Ex Libris™, part of Clarivate™, is excited to announce that the ten Regional State Libraries of Bavaria subordinated to the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library) are now leveraging Alma and Primo after successfully navigating a complex implementation project. The collaborative network being used by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek libraries enables staff and patrons to benefit from the modern capabilities and efficiencies of the unified library resource management and discovery platform.
The system-level transformation delivers several significant value and immediate improvements for the state libraries, which were absent from the previously used library management service. The Alma-Primo unified cloud-based platform requires less effort from local staff, is accessed from a web-based interface, and its common institutional zone standardizes workflows across libraries.
The system seamlessly handles e-resource management instead of just emulating it – such as in licensing, searchability, and full-text linking – while also enabling one-step e-resource management as staff can activate purchased resources and make them available in a short time. These factors will simplify workload and free up staff resources for creative and innovative development in new areas, especially to those in highly specialized services that contribute to cutting-edge research.
“The unified solution for library management and discovery allows faster and more qualitatively reliable provision of electronic resources in particular, because there are no longer any transformation or distribution data flows in which essential information may be corrupted or lost along the way,” commented Dr. Klaus Ceynowa, Director General of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. “It’s significantly faster than what we experienced before.”
The shift to Alma and Primo required significant collaboration between Bayerische Staatsbibliothek staff and Ex Libris consultants, system migration and infrastructure experts, and project management staff. Together they launched a solution built on a cloud-based architecture that improves the libraries’ security, increases system availability, enables faster development and continuous enhancements, and eliminates the need for command line or database management.
Ceynowa further added, “Essentially, it’s about providing as many indispensable basic services as possible – which have to run trouble-free – that are efficient and resource conscious. The cloud-based Alma architecture offers very good conditions for such an approach, especially from a security perspective.”
Almost 2,700 libraries have now selected Alma and Primo to deliver better experiences for staff and users. Discover how your library can work with the Ex Libris experts to take advantage of a modern unified library solution to address your challenges and meet your needs.
