Chapter II: 5 Ways AI in Alma Helps Librarians Do More of What Matters
Not long ago, artificial intelligence felt like something far on the horizon, a promise for the future.
Today, AI is already part of everyday library life. It assists librarians, suggesting and simplifying, so librarians can focus on what they do best: connecting people with knowledge.
Within Alma, AI is a collaborative force, designed to enhance decision-making, streamline tasks, and uncover insights that help libraries thrive. It strengthens the librarian’s role, freeing up their time from the mundane tasks.
Here are five ways AI in Alma is driving smarter, more efficient workflows today. With new advancements on the way to make them even more effective.
- Making Cataloging Easier
Cataloging is the backbone of every library, but with growing collections and more formats than ever, it can also be one of the most time-consuming parts of the job.
AI in Alma supports cataloging by offering suggestions that help save time and improve accuracy.
It can fill in missing details and suggest subject headings, providing catalogers with a strong starting point for review.
Librarians always make the final decision, ensuring every record reflects their professional expertise and local standards.
The result? Better records, faster, and more time to focus on what matters most.
Over time, these AI-powered suggestions will continue to evolve, helping libraries enrich metadata and maintain consistency across growing collections.
- Helping Libraries Clear Backlogs
Many libraries have materials waiting to be cataloged and shared with users. Emerging AI capabilities in Alma will make it easier to find and match records automatically, helping reduce cataloging backlogs and bring more resources into discovery sooner.
In the future, these tools will also be able to generate simple draft records for librarian review, helping surface hidden collections and connect more people with more knowledge.
These planned enhancements reflect an ongoing effort to build AI that supports professional judgment and simplifies complex workflows.
- Turning Data into Useful Insights
Libraries have vast amounts of data, from acquisitions to circulation, but extracting meaning from it can be a challenge.
Alma Insights, launched recently, uses AI to transform complex analytics into clear, accessible, and actionable information.
It highlights key trends, changes, or patterns directly within Alma, so librarians can quickly see what’s new or noteworthy without running detailed reports. These new insights will help libraries make more confident, data-informed decisions, whether monitoring electronic collection performance, tracking usage patterns, or optimizing workflows.
- Making Everyday Tasks Simpler
Sometimes, it’s the small changes that make the biggest difference.
The upcoming Alma Assistant will let staff ask questions in plain language, such as “Which of my funds have available balance?” , and receive an instant response without navigating multiple menus or reports.
Built on Clarivate’s Academic AI platform, the Assistant is being developed with a focus on clarity, security, and control.
When available, it will streamline daily workflows and allow staff to spend more time on improving the library’s services rather than system navigation.
- Keeping People at the Center
Above all, Alma’s AI features are guided by a simple principle: librarians stay in control.
Every tool is built responsibly, transparently, and with input from the library community.
From metadata enrichment to insights, every suggestion is reviewable.
Clarivate’s approach follows responsible AI principles, informed by librarians, shaped by community feedback, and guided by ethical standards like the PCC’s emerging guidelines for AI in cataloging and metadata work.
Each AI feature is designed to complement and enhance human expertise, helping libraries uphold their standards, protect data integrity, and make every workflow a little smoother, smarter, and more rewarding.
Looking Ahead
AI in Alma is about progress with purpose.
By combining intelligent tools with human knowledge, libraries can work more efficiently, respond faster to users, and keep improving the services their communities rely on.
And this is only the beginning. As AI continues to evolve, we’ll keep developing it responsibly, always guided by the same goal: helping libraries do what they do best, share knowledge and make learning possible for everyone.
