October 14, 2013
Alma will transform library operations by enabling staff to manage all resources in one unified system
Hamburg, Germany—October 14, 2013. Ex Libris® Group, a world leader in the provision of library automation solutions, is pleased to announce that the University of Mannheim has opted for the Alma library management solution. One of the leading economic and social science libraries in Germany, with a record of continuing innovation, the University of Mannheim joins over 170 institutions worldwide that have chosen to take advantage of the seamless integration between Alma and Ex Libris Primo® for the management and discovery of all resource types and collections.
University Librarian Christian Benz comments: ”There were many important factors which spoke for Alma. The Mannheim University Library has been running the Aleph integrated library solution as well as other Ex Libris solutions for a long time and is very satisfied with both the functionality of the solutions and our relationship with Ex Libris. The logical next step was to continue this collaboration by moving to the next generation solution Alma. Additionally, the integrated management of electronic resources, unified with management of print resources, was a key argument in favour of Alma. Although we spend almost half of our budget on electronic resources, we were previously unable to administer and evaluate these in an integrated system, along with our classic print media. With Alma, we will be able to significantly improve services for our users.
”Alma is a highly suitable solution for Mannheim, especially considering the 2013 reorganization of German library consortia, led by the German Research Foundation,” Mr. Benz continued. ”Most of the data management in the country’s regional networks will, in the future, be carried out by cloud-based systems that are integrated with international library networks. With Alma, Mannheim University Library is taking a step towards the shared use of date in cooperation with international libraries.”
Ullrich Jüngling, vice president of sales for central, east, and southeast Europe, remarked: ”The University of Mannheim is a first-class institution that prides itself on providing high-quality library services, which it constantly strives to improve and expand. By choosing Alma, an innovative, advanced library automation solution, the university is strengthening its leadership. With Alma, the library will increase productivity and enhance its role as a scholarly hub for the university.”
About the University of Mannheim
The University of Mannheim is well known for its business orientation and international approach. Various awards and evaluations indicate the quality of research and teaching at the university, which is ranked among the best academic institutions in Germany. As a participant in the national Excellence Initiative, the university receives funding for the Mannheim Graduate School of Economic and Social Sciences (GESS). Institutes such as the Mannheim Centre for European Social Research (MZES) and the university’s collaborative research centers contribute to its reputation as one of the top 20 European institutions in economics and the social sciences. For more information, see http://www.uni-mannheim.de/1/english/.
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 almost 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.
