Continued Momentum for Voyager with the Release of Version 7.1

 June 25, 2009

Customer-requested enhancements and stronger integration with other Ex Libris solutions and third-party systems enable libraries to maximize the use of their Voyager system

Jerusalem, Israel – June 25, 2009. Ex Libris™ Group is pleased to announce the general release of version 7.1 of the Voyager® integrated library system (ILS). The new features introduced in version 7.1 extend WebVoyage capabilities and tighten the integration of Voyager with other Ex Libris solutions—the Primo® discovery and delivery solution and the Rosetta digital preservation system—as well as with third-party systems and services.

Many Voyager 7.1 enhancements were requested by the Voyager user community which worked closely with Ex Libris on the definition of this product version. Highlights include:

• Course-reserve information managed in Voyager can now be offered to patrons through Primo. Patrons can use course-related terms such as course name, instructor, and department to search for materials. Furthermore, Primo generates course-related facets that help patrons hone in on the course materials that they require.

• New consortial support features enable institutions to offer Primo as the default discovery interface for all Voyager consortium members. Primo displays real-time availability information for search results obtained from all the libraries in a consortium, and through the integration of Primo with the Voyager Universal Borrowing feature, patrons of one member library can request items from another member library.

• The set of Web services that was introduced previously has been enlarged to increase the openness of Voyager, facilitating its interoperability with other systems and enabling customers to develop code extensions that they can share with the Voyager community. All Web services are available in the Developer Zone of the EL Commons collaborative Web site.

• Extended support for the Standard Interchange Protocol (SIP) version 2 includes new options for managing materials that patrons return using automated devices, and for integrating Voyager with third-party kiosks for the payment of fines and fees.

• System-generated links between Voyager and the Ex Libris Rosetta digital preservation system facilitate the discovery, through WebVoyage, of digital objects stored in Rosetta.

Andrew Brown, information systems librarian at Swansea University, and a field tester of Voyager 7.1, commented: ”Voyager 7.1 is a key release for Swansea University as it is perfectly timed for our summer rollout of new RFID units with payment facilities. Enhanced SIP 2 support in Voyager will enable our users to pay fines and fees through these new self service units.”

”Like all new Ex Libris releases, Voyager 7.1 delivers a wide range of customer-requested enhancements, and supports our commitment to the Ex Libris open-platform program,” explained Mike Dicus, Voyager product manager. ”The recent meeting of customer developers and Ex Libris developers in our Chicago offices highlighted some of the locally developed enhancements that the open interfaces in Voyager have made possible. The new APIs in version 7.1 will provide even more tools for customers to use in extending Voyager in creative ways. And by integrating more tightly with Primo and Rosetta, Voyager 7.1 will further enhance the seamless provision of services to library staff and users. We have a very active release schedule for Voyager – Voyage 7.2 is due out before the end of the year, and we have already begun working on the planned enhancements for version 8.”