years ago

años antes, hace años (mucho tiempo, años)

Ex: Accordingly, it was decided some 7 years ago to replace the manual systems with a single automated library system.

Ex: This explains why some books that were enormously important to us years ago seem, on rereading them now, to be quite astonishingly lacking in value.

= hace años
Ex: This explains why some books that were enormously important to us years ago seem, on rereading them now, to be quite astonishingly lacking in value.

= hace + Número + años
Ex: Accordingly, it was decided some 7 years ago to replace the manual systems with a single automated library system.