At the Ticer Summer School 2012

1. Library Services in a New Perspective: Unifying
Resource Management with Ex Libris’ Alma Jo Rademakers
Head LIBIS
Ticer Summer School – Tilburg – 21-24 August ’12

2. • Comprehensive University
– Including the Bachelor’s campus in Kortrijk
– 3 groups,14 Faculties:
• Science, Engineering and Technology
• Humanities and Social sciences
• Biomedical sciences
• 38.640 Students (15% international;
2011)
• 5199 Peer reviewed publications (2010)
• 98 Spin-offs (2011)
• 68 [QS World UR 2011]
• 67 [THES 2012] )

3. Leuven Integrated (B)Library and Information System
• Part of K.U.Leuven responsible for central library automation
Governed by a management board
• Since early 70’s
• Service offer for external
organisations (> 120)
• 16 persons
+ experts of library and ICT
• Partnership with Ex Libris
3

4. K.U.Leuven libraries
• 11 Libraries
• > 4 M items
• Large e-resource collection (go e-only)
• Several repositories (research, AVM…)
• Integration with
– Archives
– Museums
• Great team of librarians (approx. 170)
– new generation coming in
• Stagnating budgets (ahum…)
4

5. A Library network
• Different types of libraries:
– Collections
– Size
– Personnel
– Budget
– Needs
– Multilingual
• Collaboration !!!
5

6. A service provider
• Serving over 120 libraries
• Complete service offer
– Service Level Agreements
– Customised services / reports
– Also public libraries
• … cloud …
• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
6

7. Aleph MetaLib DigiTool
Discovery and Delivery
SFX bX
Linking
Public layer
SFX
Aleph MetaLib DigiTool
Verde
Print Electronic Digital
MetaLib
DigiTool
Management layer
Verde
Aleph
SFX
DigiTool
Print Electronic Digital
Repository layer
Library
7

8. Unified Resource
Discovery and Delivery
Aleph MetaLib Primo
DigiTool
Primo
Discovery and Delivery Central
SFX bX
Linking
Public layer
Unified Resource
SFX
Aleph Alma
MetaLib DigiTool
Management
Verde
Alma
Print Electronic Digital
MetaLib
DigiTool
Management layer
Verde
Aleph
SFX
DigiTool
Print Electronic Digital
Repository layer
Library
8

9. Why we became a development partner
• Ex Libris came to us with an interesting vision about the future
of libraries and library systems
• Challenging times for libraries
– Net-generation
– Budget cuts
– There IS a world outside
• After streamlining the front office we need to streamline the
backoffice  expectations
• We think we have something to offer and are encouraged by
university management
It’s [a]live, Jim… but not as we know it!
9

10. What we expect…
• From the process
– Open minded approach!
– Focus on what really matters
– Question every existing workprocess
– Think about alternatives for outdated processes
– Think about new services
– Look beyond traditional library borders
– Exchange of best practices
10

11. What we expect…
• From the solution
– A framework to create new services
• e.g. based on statistical information
• Alternatives for outdated processes
• Integrated in the world outside
– Integration of workprocesses across material types and
departments…
but also across other library like organisations
11

12. What we expect…
• From the solution
– Reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
• Streamlined technology
• Complexity of operations
• Less cataloguing
– Increase service levels
12

13. The URM vision
• Unified resource management: Alma supports the entire suite of library operations for print,
electronic, and digital resources
• Collaborative Metadata Management: Alma brings highquality, shared metadata into the resource
management environment in a unique, hybrid model that balances global sharing with local needs
• Smart Fulfillment: Alma provides fulfillment services to users in terms that are easy to understand,
while using unified workflows and analytics capabilities to streamline and optimize fulfillment
workflows
• Optimized resources and data: Alma simplifies library workflows by using a unique automated
business processes and shared data
• Cloud-based service: Offered as a cloud service to increase the return on investment and reduce the
total cost of ownership of the library’s infrastructure, and to provide access to shared data and
services
• Intelligent collection development: Alma allows you to maximize your collection development budget
with selection, acquisitions, and evaluation processes informed by usage information, cost per use,
and the holdings of peer collections.
• Ex Libris open platform: Using web-based, open interfaces, Alma can be integrated seamlessly with
other systems including external campus systems, and libraries can develop adapters and plug-ins to
meet their institutions’ unique needs

14. Goals of Unified Resource Management
• Integration of back-office processes (independent of
material type, format, acquisition method) to
– Streamline current work processes
– Optimize staff resources
• Decrease total cost of metadata management through
– New possibilities for automated data enrichment
– Community building
14

15. Goals of Unified Resource Management
• Increase cooperation between libraries for ex.
acquisition, collections, technical support…
– Exchange of expertise and knowledge
• A service-oriented architecture that allows for local
adaptations and additions to fulfill local needs
15

16. Strategy
CONSOLIDATE OPTIMISE EXTEND
the through collaboration the
frameworks range of services
© Ex Libris

17. Strategy
CONSOLIDATE OPTIMISE EXTEND
the through collaboration the
frameworks range of services

18. Consolidate the Frameworks
User Environments
OPAC MetaSearch viewer
Print Electronic Digital
Management Environments
© Ex Libris

19. Unified Discovery
Primo
Preservation
Alma
Fulfillment & Linking
Resource & Metadata Mgmt
Acquisitions
Selection
Management Environment
Unified Management
© Ex Libris

20. Strategy
CONSOLIDATE OPTIMISE EXTEND
the through collaboration the
frameworks range of services
© Ex Libris

21. Collaborative Metadata management
Community Zone
Community Zone
for global, shared
Library Zone bibliographic &
Library Zone for authority records
private bibliographic
Inventory & authority records
Inventories to
reflect holdings
and institutional
structure
© Ex Libris

22. Optimised Workflows - Examples
Digital Asset Electronic
Selection Physical Mgmt Metadata Mgmt Link Resolution Fulfillment
Mgmt Mgmt
 User-driven collection development  Usage-driven evaluation & renewal
 Cross-resource type selection  Digitization on demand
 Combined acquisition and activation  Unified fulfillment – P, E, & D
© Ex Libris

23. Actionable Analytics and Intelligence
Resource Usage by Fund Overlap in New Purchases Request
Time to
Fulfillment
Loan
Digital Submissions by Department ILL Requests Converted to Purchases
Purchase
Digitize
© Ex Libris

24. Software is „delivered“ as a Service
Benefits to libraries:
• Share central
infrastructure and
all related services
• Allows technical
staff to work on
new projects
within core
competency
© Ex Libris

25. The Cloud Delivers Lower TCO

26. Strategy
CONSOLIDATE OPTIMISE EXTEND
the through collaboration the
frameworks range of services
© Ex Libris

27. Extend the Range of Services
Electronic
Research
Learning
Support
Publishing Raw Data
Mngmt.
Digital
Preservation © Ex Libris

28. User Spaces
Integrate Into Your Environment
Learning
Management
Parent Institution
Systems (LMS) Users
Student Information
System (SIS)
Metadata Providers Finance & ERP
Material Vendors Identity Management
Resource Usage
Partners
Suppliers
Union Catalogs
Resource Sharing
University Press
Open Access
Scholarly
Repositories
Community
Research
Management
© Ex Libris

29. Extend Using the Open Platform
Alma Open Platform
Programmable Real Time Real time
User interfaces Workflows API
Cloud Development Real Time Programmable
Sandbox Analytics Logic
© Ex Libris

30. The development Partners
Background Key Areas of Collaboration
Boston College  Boston, MA, USA  Course reading workflows
 ~7M items  Reporting and analysis tools
 Current systems: Aleph, Verde,  Digital collection management
DigiTool, SFX, MetaLib, Primo
Background Key Areas of Collaboration
KU Leuven/LIBIS  Leuven, Belgium  Inter-institional relationship
 11 institutions management
 ~4M items  Metadata management policies
 Current systems: Aleph, Verde,  Consortial service provision
DigiTool, SFX, MetaLib, Primo

31. The development Partners
Background Key Areas of Collaboration
Princeton University  Princeton, NJ, USA  Cataloging workflows
 ~14M items  Workflow streamlining
 Current Systems: Voyager, Meridian,  Institutional systems integration
SFX, MetaLib
Background Key Areas of Collaboration
Purdue University  West Lafayette, IN, USA  Descriptive metadata for digital
 ~6.5M items content
 Current systems: Voyager, SFX,  E-Research workflows & systems
MetaLib interoperability

32. Agile Development
Alma Partner
Development Release
Feedback
32

33. Development partner release concept
1 2 3 4 5
Functionality
Data conversion
SaaS operation
33

34. 2008 2009 2010 2011
Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Where we are…
HL Dev Estimation
URM PRD is Ready
Conceptual Design
All Partners Engaged
Partner activities
Selection & Acquisition Solution Review
Cataloging Solution Review
Selection & Acquisition CD Review + Fulfillment Solution Review
Cataloging CD Review
Fulfillment CD Review + Digital Solution Review
Digital CD Review
Development
Release 1
Release 2
Release 3
Release 4
Release 5
PR1
Testing
PR2
PR3
PR4
04.04.2011
DACHELA 2011 PR5 > UAT
34

35. Alma Institution
Local Catalog Acquisition
Local repository of bibliographic and
authority records Funds, Vendors, orders, invoices,
Managed by your library licenses
Inventory Fulfillment
Holdings, items, activated Requests, loans, resource sharing,
electronic resources, and digital course reserves, patrons
objects
Can link to the local or
Community Catalog Administration
Libraries, locations,
policies, rules
© Ex Libris

36. Alma Organization Structure
Customer
Institution Institution Institution
A B C
Library A1 Library A2 Library B1 Library C1 Library C2 Library C3
Campus X Campus Y
© Ex Libris

37. Institution Institution
Physical Patrons Library Staff Physical Patrons Library Staff
Holdings Holdings
Standards Workflows Electronic & Standards Workflows Electronic &
Digital Digital
Holdings Holdings
© Ex Libris

38. Collaborative Metadata management
Community Zone
Collaborative Zone
Library Zone
Inventory
© Ex Libris

42. Our planning
• Drop 1 … drop2 … Partner Release 3 … PR4 … PR5
• Project structure in place
• Now working in sandbox environment (Amsterdam)
Steering group
• Development of consortial functionality started Project
management
– Creating a list of conditiones sine qua non Projectcel
PG Metadata
PG Fulfillment
• STP by summer 2013
management
PG Acquisition
& serials
42

43. Our approach
• Not a technology project…
• But an organisational project
– Change Electronic resources now dominant
– Change just in case  just in time
– Change Patron driven acquisition
– Change Ownership  Access
– Change Metadata almost always already exist  use it !
• Use the implementation of Alma as a tool to implement change
awareness
– Communicate
– Involve entire staff
– ...
• Take away worries
– IT-people, cataloguers...

44. Our approach
JUMP!!!

45. Publishing
Primo Primo Primo Primo
Primo
Discovery and Delivery Central
SFX bX
Linking
Public layer
Alma
Print Electronic Digital
Management layer
DigiTool DigiTool Rosetta Rosetta
DigiTool
Repository layer
Library Archive Museum Academic

46. Publishing
Primo
Primo
Discovery and Delivery Central
SFX bX
Linking
Public layer
Alma Alma
Print Electronic Digital
Management layer
Rosetta
Repository layer
Library Archive Museum Academic
46

47. Thank you !
Questions ?
Jo Rademakers
LIBIS @ KU Leuven
jo.rademakers@libis.be – www.libis.be Information.
+32 (0) 16 32 22 66 Innovation.
De Croylaan 54 – PB 5592 – B-3001 Heverlee Inspiration.