How do EBSCO databases work in Alma and Primo, and what is alternative coverage?

Answer

You activate your EBSCO databases in Alma but they can’t be searched directly in Primo because EBSCO does not share their indexing with Ex Libris. You CAN do an EBSCO index search by using the EBSCO API, but only signed in users will see results for this kind of search, and the facets for an EBSCO API search work differently than the Primo VE facets. An unauthenticated off-campus user would see the EBSCO API scope and could do a search, but they'd get "No Records Found" as their result.

With the implementation of the Central Discovery Index (CDI) for SUNY on May 24, you no longer need to set up alternative coverage for EBSCO databases. Any full-text EBSCO content in Alma will automatically be searchable. However, if you have alternative coverage databases already set up, that content might be useful in an expanded search to find articles for which you don't have full-text, so you don't necessarily need to deactivate what you activated for alternative coverage in the Primo Central Index (PCI).

See also How does the Central Discovery Index (CDI) work and what do I need to know?

  • Last Updated Jul 25, 2023
  • Views 4871
  • Answered By Michelle Eichelberger

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