Optimize Your Library’s Impact
Achieve greater success for your library and users with a proven, flexible and unified library management system. You and your library will operate more efficiently, surpass patron expectations, and exceed institutional goals with Alma.
Alma Library Management System
Make Informed Decisions
Gain insights into your library’s data with Alma Analytics and simplify workflows by leveraging the Ex Libris knowledge base, authority records, and artificial intelligence. Address pressing questions today and be future-ready.
Gain insights into your library’s data with Alma Analytics and simplify workflows by leveraging the Ex Libris knowledge base, authority records, and artificial intelligence. Address pressing questions today and be future-ready.
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Our customer stories
"the implementation discussions with the Ex Libris team, we engaged in direct conversations about how to adapt existing tasks to the new system and streamline our workflows"
Library Staff National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism
"The number of registered users since the launch of Alma and Primo has increased by almost 20,000 - it's great!"
Jaroslav Sivák Charles University
“Sourcing and filling each request in Rapido takes few steps compared to the multiple steps involved with our old system”
Roshan Thapa Charles Sturt University
"Having an open solution is important because it allows us to connect all of our systems to other systems across campus."
Eduardo Prieto University of Miami
"The last Alma release is very exciting. It's a major milestone for Ex Libris in the Linked Data development."
Xiaoli Li University of California, Davis
"When we migrated to Alma in 2018, one of our goals was to have one system to manage everything."
Jamen McGranahan Vanderbilt University
“We wanted a system that could handle the complex nature of our consortia.”
Wendy Ellis Florida Virtual Campus Library Services
"Alma benefits me in all aspects of e-resource management."
Danielle Ostendorf Colorado School of Mines
“[Rapido] makes the process as seamless as accessing items in the library’s own collection.”
Jennifer Young East Tennessee State University
“We were looking for certain requirements and Alma met all those criteria.”
Van Duong Royal Melbourne Hospital
"...I can't imagine life or work without Alma. Too many things have changed...When we wanted to trigger the shift from print to electronic and digital, we did that with Alma."
Gijs Noels LIBIS
"The unique full integration with Alma allows people to serendipitously find our content while searching the catalogue."
Alison Harvey Cardiff University
"I don't think we would have been able to do a lot of the things that we've done without that type of customization framework."
Allen Jones The New School Library and Archives
"Creating a seamless experience where we take analytics and the actions in Alma and turn them into one."
Raphael Gabbay Ex Libris, Part of Clarivate
"Alma lets us get materials out so much faster and so much easier"
Matthew Farthing Washtenaw Community College
“It has been a really big shift.. yet this was the smoothest implementation I’ve ever been through.”
Jane Davis Linda Hall Library
"The features that excite me most about Alma are automated holdings, Alma Analytics, and the quarterly releases of new functionality."
Charlie Remy Dartmouth Library
“A small library can use Alma effectively and efficiently.”
Karen WaitE Spokane Community College
"My favorite thing in Alma is analytics, it's so powerful, it really helps me with assessment and figuring out how we want to change our services..."
Christina Hennessey California State University - Northridge
“Our continuously expanding knowledge of the new system allows us to improve our workflows, everyday IT skills, and user experience."
Sara Melchior, Art Library Manager documenta archiv
Explore how SBART improves user experience and increases visibility using Alma & Primo
SBART
"When you take a look at Alma and what Alma can do and how that can be restructured that can open your mind to new possibilities."
Julie Kane Washington & Lee University
"The University of Siena decided to go live with Alma, joining other universities in our region."
Guido Badalamenti The University of Siena
“Together with all of my colleagues in the network, and of course with the help of Ex Libris, we overcame all problems"
Wolfgang Hamedinger OBVSG
"We've been able to do a lot of streamlined workflows with the same amount of staff, and we really appreciated working with the tools."
Pascal Calarco University of Windsor
“We have the best possible relationship with Ex Libris, as we share exactly the same objective - creating valued services for our faculty.”
Ming-Jiu Hwang National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
"Collaboration with Ex Libris has been a journey of true partnership, which we hope will continue into the future."
Thomas Marty The Swiss Library Service Platform
“This API is exactly what we were hoping for ever since we migrated to Alma.”
Brian Yost Hope College
"Alma Analytics help highlight the value of the library's collections."
Simon Huggard Swinburne University
“The list of things we like about Alma is quite long – and getting longer, as we still have more to discover."
Bas Vat Leiden University
"What I really enjoy is the worldwide community. It makes you aware that even as a small library you are not alone.“
Christian Kieslinger University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten
“We were given a very good hand from Ex Libris project management and then we managed the migration well.”
Falk Hartwig The Nuremberg University of Music
"Thanks to the Alma Community Zone, we could activate or deactivate sections of our ebook inventory at any time."
Bettina Kaldenberg Library of the University of Mannheim
“The ability to coherently manage these various constellations of licenses and patron types was one of the reasons we selected Alma."
Knut Bøckman The Royal Danish Library
"Thanks to the possibilities provided by APIs, Alma is well prepared for the future.”
Leon Krauthausen, System Librarian Freie Universität Berlin
“Ex Libris solutions helped us broaden the use of technology within the library and provide innovative learning experiences for our students.”
Dr. Brandon A. Owens Fisk University
"Ex Libris Alma checks off all the boxes to meet our needs and leaves us with a lot of room for growth in the future."
Judith Drescher Molloy College
"The Alma platform has proven to be an excellent library system, smoothly integrating with other university systems."
Dalia Mendelsson Hebrew University of Jerusalem
"Alma has provided a different vision of the future of health libraries, allowing us to explore services beyond what we’ve previously considered."
Chris Parker The Prince Charles Hospital Library
"The Alma-based workflow is quick and efficient, from licensing all the way to getting the right content into the hands of our students."
Sarah Falls University of North Carolina School of the Arts
“Alma has made it possible for us to adapt our services and workflows so that we can operate effectively in an online environment."
Jane Saunders University of Leeds
"When you take a look at what Alma can do, and how that can be restructured, that can open your mind for new possibilities for your entire work life."
Julie Kane Washington and Lee University
"The library with the largest collection in Australia needed to streamline integration for accurate archival management."
Lynne Billington State Library of New South Wales
“Find out why an academic library at a specialist college transformed its services and operations through Alma, Primo and Leganto."
Laura Pilsel Harper Adams University
Unifying systems and workflows with Alma at the Library of Ara Institute of Canterbury
Claire Brocklehurst Ara Institutue of Canterbury
Supporting the Imperial College Library Mission with Ex Libris Higher-Ed Cloud Solutions
Katherine Rose, Katharine Thompson, James Garry Imperial College, London
Alma for Digital Resources Provides Critical Digital-Based Access at the University of Liège
François Renaville, Paul Thirion, Fabienne Prosmans, Stéphanie Simon University of Liège
Alma as Part of a Strategy to Become an International-Level Institution
Celine Qiu Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech)
University of Mpumalanga Brings Together Two Academic Libraries with Alma
Zanele Mathe University of Mpumalanga
Alma & Summon at Johnson County Community College
Michael Frisbie Johnson County Community College
Demonstrating and Deepening the Library's Value with Ex Libris Higher-Ed Solutions
Helen Woolfries Kingston University London
Alma at California State University: A Consolidation of Efficiency and Savings
Jessica Hartwigsen California State University
A Fulfillment Round Table: Invisible Convenience
Brian Thompson & Todd Vandenbark University of Iowa & Wartburg College
A Resource Sharing Round Table: How Macquarie University is Streamlining Interlibrary Loan
Tony L.H. Wai
Annette Schryver
Jim Kelly
Matthew Pinson
Macquarie University
Streamlining Researcher Access to Funding
Ryan Champagne Director of Systemwide Digital Library Services, California State University
Alma at the University of Wisconsin: The New UX and Consortium Collaboration
Crystal Buss Head of Access Services, University of Wisconsin
Our team of experts looks forward to hearing from you
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Institutions using Alma
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2024 New Enhancements and Features
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Cloud Apps and Extensions
Ex Libris Webinars
Please choose time
The Linked Open Data Editor for BIBFRAME (2026 Roadmap Webin...
Using the new Linked Open Data Editor for BIBFRAME Librarians will be able to create BIBFRAME records (work and instance) in a new editor.
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Please choose time
Physical Holdings retention in Alma (2026 Roadmap Webinar Se...
Alma will support retention of the holdings record, in addition to the existing retention of physical items and bibliographic records.
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Wednesday, Nov 12, 2025 at 11:00 AM GTM -5
Upcoming
Effective email marketing strategies for libraries
From onboarding new users or patrons to developing content that reflects your library voice and mission, you’ll learn how to craft email strategies that drive engagement, build tru...
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AI based tools in Primo VE NDE (2026 Roadmap Webinar Series)
The Primo Research Assistant and the Natural Language Search ("Ask Anything") are AI based tools in Primo VE NDE.
Customized Repository Search Bibliographic Indexes (2026 Roa...
With this development each institution can customize bibliographic indexes to include those field(s) which are desired by the institution.
The new “Relative Date Index” in Alma (2026 Road...
A new index allowing for the staff user to search entities via an "X days ago" relative date index has already been added (Nov. 2025) to the various 'Titles" searches.
On demand
Academic AI in Action: Enhancing Library Services with Alma
In this session, experts from Ex Libris’ Alma share how the close-knit Alma user community is helping shape the future of libraries through collaboration and shared innovation. Par...
On demand
What’s New with Summon 2025
What’s New with Summon 2025
On demand
Rialto Release Customer Education Session – December 2...
The webinar focused on recent updates and enhancements to metadata, visibility features, search functionalities, and future improvements in the system's ordering and fulfillment pr...
On demand
What’s New in Primo – Q1 2026
Watch this live webinar to get caught up on recent and upcoming developments of Primo and Primo VE. Members of the Product Management team will recap the most recent release, highl...
On demand
Make the Most of the New Search UX
The new search interface is full of new capabilities and ways to save time and effort come learn how to make the most of the new search.
On demand
Primo Roadmap Webinar Jan 2026
An exclusive overview of the Primo Roadmap for 2026. Watch this webinar, where we highlight key initiatives, introduce exciting new developments, and share how these plans will con...
On demand
NDE UI Onboarding in Practice
This webinar, conducted on February 2026, was designed for libraries preparing to onboard or currently onboarding to the NDE UI. It covered real onboarding scenarios from the field...
On demand
NDE UI for Consortia webinar
Join us in exploring Features, Customization, and Mixpanel Settings for consortia’s in this webinar that took place in Dec. 2025.
Primo VE NDE configuration (Part of the 2025 Roadmap Webinar...
Please join us for this session in which we will demonstrate live the various configuration options for the Primo VE NDE.
We will look at configurations which do, as well as do no...
On demand
How Academic AI is Redefining Discovery
Join your colleagues in this live discussion and hear directly from Michael Gonzalez (University of Technology Sydney) and Sue Stevens (Cardiff University) who will share how their...
Alma Analytics for RapidILL users (2025 Roadmap Webinar Seri...
A new analytics dashboard and extensive set of corresponding reports has been developed in coordination with the input and cooperation of the RapidILL user community. The new repor...
XSL Normalization Rules and Processes for Metadata Records
XSL normalization of metadata records is now supported, enabling both manual and batch processing. Institutions can use XSL to manipulate metadata across all MARC-supported formats...
Library community at work: Developing custom AI workflows fo...
Curious about real-world AI applications in libraries? Join us to learn directly from teams librarians building custom solutions and putting these tools them into practice.
Primo Next Discovery Experience (NDE) (Part of the 2025 Road...
The Next Discovery Experience (NDE) vision for the coming years is set to enhance the way academic research is conducted, ushering in a new era of research efficiency and insight.
Linked Data Enrichment (Part of the 2025 Roadmap Webinar Ser...
During this session we will show the ability to enrich records with Linked Data both "On the fly" and "Permanently".
New Alma Authority Records Matching and Linking in the Aug. ...
The Partial Linking capability improves the matching of MARC21 name/title fields by allowing selective subfield linking. It systematically compares the full bibliographic heading w...
Building a tailored resource sharing solution at Drew Univer...
Drew University shares its experience transitioning from traditional ILL systems to Rapido. They worked directly with the Rapido team to develop a custom FOLIO integration.
Linked Data Developments in 2025 (Part of the 2025 Roadmap W...
During this session we will show several recent developments related to Linked Data for Alma and Primo
The Future of Rialto: Innovation, Growth, and What’s N...
Rialto is entering a new phase; we’ll share our vision for the future, an overview of planned innovations and how these changes align with the evolving needs of libraries.
On demand
Open new doors to your digital collections with Alma Specto
Meet Alma Specto, the platform powered by Academic AI that integrates all stages of digital collection management - from cataloguing to discovery and preservation. This session wil...
On demand
How Regent University met a 300% increase in resource sharin...
A surge in Regent University's student population, paired with the migration to a more intuitive discovery tool, put a strain on staff. In response, the library looked for a soluti...
Primo VE Mixpanel User Engagement Analytics
Mixpanel is a new Analytics platform for understanding how users behave within the Primo VE user interface and will be released as part of the "Next Discovery Experience" (NDE).
What’s New with Primo – Q1 2025
This webinar will provide valuable insights into the latest features and enhancements in Primo and Primo VE which are planned to be released as part of February release.
The AI Metadata Assistant in the Metadata Editor
The AI Metadata Assistant uses a Large Language Model generative AI to process information about a library resource, and suggest relevant metadata to the cataloger to help make the...
Sustaining cataloguing excellence through innovation. Unleash the power of Alma - powered by Academic AI for your library.
Request your free demo hereMore about Alma
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All the Ex Libris consultants, trainers and experienced developers partner with you to tailor your solutions.
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Our best-in-class professional services provided by our global teams ensure on-time and on-budget project implementation and we are with you every step of the way with on-going advice, training, and support.
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We are committed to ensuring a high level of satisfaction among our customers. Our dedicated support services team attends to your specific configurations and needs on time, every time.
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FAQ
A Library Management System, or LMS, like Alma, encompasses a suite of functionalities aimed at managing library operations efficiently. It often includes features such as cataloging and classification for organizing materials, search and discovery tools for easy access to library resources, digital resource management for overseeing online collections, reporting and analytics for informed decision-making, and integration with other library systems and platforms for seamless workflow coordination.
The primary objective of a Library Management System for universities is to efficiently manage library resources and services to support teaching, learning, and research activities. Simplifying tasks like cataloging materials, facilitating circulation, providing easy access to resources, enabling data-driven decision-making, integrating with other university systems, optimizing resource allocation, and ensuring compliance and security. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance the overall academic experience for students, faculty, and researchers by providing convenient access to a wealth of scholarly resources and efficient library services.
Alma centralizes management of print, electronic and digital materials, by unifying the management of ALL library resources. It simplifies all library management activities through a single unified interface, helping staff eliminate time-consuming manual processes and a complex patchwork of siloed systems. Alma automates routine library services and management processes, with intelligent automation streamlining workflows.
Alma Analytics was developed together with Alma from the very beginning. The Analytics tool is deployed on the Oracle Analytics Server, the top-of the line tool for sophisticated, but easy-to-use analytics. Alma Analytics provides insightful and actionable insights for librarians, is an integral part of the Alma solution and is included in a subscription.
Alma, along with Primo library discovery service, are seamlessly connected through a unified backend and deliver a single-point of administration. You and your staff can manage acquisition, activation, and fulfillment with unified workflows and the results are published to the discovery system in real-time. Critical content is immediately discoverable and processes are simplified, reducing time spent on setup, configuration, data updates, and more.
No. Alma does not require specialized expertise in order to start using it. The solution is both intuitive and focused on user experience, with context-sensitive help options throughout and read-to-go workflows for every library process.
The Alma Community Zone, an integral part of the Alma software, includes a Central KnowledgeBase (CKB) of vendor offerings for electronic resources that is maintained by Ex Libris. By integrating the CKB into the Community Zone, Alma allows libraries to eliminate the need to manually synchronize records for electronic resources into the local catalog.
Alma integrates with external systems, such as vendor systems, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, metadata management systems, and remote storage systems. It supports more than 200 APIs which are used daily by our customers in order to integrate Alma with their institutional ecosystem. Ex Libris’ Cloud Apps is an open framework that allows developers to write apps that can integrate with other systems and more.
Ex Libris provides customers a secure and reliable environment with a multi-tiered security model that covers all aspects of our cloud-based solutions and controls are based on international protocols and standards. Ex Libris has received FedRAMP Tailored Authorization and is committed to GDPR compliance. Alma is also designed to safeguard data throughout the data lifecycle including data in transit.
Alma supports different sizes and types of consortia, bringing members together! Alma supports collaborative networks – groups of institutions, such as a consortium – that share the management of metadata records and/or other Alma services, such as fulfillment, resource sharing, vendor information, or administration tables. Institutions can work together and share resources, or independently manage their own library needs.
All Ex Libris products and Alma in particular support in depth documentation – including online help, release notes, best practices and how tos, training documentation, Libguides, knowledge articles and more. All documentation is freely available and open to the world and can be found in our Learning Archive. No documentation is behind a paywall.