upper left corner to get to the LIBstick board.

screenshot of LIBstick profile screen

LIBstick label templates

There are three templates:

  • For Spine Labels
  • Serial Receiving Laser
  • HY Serial Receiving - used by EAL for serials using Harvard–Yenching call numbers with decimals in both lines and call numbers with ser.2

LIBstick usually defaults to opening the template that was most recently used.

If you need to switch the label template

  1. Click on “Design templates” in the LIBstick menu.
  2. Choose the appropriate template from the menu.

Reviewing and possibly editing labels before printing

All labels should be reviewed before printing.

Each library should develop their own list of things that may cause complications in their collection and train all label producing staff and SLEs on what to look for and correct.

To edit the label, hover over the label to make the pop up toolbar at the bottom appear, click on the pencil icon, then edit the fields in the Edit text box that will open in the left menu bar, and hit the Update button at the bottom to push the changes to the label.

When you’re hovering over a label to open the edit menu, be careful not to accidentally click on the trashcan icon and delete your label. Once you click on the trash can icon your label is removed immediately without any “are you sure about that” type warning.

Removing or duplicating labels

If you need to remove a label from the board, click on the little garbage can icon that shows up at the bottom of the label when you hover over it.

If you want to duplicate a label, you can hit the +1 icon.

If you need to make multiple copies of a label, you can click on the vertical ellipsis and choose how many copies to make by dragging the green dot, then click the Go button.

Moving and reordering labels

Beware of getting your labels into a confusing order that doesn’t match the order of the items on your cart or in your pile of materials!

If you want to move a label, just click and drag it around the board and drop it where you want it. If you drop it on top of another label LIBstick will swap that label into the spot you vacated.

Note that the “Re order labels - make current label first” option keeps the last label entered in the same spot, and moves the earlier labels after it, in the existing order. This can be useful if you’re using a partly used label sheet. However, if you add any more labels, they’ll start filling in at the top left label slot.

Managing your boards

After you’ve printed your labels, you should clear your board. You can simply close your LIBstick window in your browser to clear the board, but if you want to keep the LIBstick window open and clear the board follow these steps:

  1. Click on the ellipsis above the right upper corner of the board.
  2. From the pop-down menu, choose Clear board.

You can also save a board to add more and print it later, although there are limitations on how many boards we can have at any one time and boards may be deleted by LIBstick managers at any time.

You can also sort your board by any of the fields used on the template, but we advise against doing that, since it would mean you need to resort the materials they belong on as well.

Getting an account and/or help with LIBstick

To get a LIBstick  account, submit a helpbox ticket by emailing helpbox. Please cc your manager so we know they have approved the request.

Both label types are part of the Library stocked supplies and can be requested through the normal channels.

If you have printer issues or questions about LIBstick that aren’t resolved by double-checking your settings, making sure what’s happening for you is not covered in Known issues with label loading & formatting, and checking with others you know who use LIBstick to see if they’re having the same problem, create a Library IT ticket by emailing helpbox. Please use a subject line that clarifies the nature of your problem (e.g., does your problem appear to be with the printer or with LIBstick?) and give as much detail about your situation as possible. The staff helping with LIBstick will want to know what browser you’re using, if you’re using the Cloud App or the extension or sending from a set or scanning barcodes directly into LIBstick and if your browser is up-to-date or has been recently updated, if you’ve had a recent update to your printer, etc.

Installing the LIBstick Chrome Extension

  1. Go to the Chrome Web Store.
  2. Search for LIBstick.
  3. Click on LIBstick graphic.
  4. Click on Add to Chrome.
  5. Click on Add Extension from the pop-up message.
  6. Log out of Alma and log back in so that Alma recognizes the extension and displays the buttons.
  7. The first time you attempt to send a label, you’ll get a pop-up message saying you need to configure LIBstick URL. Click on the link in that message and enter the URL https://libstick.org/berkeley

Adding & using the LIBstick Cloud App in your Alma account

loud app center icon

This is the Cloud App center icon, which you should be able to find in the upper right corner of your Alma window. If you don’t see the Cloud App Center Icon, click the “More Options” Icon (three vertical white dots).

Installation

  1. In Alma, click on the "Cloud App Center" icon.
  2. Click on “Available Apps” tab.
  3. Click on "Print in LIBstick".
  4. Click Activate.
  5. Click Open.

Pinning LIBstick Cloud App in Alma

  1. Click on the Cloud App icon.
  2. Click on the LIBstick app.
  3. Click the Pin to keep Print in LIBstick Cloud App open on the right.

Unpinning LIBstick Cloud App in Alma

Click the Pin to release Print in LIBstick Cloud App from the right frame.
 

By jcripe on 05-19-2025

Tags

Collection maintenance, Configuration, Item Records Task Force (IRTF), Physical processing, Procedure, Receiving (Acq. function), Resource Management Group (RMG)