Boston College Libraries went live with Ex Libris Alma on July 11
Boston College University Libraries (BCL) has replaced multiple systems previously used for managing print, electronic, and digital collections with a single consolidated solution provided by Ex Libris’ next-generation Alma library management service, the company announced on July 11.
BCL is the first of more than 70 institutions that will be using the new cloud-based system, and the announcement is especially significant, since the library was “a development partner for Alma since its conception,” and played a key role in helping develop Ex Libris’ unified resource management (URM) strategy.
“This is a very exciting moment for Boston College Libraries,” University Librarian Tom Wall said in a release. “Our strategic vision for the Libraries encourages collaboration and innovation, two values at the core of Alma.”
Wall’s tenure thus far has been defined by renovations to several campus libraries, along with an effort to address gaps in monograph collections, enhance access to special collections, and improve student outreach and service with new technologies.
BCL became development partners with Ex Libris Alma, “to help meet our strategic goals and to endorse our internal campaign to simplify and streamline all operations, Wall said. “Alma’s cloud-based architecture and networked design underlie our commitment to improving effectiveness and facilitate our focus on improving the user experience.”
Ex Libris said that BCL played a “fundamental role” in developing Alma from its early stages.
“As part of an agile development strategy, functions were released incrementally for testing by staff from Boston College and the other development partners over the last two years—a process which has now come to fruition in the current move to production,” the release states.
The company is now focused on moving to production of Alma by other early adopter and development partner institutions during the coming months, according to Bar Veinstein, vice president of resource management solutions at Ex Libris.
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