October 9, 2012
Alliance members will replace the individually owned library systems of 37 institutions with shared, next-generation library management and discovery solutions from Ex Libris Chicago, IL, and Eugene, OR—October 9, 2012 Ex Libris® Group, a global leader in library automation services, and the Orbis Cascade Alliance, a consortium of 37 North American academic institutions known for innovative collaboration, are pleased to announce that the Alliance will implement the Ex Libris Alma unified resource management solution and Primo® discovery solution. ”Our member libraries based this decision on a rigorous, consortium-wide assessment of next-generation systems and our judgment that the substantial functionality and promise of Alma and Primo are best suited to help us achieve the broader goals of our member libraries,” remarked John F. Helmer, executive director of the Orbis Cascade Alliance. ”For almost 20 years, we have been exploring the potential of deep collaboration and a mission that includes considering the combined collections of member institutions as one collection. Beyond the strengths of Alma and Primo, we discovered a shared vision with Ex Libris that includes streamlined consortial functionality and the tools that will help Alliance members work together and direct resources toward the unique strengths of each library.” Mark Triest, president of Ex Libris North America, commented: ”The Orbis Cascade Alliance’s decision to adopt the Alma and Primo next-generation solutions is an exciting opportunity for Ex Libris. All 37 members will experience truly transformational benefits from consolidating their libraries’ technology framework with Primo and Alma and, most important, will derive significant added efficiencies from the solutions’ collaborative network capabilities.” Members of the Orbis Cascade Alliance currently employ a variety of stand-alone integrated library systems and several different discovery systems. With the selection of Alma and Primo, the Orbis Cascade Alliance will migrate to a cloud-based, next-generation library management system delivered on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) basis. Alma and Primo will provide unified resource management and discovery, enable Alliance members to adopt shared, streamlined workflows and will expand opportunities for collaboration across the consortium. With Primo, users will be able to search the Alliance’s extensive collections via a single search interface and to obtain a unified result list that is sorted by the ScholarRank relevance-ranking technology in accordance with the individual’s academic discipline and level. About Orbis Cascade The Orbis Cascade Alliance is a consortium of 37 academic libraries in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, serving faculty and the equivalent of more than 258,000 full-time students. Alliance member libraries work together to provide services to students and faculty, share information resources and expertise, develop library staff, and help members allocate financial and human resources to serve the unique needs of each member. The Alliance supports a number of services that promote this vision, including Summit, a system that allows students, faculty, and staff to easily search and request library materials owned by member libraries; courier service providing delivery of library materials in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho; the Northwest Digital Archives, offering enhanced access to primary sources in the Northwest US; an Alliance distributed print repository; consortium-wide participation in Western Regional Storage Trust (WEST); cooperative purchasing of databases and e-journals; and a demand-driven shared e-book program. For more information, see www.orbiscascade.org About Ex Libris Ex Libris is a leading provider of automation solutions for academic libraries. Offering the only comprehensive product suite for electronic, digital, and print materials, Ex Libris provides efficient, user-friendly solutions that serve the needs of libraries today and will facilitate their transition into the future. Ex Libris maintains an impressive customer base consisting of over 5,000 sites in more than 80 countries on six continents. Dedicated to developing creative solutions in close collaboration with customers, Ex Libris enables academic, national, and research libraries to maximize productivity and efficiency, while at the same time greatly enhancing the user experience. By empowering users to discover and obtain the information they need, libraries ensure their position as the bridge to knowledge. For more information about Ex Libris Group, see our Web site, join us on Facebook, view our videos, and follow our Twitter page.
