British Library restores public services as Alma and Primo VE go live
The British Library has reached a milestone in its long-term modernisation programme with the successful introduction of the Alma library services platform alongside Primo VE for discovery. The implementation underpins the phased restoration of public services and marks a significant step towards a more seamless, resilient and user-focused library experience.
The Clarivate platform forms the backbone of the Library’s services, enabling improved search and requesting across a live and continuously updated catalogue. It is designed to streamline internal workflows, enhance access to collections and support the development of new services for researchers and the wider public.
Founded in 1973, the British Library is one of the largest libraries in the world, holding more than 170 million items including books, journals, newspapers, manuscripts, maps, patents and digital publications. Modernising access to a collection of this scale has been a complex undertaking, made more challenging by the need to recover from a well-publicised cyberattack. Despite this, the Library has now successfully restored services through a carefully managed, phased approach. With this transition, the British Library becomes the 43rd national or state library worldwide to adopt Alma.
Stephen Hawthorne, Vice President Sales for EMEA, Academia and Government at Clarivate said: “Delivering a project of this scale and complexity required careful planning and strong partnerships. Working closely with Clarivate, the British Library has been able to fully implement Alma on time according to the project plan, and within budget – a testament to the dedication and expertise of teams on both sides.”
Cordelia Rogerson, Senior Director of Collection Management at the British Library, said: “We are delighted to launch our main new catalogue which provides a simple, one-stop search platform for published books and e-books, articles, electronic resources, and more. The new catalogue, implemented in partnership with Clarivate, enhances our support for researchers and makes it easier for users to find and request the majority of our published collection. This milestone forms part of a wider commitment to modernising our library services to make the knowledge and resources we hold more accessible for everyone.”