BnL shares open-source solution for automated printing of library notices Compatible with the Alma library management system

Since November 2022, the National Library has adopted the Alma library management system in order to optimise the management of its library data and to offer more effective documentary research tools. With the move to this new platform, certain workflows have had to be adjusted, in particular the printing of letters and notices relating to documents in the collections, such as reminders or loan notifications.

To optimise these processes and to simplify these daily tasks, the BnL’s IT and Digital Innovation Division developed a custom software. As many libraries around the world also use the Alma platform, the BnL decided to make this software available in open source, thus giving other institutions the opportunity to automate their printing tasks in a reliable and flexible way.

The software makes it easy to print letters and loan notices from the Alma cloud platform on all printers defined by the library. It’s a high-performance solution, equipped with error detection and an automated alert system in the event of a problem. Records are also saved in PDF format for a pre-configured period. Depending on the library’s needs, multiple copies of the same record can be printed. The software consists of two parts and can be downloaded from Github.