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Alma

This dashboard brings together data, trends, news, and other resources from Library Technology Guides describing the product and the libraries in which it has has been implemented, its geographic presence, statistics of sales and installations, and satisfaction ratings from libraries that use it.

Alma is an Integrated Library System offered by Ex Libris.

Alma product logo
Ex Libris product logo

[vendor profile]

Alma has been installed in 2,164 libraries, spanning 3,400 facilities or branches)

Alma implementations by Type of Library

[Data source: statistics derived from the libraries.org directory of libraries]

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Distribution of Alma sites by Country

[Data source: statistics derived from the libraries.org directory of libraries]

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System migration patterns for Alma

[Data source: statistics derived from the libraries.org directory of libraries]

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View Report of Alma Selections and De-Selections


Sales Statistics for Alma

[Data source: statistics reported for the Annual Library Systems Report]

Sales and Installation Statistics for Alma
Product NameCompanyNameProduct TypeYearContractsLibrariesInstalled
Alma Ex LibrisIntegrated Library System20221391392365
Alma Ex LibrisIntegrated Library System20211822422261
Alma Ex LibrisIntegrated Library System20201141772037
Alma Ex LibrisIntegrated Library System20191021641769
Alma Ex LibrisIntegrated Library System20181154481543
Alma Ex LibrisIntegrated Library System20171162661095
Alma Ex LibrisIntegrated Library System2016132203829
Alma Ex LibrisIntegrated Library System201588220626
Alma Ex LibrisIntegrated Library System20144377406
Alma Ex LibrisIntegrated Library System201331170329
Alma Ex LibrisIntegrated Library System20121771126
Alma Ex LibrisIntegrated Library System2011242455

View detailed annual sales report for Alma

Alma Satisfaction Ratings

[Data source: International Survey of Library Automation]

2021 Alma Responses by Sector
AlmaallAcademicPublicSchoolConsortium
smallmediumlargesmallmediumlarge
navgnavgnavgnavgnavgnavgnavgnavgnavg
SatisfactionLevelILS3676.83 976.56997.02726.920000146.93
ILSFunctionality3667.12 967.07997.36726.990000147.29
PrintFunctionality3647.28 957.07987.42727.310000147.29
ElectronicFunctionality3666.80 966.53997.09726.880000146.71
SatisfactionCustomerSupport3656.14 976.04986.40715.920000146.43
CompanyLoyalty3596.76 955.99977.04707.090000147.36


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Documents or articles featuring Alma

Breeding, Marshall. Ex Libris Completes Sweep of Higher Education in California. February 2020. Smart Libraries Newsletter. Ex Libris has now sold its Alma library services platform to all three of the public higher educational systems in California. A recent announcement from the Systemwide Integrated Library System taskforce of the University of California libraries announced the final selection of Alma and Primo from Ex Libris, now part of ProQuest. The University of California system joins the California State University System and the Consortium of Community Colleges in the selection of Alma to provide shared infrastructure for the management of their collections and Primo for discovery and access. Each of these projects on its own would be considered massive; together these three systems represent an unprecedented level of involvement by the libraries in a single governmental jurisdiction with a single vendor.

Breeding, Marshall. Update on Ex Libris Alma. December 2019. Smart Libraries Newsletter. The Alma library services platform (LSP) from Ex Libris, now part of ProQuest, continues to make gains in the academic and research library sector. The product's steady stream of product releases deployed monthly and new implementations by library have become routine. The dominance of Alma in this sector must be seen as the backdrop or context for other events that spark interest but tend to have smaller impact. Alma has seen strong and steady adoption since its initial implementations in 2012, including some of the largest university library systems and regional or national consortia.

Breeding, Marshall. A Progress Report on Library Services Platforms. August 2016. Smart Libraries Newsletter. Although each of the products offers its distinct approach to functionality and technology infrastructure, there are a set of products that have diverged significantly from the well-established category of ILSs. Many of these characteristics arise out of the current technology paradigm centered on services deployed entirely through the Web, oriented to collaboration and social interactions, and powered by massive data stores.

Breeding, Marshall. Shared Infrastructure Projects Gain Momentum. September 2015. Smart Libraries Newsletter. Recent months have seen a number of announcements of large consortia or library systems that have chosen to implement library services platforms in a shared configuration. Ex Libris Alma has emerged as the leading product in this sector, with Innovative's Sierra, OCLC WorldShare Management Services and ProQuest Intota also represented.

Breeding, Marshall. Beyond the ILS: A New Generation of Library Services Platforms. 2013. Robots in Academic Libraries: Advancements in Library Automation. This chapter focuses on the changes in integrated library systems (ILS) over the past thirty years as the focus shifts from collecting physical items to electronic and digital materials. The relationship between the ILS and new specialized applications, including link resolvers, knowledge bases of e-content, electronic resource management systems, digital asset management systems, discovery services, and institutional repository platforms is discussed and placed in context. In addition to looking at workflows with these new systems, a general discussion of how academic libraries are likely to engage with these new systems, the time frames in which we can expect availability and widespread adoption, and any cautions or concerns to have in mind when selecting or implementing these systems.

Breeding, Marshall. Crossing the Threshold: Boston College Places Alma into Production. August 2012. Smart Libraries Newsletter. On July 2, 2012, the Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. Library of Boston College became the first to place Alma, the library services platform created by Ex Libris, into production use. The library migrated from an Aleph system in place since 2000. Boston College had been working with Ex Libris since mid-2009 as a development partner, testing each incremental release of the software, and providing constructive feedback. The library is a member of the Association of Research Libraries, with a staff numbering around 120, and a collection of 3.5 million volumes.

Breeding, Marshall. Ex Libris Marks Progress in Developing URM. January 2011. Smart Libraries Newsletter. Ex Libris continues to make progress on the development of its next-generation library management platform called Unified Resource Management, or URM. This product, which was developed as the company's long-term strategic library automation platform, continues in the research and development stage, with expected release at the beginning of 2012. Although the product is still some time away from general availability, it has progressed from the proof-of-concept prototypes to a functional model. Though preliminary, some versions have been made available to development partner libraries for testing and assessment

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News Anouncements for Alma

Alma Celebrates 2500 Library Milestone
November 19, 2023 - Ex Libris, part of Clarivate, announced that over 2500 institutions have now selected the Alma unified resource management platform. This milestone is the result of more than 180 additional libraries of various sizes and types choosing Alma in 2023 and over 500 since 2021.

Staying ahead of the curve with Alma's November 2023 Feature Release
November 6, 2023 - Ex Libris announced the deployment of the Alma November 2023 Feature Release. Once againthe Alma community can enjoy more than 60 new developments and enhancements.

Wayne State University upgrades library services with Alma Starter
October 26, 2023 - Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, is embarking on an exciting journey to modernize its electronic resource management with the selection of Alma Starter. This forward-thinking decision reflects the university's commitment to update and take advantage of today's technology for its library services, bolstering its resource management services, and enhancing user satisfaction.

Yale University selects Clarivate to provide their next library services and discovery platforms
October 3, 2023 - Clarivate announced that Yale University has selected Clarivate to provide its library services and discovery platforms. Ex Libris Alma and Ex Libris Primo VE, both part of Clarivate, will provide Yale with a solution that integrates AI (artificial intelligence) and Linked Data to simplify the process for students, researchers and faculty. Yale will implement Ex Libris Alma and Ex Libris Primo VE to unify Yale's main and law libraries' workflows and data, including electronic and digital materials, onto a single platform. Combining the benefits of using AI with trusted content sources will enable users to find new insights, fast and at scale. The cloud-based platform will help Yale elevate the user experience and enhance services within the library ecosystem.

Alma Starter from Ex Libris: the latest innovation to meet library e-resource management needs
September 12, 2023 - Ex Libris, Part of Clarivate, announced the continuing evolution of its Alma library resource management solution to better address current and future library resource management needs. Alma, a unified platform being successfully used by more than 2500 libraries worldwide, can now be adapted by libraries so they can leverage its suite of electronic resource management services to work alongside their integrated library system.

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