Yokohama, Japan — October 29, 2019
Japan’s earliest private universities are partnering with each other to revolutionize library operations and enhance the library user’s experience
Yokohama, Japan—October 29, 2019. Ex Libris®, a ProQuest company, is pleased to announce that the consortium formed by Japan’s Keio University and Waseda University has gone live with the Ex Libris Alma® library services platform and the Ex Libris Primo® discovery and delivery solution. Keio University and Waseda University are leading the way in their adoption of a fully cloud-based library system, the first of its kind in Japan.
Keio University and Waseda University will collaborate in the management of library purchases and in the handling of electronic and physical resources. Through their partnership, the universities aim to enhance their students’ experience by providing a wealth of scholarly materials in various formats via a single interface for students. In addition, Keio University and Waseda University are standardizing the cataloging format and plan to leverage Alma analytics to reduce operational inefficiencies and costs.
The adoption of Alma and Primo is a game changer in our library operations and will help us better manage our resources internally and strengthen our compliance with international standards.
Professor Yoshiaki Fukazawa, director of Waseda University Library and Professor Shinichi Suda, director of the Keio University Library said, “The adoption of Alma and Primo is a game changer in our library operations and will help us better manage our resources internally and strengthen our compliance with international standards. The Ex Libris team has supported this project professionally and efficiently, striving to help us create an even more resourceful academic platform that is easily accessible for our students.”
Osher Gilinsky, corporate vice president and general manager of Ex Libris Asia Pacific, commented, “We are excited to assist Keio University and Waseda University in becoming the first institutions in Japan to go live with the Alma library services platform and Primo discovery solution. Keio University and Waseda University have paved the way for more Japanese institutions to increase their efficiency and share library expertise and knowledge.”
About Waseda University
Waseda University is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan. It was established in 1882 by Shigenobu Okuma, with the aims of upholding the independence of learning, promoting the practical use of knowledge, and fostering good citizenship. Waseda currently consists of 13 undergraduate schools, 21 graduate schools, and various affiliated research institutes. For more information, visit https://www.waseda.jp/top/en.
About Keio University
Established by Yukichi Fukuzawa in 1858 as a small school of Western learning, Keio University was Japan’s very first private institution of higher learning. Over the 150 years since its founding, Keio has thrived under its founder’s motto of jitsugaku, or empirical science, as the university continues to transform Japan into a modern nation through contributions to education, research, and medicine. For more information, visit https://www.keio.ac.jp/en/.
About Ex Libris
Ex Libris, a ProQuest company, is a leading global provider of cloud-based solutions that enable institutions and their individual users to create, manage, and share knowledge. In close collaboration with its customers and the broader community, Ex Libris develops creative solutions that increase library productivity, maximize the impact of research activities, enhance teaching and learning, and drive student mobile engagement. Ex Libris serves over 7,500 customers in 90 countries. For more information, see our website and join us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
