December 5, 2013
The Norwegian consortium chose Alma for its efficient unified resource management and collaborative network capability
Having adopted the Primo discovery and delivery solution earlier in 2013, BIBSYS has now made a strategic decision to modernise its library management systems. After a thorough evaluation of commercial alternatives, BIBSYS chose Alma because it offered unified management of the full life-cycle for all types of resources, based on powerful and streamlined functionality. At the same time, Alma’s capabilities for large consortia, its cloud-based SaaS design, and its advanced analytics capabilities were important to the BIBSYS decision.
Among the many requirements set out by BIBSYS in their evaluation process, one of the most critical was the need to increase efficiency by unifying workflows across all resource types. ”Alma was chosen for several reasons, among which is the ability—via Alma’s open, standard services—for BIBSYS to implement national extensions and integrations,” Frode Arntsen, director of BIBSYS, commented. ”Furthermore the solution has to meet the needs of a large consortium whose members vary in type and size, from small libraries to the National Library of Norway.”
”Alma’s collaborative network capability will provide efficient administration and configuration for each institution in our 100+ strong organization. In combination with Primo, which has enabled us to improve the discovery service we offer our end users, Alma presents us with the opportunity to offer a flexible and future-oriented system that will help our consortia members become more efficient,” Mr Arntsen added.
Matti Shem Tov, President and CEO of Ex Libris, commented: ”I am proud to welcome BIBSYS into the expanding Alma community which is now approaching 300 institutions. The selection of Alma by this technically proficient and visionary consortium strengthens Alma’s position as the leading solution for libraries looking to take their services to the next level. We are delighted that the Ex Libris strategy for unified management and unified resource discovery has inspired so many different institutions and consortia worldwide, and we are excited to begin the next phase of our collaboration with BIBSYS.”
About BIBSYS
BIBSYS is a key supplier of products and services for Norwegian higher education institutions, other research institutions and the National Library of Norway. BIBSYS delivers a range of integrated products for the internal operation of research and special libraries, as well as providing easy access to the libraries’ collections, whether they are electronic or paper documents. BIBSYS offer lecturers, librarians, researchers, students, and others easy access to library resources by providing a variety of search options as well as simple loan and order functions. BIBSYS products and services are developed in cooperation with the institutions that BIBSYS serves.
About Ex Libris
Ex Libris is a leading provider of automation solutions for academic, national, and research libraries. Offering the only comprehensive product suite for electronic, digital, and print materials, Ex Libris provides efficient, user-friendly products that serve the needs of libraries today and will facilitate their transition into the future. Ex Libris maintains an impressive customer base consisting of thousands of sites in more than 90 countries on six continents.
Dedicated to developing creative solutions in close collaboration with customers, Ex Libris enables libraries to maximize productivity and efficiency and, at the same time, greatly enhance the user experience. By empowering users to discover and obtain the information they need, libraries ensure their position as the bridge to knowledge.
