February 15, 2016
The Michigan-based library network chose Ex Libris solutions to streamline workflows and create opportunities for deeper collaboration
Chicago, IL—February 15, 2016. Ex Libris, a ProQuest company, is pleased to announce that the DALNET consortium in Michigan has selected the Ex Libris® Alma® resource management solution and the Primo® discovery and delivery solution.
The DALNET consortium and its member libraries chose Ex Libris Alma and Primo to fully incorporate discovery, access, and management for all library materials in print and electronic formats. Primo and Alma will meet the needs of a complex consortium, while also enabling member libraries to create separate profiles and configurations within the system. With its diverse member libraries, comprising research centers, special libraries, and colleges, users of DALNET resources include students, researchers, curators, physicians, medical personnel, and administrators. Primo will enable the wide community of users to discover all of the consortium’s rich resources.
Of the commercial systems evaluated, Alma and Primo best met the consortium’s primary requirements: a cloud-based unified platform that manages library services for all formats and resource types; a separate search interface for each participating library enabling discovery of print, media, electronic and digital materials; a robust yet easy-to-use system including consolidated, refined, and less repetitive workflows; and flexibility for each participating institution to comply with local policies and the needs of their parent institutions.
Steven K. Bowers, DALNET Executive Director, remarked: ”DALNET’s adoption of Ex Libris systems will allow the consortium to fully support the resource management and discovery needs of its member libraries, strengthening our collaborative efforts for the future. The consortium will see an increased return on investment, moving from a traditional print based system to a unified platform that manages and delivers access to all of the resources in DALNET libraries. The Alma platform will consolidate systems for print and electronic materials, allowing our member libraries to use unified analytics to demonstrate relevance to their parent institutions and to focus efforts on delivery of services to the library user. Primo will expand access to all of our member libraries’ resources, and engage our users in resource discovery and use.”
”Ex Libris seems to truly leverage the current technology, including a deep understanding of the importance of data and analytics, and have strong experience working in a consortium environment with academic members,” Jennifer Dean, DALNET Board Member, commented. ”With Ex Libris, we expect to be able to reorganize our workflows, empower our staff with more information, better understand the usage of our resources, and generate meaningful reports on our collections and our work. We are excited for our users to be able to search all of our resources in one interface, and to expand their searching and access to include the consortium, the state, and the world.”
”We are very pleased to welcome DALNET, another major library network that has opted for Alma and Primo,” Eric Hines, president of Ex Libris North America, noted. ”Alma and Primo are both designed to support consortial requirements, by enabling each consortium to determine the level of central governance and institutional independence. DALNET has been dedicated to delivering first-class research services to library staff and users for over 30 years, and we are proud to be supporting them in their mission.”
About Ex Libris
Ex Libris, a ProQuest company, is a leading global provider of cloud-based solutions for higher education. Offering SaaS solutions for the management and discovery of the full spectrum of library and scholarly materials, as well as mobile campus solutions driving student engagement and success, Ex Libris serves thousands of customers in 90 countries. For more information about Ex Libris, see our website, and join us on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
About DALNET
DALNET is a community of libraries working together to provide access to information for research, cultural enrichment, and lifelong learning opportunities. DALNET libraries play a leadership role in the delivery of information at their institutions. The consortium includes academic, public, school and special libraries. DALNET members agree to participate in some or all consortium ventures and remain committed to resource sharing. Most DALNET members participate in using the shared library systems of the consortium and will be part of the migration to Ex Libris Alma and Primo.
Hosted at Wayne State University since 1985, DALNET enables libraries to maximize their investments through shared resources. For over three decades the consortium has helped member libraries to serve the information needs of their users through innovative, collaborative networking among various types of libraries and their personnel in southeast Michigan. For more information, see: www.DALNET.org
