January 27, 2014
An ARL member, the Libraries now enjoy unified resource management with Alma and unified resource discovery with Ex Libris Primo
Chicago, IL—January 27, 2014. Ex Libris® Group, a world leader in the provision of library automation solutions, is pleased to announce that all campuses of the University of Minnesota (UMN) are live with the Alma library management service, joining 68 other institutions worldwide. Alma replaces a number of Ex Libris systems previously used by the UMN Libraries, including the Aleph integrated library system and the Verde e-resource manager. As a unified, cloud-based solution, Alma now supports the Libraries’ acquisitions, metadata management, and fulfillment workflows for all of its collections—which are among the most extensive in the United States. With its in-depth reporting capabilities, Alma Analytics provides library staff with valuable insights into library operations.
Project Leader Betsy Friesen welcomed the switch to production, which took place during the holiday period: ”After months of intensive migration, we are delighted to join the ranks of institutions that are live with Alma.” Discussing the strategic value of Alma to UMN’s long-term vision, Ms. Friesen noted: ”The implementation of Alma coincides with and, in many cases, supports a number of significant initiatives that are influencing the Libraries’ future direction. Among these initiatives are the implementation of the Resource Description and Access (RDA) standard, explorations of linked open data strategies, the development of new methods for information delivery, and several external collaborations.”
Mark Triest, president of Ex Libris North America, remarked: ”The University of Minnesota is an active and longstanding member of the Ex Libris North American community, having collaborated with us as a Primo development partner in 2007. We are excited to see this pioneering ARL library and member of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) move into production with Alma and realize the substantial benefits that this next-generation solution delivers. The University of Minnesota’s commitment to harnessing technology to better serve their staff and diverse user community is striking, and we were extremely impressed by the knowledge and insight demonstrated by the Libraries during the implementation period. We look forward to continuing our close collaboration as the Libraries gain additional experience with Alma.”
About The University of Minnesota
Located in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the University of Minnesota’s flagship campus provides a thriving urban environment for teaching and learning, world-class research, and outreach and public service.
Founded in 1851, the University of Minnesota is one of the state’s most important economic and intellectual engines. Ranked among the nation’s top public research universities, the University of Minnesota with its five campuses (Twin Cities, Crookston, Duluth, Morris, and Rochester), is also among the most comprehensive. The Twin Cities campus, for example, is one of only four nationally that have agricultural programs as well as an academic health center with a major medical school.
The 52,000 students enrolled at the University’s Twin Cities campus choose from more than 150 bachelor’s degrees, 200 master’s degrees and 100 doctoral degrees.
The University of Minnesota Libraries is a strategic asset for the University of Minnesota, providing intellectual leadership and extraordinary information experiences toward the advancement of knowledge.
For more information, see http://www1.umn.edu/.
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 80 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.
