Last Wednesday we announced a new collaboration with Swets – a leading provider of content management services for libraries – that will help librarians make their acquisition workflows simpler and more efficient.

As well as helping libraries reduce the overall costs associated with selection and acquisitions, the collaboration highlights Alma’s open architecture and interoperability.

The aim of this collaboration is to allow Alma users to avoid duplication of effort and dedicate their time to providing valuable services to end-users. Leveraging Alma’s open architecture, the first deliverable of this project will automatically update Alma library management system with all print and electronic purchasing transactions that are made through the SwetsWise platform or any other Swets channel. We plan to release this first integration by mid-2014.

We’re now turning our attention to further developments that will enable workflows that are initiated in Alma to be reflected in SwetsWise platforms.

We’ve already received some encouraging feedback from the Ex Libris community. Here are some of their comments:

“Being able to search the SwetsWise catalog and create orders in SwetsWise that are automatically reflected in Alma will be a big step forward in efficiency. The kind of integrated lifecycle management planned for future development is also very exciting.  It’s great to see two of our biggest vendors working together like this for the benefit of their mutual customers.” (William Jordan, Associate Dean at the University of Washington Libraries).

“This integration will benefit the VCU Libraries by streamlining our Acquisitions, E-Resource management, and license management workflows, and making them more efficient. The VCU Libraries will enjoy seamless data interchange, improved workflows and more efficient library operations.” (Denise Branch, Head of Continuing Resources at Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries)

For more information on this collaboration please contact us.