Swiss National Library Chooses Ex Libris Alma and Primo

 November 15, 2017

Hamburg, Germany—November 15, 2017. Ex Libris^®, a ProQuest company, is pleased to announce that the Swiss National Library (NL) has selected the Ex Libris Alma^® library services platform and Ex Libris Primo discovery and delivery solution.

The NL decided to replace its legacy integrated library system, VTLS Virtua, with an up-to-date management platform and a publicly accessible search system. Following a competitive, open tender process, the NL opted for the Alma and Primo solutions to provide next-generation library services.

“We consider ourselves fortunate that with Ex Libris Alma and Primo we have found solutions that meet our most important needs,” said Director of the Swiss National Library Marie-Christine Doffey.

”One of the reasons we opted for this software-as-a-service solution is that it enables us to maintain our important collaboration with other institutions, such as the sharing of catalog data. Synergies at the international level are made easier thanks to the cloud-based solution—a decisive factor for a national library. The fact that we can significantly reduce maintenance and operating costs with a cloud solution is, of course, another important point for me as director of the library. We also look forward to using the customizable statistics and reports provided by Alma and Primo analytics to further optimize our library services.”

During the tender process, the NL recognized that the combination of Alma and Primo offers a complete set of features that support the entire functioning of the library across all departments and provides integrated management of print and electronic resources, including workflows for voluntary deposit, gifts, and unsolicited items.

Additional key factors in the decision were the solution’s openness to integration, support for the official languages of Switzerland (German, French, and Italian), and the customizability of Primo for individual user needs.

Ofer Mosseri, corporate vice president and general manager of Ex Libris EMEA, said, ”We are very proud that the Swiss National Library has selected Alma and Primo. The NL joins a growing global community of national and state libraries that are managing their expanding print and electronic collections and developing new services on our library services platform.”

The Swiss National Library (NL) collects all printed or other information published in Switzerland, from books and periodicals to multimedia and documents that are published in digital formats only. In addition, the library manages the bequests of writers to the Swiss Literary Archives, as well as photographs and posters, artist books, portfolios, editions, and works by Swiss ”Kleinmeister” in the Prints and Drawings Collection. The Fonoteca Svizzera (Swiss National Sound Archives), headquartered in Lugano, collects sound recordings whose contents are related to the history and culture of Switzerland. The Swiss Literary Archives, the Fonoteca and the Centre Dürrenmatt Neuchâtel are subsidiary institutions of the Swiss National Library.

The Swiss National Library is based in Bern and employs approximately 190 staff members representing the three national languages.

Ex Libris, a ProQuest company, is a leading global provider of cloud-based solutions for higher education. Offering SaaS solutions for the management and discovery of the full spectrum of library and scholarly materials, as well as mobile campus solutions driving student engagement and success, Ex Libris serves thousands of customers in 90 countries. For more information about Ex Libris, see our website, and join us on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter.