IGeLU 2026

Developers Day

Patrons at Yale manage their library accounts through Patron Dashboard, branded "My Account"—a React and Java Spring app built directly on the Alma API. We wanted to own the patron experience: to customize the interface and functionality beyond packaged tools, and to integrate tightly with Quicksearch, our Blacklight discovery layer, for requesting.

By design, the app has no database. Cognito (OAuth) handles login; the Alma API does the rest. Patrons view and act on their Requests, Loans, and Fees—canceling requests and renewing loans individually or with one "renew all." With only an Alma API key, it is simple to stand up and maintain.

We'll walk through the architecture, the discovery-to-request workflow (select an item in Quicksearch, then verify and set delivery in the dashboard), and the design choices that kept it lean. We'll also preview upcoming ReCAP and ILLiad integrations for requesting material beyond Alma.

User Experience / Discovery

Alma