British Library Modernises with Alma and Primo

Founded in 1973, the British Library is the United Kingdom’s national library and is one of the largest libraries in the world. Its collection features 170 million items, including books, journals, newspapers, patents, maps, prints, manuscripts and digital publications. In recent years, the Library set out on an ambitious journey: to modernise its library services platform and create a more seamless experience for users.

This month marks an important milestone in that journey. Despite the enormous complexity of the project, encompassing challenges including a well-publicised cyberattack, the British Library has successfully restored services to the public in a carefully phased approach.

This is possible due to the implementation of Alma, a next-generation library services platform, alongside Primo VE for discovery. These tools will help streamline workflows, enhance access to collections, establish new services and support the library’s mission to make knowledge accessible to everyone.

The new platform will offer improved search and requesting across a live and updated version of the British Library’s catalogue and will form the backbone of library services.

A collaborative effort

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.”

The move to Alma and Primo VE represents more than a technology upgrade. It’s about creating a unified, cloud-based system that simplifies operations and enhances the experience for researchers and the public.

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.”

By adopting these solutions, the British Library joins a global community of national libraries embracing innovation to meet the needs of today and tomorrow’s users. It is the 43rd National and State library in the world to adopt Alma.

Looking ahead

Clarivate is proud to have supported this transformation thus far, but the real story is the Library’s vision and commitment to delivering services that connect people with information in new and better ways.

Learn more about the Alma library management system.

Librarians