Put the power to automate and innovate routine workflows in the hands of every team member

Every librarian knows where the work slows down. It might be a recurring cleanup task, a report that takes too long to prepare or a process that depends on one person who knows the workaround and is on vacation just when you need them.

Library Open Workflows from Clarivate gives library staff a way to turn those everyday observations into practical solutions.

Built into the Alma library management system, Library Open Workflows allows staff to design and run automated workflows using a simple drag-and-drop interface without the need for coding skills. Workflows can run on demand, follow a schedule or respond to events. They can use data from Alma Analytics and connect with external systems, helping libraries automate tasks that once required manual effort, local scripts or help from IT teams.

With Library Open Workflows, automation is no longer limited to developers or systems experts. It becomes something librarians can use to improve the work in front of them, one practical workflow at a time. Here are 10 ways libraries are already putting that idea to work.

1. Automate routine cleanup of purchase order records
   At Oulu University, purchase order lines often accumulated system generated notes that added little value and made records harder to read. They used Library Open Workflows to remove these notes automatically, keeping records clean without asking staff to review them one by one.
   A big improvement that’s based on a simple idea: small points of friction can be solved once and removed for good.
2. Waive outdated fines without manual review
   Old fines can linger on user accounts long after they are relevant, creating confusion for patrons and extra work for staff. At one university library, staff now use simple rules built in Library Open Workflows to identify fines beyond a defined age and waive them automatically, keeping user records current and reducing administrative effort.
3. Send timely reminders to interlibrary loan partners
   For interlibrary loan teams, tracking due dates can require constant checking and manual follow up. A workflow developed at Tampere University identifies items that are coming due, groups them by partner institution and sends reminder emails automatically. This keeps communication consistent and helps ensure materials are returned on time.
4. Keep user records accurate and up to date
   Inactive user accounts can build up over time, making data harder to manage and increasing administrative risk. Libraries are using Library Open Workflows to identify and remove outdated users in bulk, applying consistent criteria without manual review.
5. Apply consistent purge dates to meet policy requirements
   Managing data retention policies often requires repeated manual updates to user records. At the Washington Research Library Consortium, a staffer used Library Open Workflows to assign purge dates automatically based on defined rules, helping ensure compliance while reducing routine administrative work.
6. Adjust loan due dates when user accounts expire
   When user accounts expire, libraries need to update loan records and notify borrowers. Instead of tracking and adjusting these cases manually, Library Open Workflows can identify affected users, update due dates and send notifications promptly, keeping policies consistent and reducing follow up.
7. Ensure items have the correct circulation policies
   Missing or inconsistent item policies can affect how materials circulate and appear in discovery. At the Bavarian State Library, Library Open Workflows enabled them to build a simple workflow to find items without a policy and apply the correct one based on defined rules, improving consistency without ongoing manual checks.
8. Remove duplicate or unnecessary records from discovery
   Duplicate records in the discovery layer can confuse users and require time to resolve. At Harvard University, staff use a simple workflow to remove specific external records, keeping discovery results clearer and reducing manual cleanup.
9. Check large ISBN lists against holdings automatically
   Comparing lists of titles against existing collections can take significant time when done manually. At the University of Kentucky, workflows are used to upload ISBN lists, check them against holdings and generate reports, supporting faster and more consistent collection decisions. At Kentucky, what began as a repetitive task now runs as a repeatable process that supports ongoing collection decisions.
10. Capture cataloging activity directly in the system
    Tracking cataloging work is often done outside the system or added later, which can lead to gaps and inconsistencies. A workflow developed at Harvard University via Library Open Workflows allows staff to record activity at the point of cataloging and store it directly in Alma, improving accuracy and simplifying reporting.

Practical automation for everyday library work
Each of these examples starts in the same place: a small point of friction in daily work. With Library Open Workflows, that moment becomes an opportunity. Staff can spot a bottleneck and fix it. They can take a repetitive task and turn it into a repeatable process. They can design a better way of working and put it into practice.

That shift in ownership is what gives Library Open Workflows its impact. Not just faster processes, but the ability for library staff to improve the work themselves, one workflow at a time.

Interested in enhancing your Alma workflows? Request a tailored consultation to explore Library Open Workflows.

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