March 26, 2015
This private university in Iowa is leveraging Alma’s flexibility and streamlined workflows to increase efficiency, innovation, and collaboration
Chicago, IL—March 26, 2015. Ex Libris® Group, a world leader in the provision of library automation solutions, is pleased to announce that Drake University has selected the Ex Libris Alma® unified resource management service and the Ex Libris Primo® discovery and delivery solution. Together, Alma and Primo are an integrated cloud-based platform that will be used for collections management, purchasing, and patron account management, among other services at Drake’s Cowles Library and Opperman Law Library.
Drake University was looking for an advanced, next-generation library solution that would allow for greater inter-library collaboration, enable its library to achieve more and better outcomes, and more effectively manage resources. Rod Henshaw, dean of Drake’s Cowles Library sees Alma as a key part of the library’s set of ”Futures Initiatives,” which are designed to sustain the library as an innovative resource for learning and knowledge at Drake. ”This is a product we can grow and build on,” he said.
”The Alma platform’s flexible configurations and ability to integrate with external systems will make it easier for Drake to adopt innovative solutions and facilitate collaborative projects among libraries”, said Andrew Welch, librarian for discovery services and technology.
”Drake University’s goal was to find a library services platform that went beyond being a cloud-based, next-generation service,” commented Welch. ”Libraries face a reality in which they are expected to do more with less, and in which inter-library collaboration is a growing trend. Rather than finding ways to do these things by working with our previous integrated library system, we wanted to innovate by harnessing new technologies. Additionally, we believe that Primo’s strong integration with Alma will give our users the best possible means to achieve their research goals”.
Eric Hines, president of Ex Libris North America, remarked: ”We are delighted to welcome Drake University into the Alma and Primo community and to the larger Ex Libris family. Alma is proving to be the platform of choice for research libraries in the United States and globally, with an expanding community of over 420 institutions. Drake University’s decision to move to Alma and Primo demonstrates their desire to reinvent their processes and to take advantage of next-generation capabilities for the benefit of their users and the institution as a whole.”
About Drake University
Drake University is a midsize, private university in Des Moines, Iowa, enrolling more than 3,300 undergraduate and 1,700 graduate students from 40 states and approximately 40 countries. Students choose from over 70 majors, minors, and concentrations and 20 graduate degrees offered through six colleges and schools. Drake students, faculty, and staff take advantage of the wealth of cultural, recreational, and business opportunities found in Iowa’s capital city. In return, Drake enriches the city through its own cultural offerings, considerable economic impact, and many service-learning endeavors, which channel the talent and energy of the Drake students toward meeting the needs of the community.
For more information, visit www.drake.edu.
About Ex Libris
Ex Libris is a leading provider of automation solutions for academic, national, and research libraries. Offering the only comprehensive product suite for electronic, digital, and print materials, Ex Libris provides efficient, user-friendly products that serve the needs of libraries today and will facilitate their transition into the future. Ex Libris maintains an impressive customer base consisting of thousands of sites in more than 90 countries on six continents. Dedicated to developing creative solutions in close collaboration with customers, Ex Libris enables libraries to maximize productivity and efficiency and, at the same time, greatly enhance the user experience. By empowering users to discover and obtain the information they need, libraries ensure their position as the bridge to knowledge.
For more information about Ex Libris Group, see our website, or join us on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
