Library automation solutions provider Ex Libris Group has announced that Northwestern University has selected the Ex Libris Alma next-generation resource management solution for its libraries. A member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Association of American Universities, Northwestern counts among its libraries the Pritzker Legal Research Center and the Galter Health Sciences Library, both at the school's Chicago campus.
Northwestern took the first step toward unifying its library services by adopting the Primo discovery and delivery solution in 2008. The libraries are now moving ahead with their transition to a next-generation infrastructure by implementing a single solution to replace the multiple systems used for managing print, electronic, and digital collections. The Primo and Alma solutions are fully integrated and designed to provide an optimised user experience and synergy between user services and library operations.
The library system's strategic plan, published last year, identifies the need to find new ways to offer customised services to the Northwestern community by redirecting staff time and resources away from the management of library collections. Alma will deliver on this strategic vision by fully automating common workflows across print, electronic, and digital resources. Human intervention will be required only to address exceptions to the rules that the library has defined. This more efficient environment will enable Northwestern's libraries to continue providing core services while pursuing new strategic objectives. With cost savings identified through Alma's advanced analytics and collection analyses, the library system will be able to channel resources to support emerging areas of growth.
Northwestern University joins two fellow members of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (a collaborative association of 11 U.S. universities) - Purdue University and the University of Minnesota - in adopting Alma to manage its extensive research collections.
