[Libs-Or] Fwd: News Release: Orbis Cascade Alliance and Ex Libris Complete Implementation of a Shared Resource Management and Discovery System

[John F. Helmer]

I share this with thanks to our colleagues in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
for your advice and moral support along the way.
-- 
_________________________________

John F. Helmer
Executive Director
Orbis Cascade Alliance
jhelmer at orbiscascade.org
541.246.2470 ext 205






*NEWS RELEASEOrbis Cascade Alliance and Ex Libris Complete Implementation
of a Shared Resource Management and Discovery SystemCulmination of a
two-year effort to replace local systems*

 Eugene, OR and Chicago, IL--January 22, 2015

The Orbis Cascade Alliance, a consortium of 37 North American academic
institutions known for innovative collaboration, and Ex Libris Group, a
global leader in library automation services, are pleased to announce
completion of a two-year effort to migrate Alliance members to a shared,
next-generation library management and discovery solution.  Alliance member
libraries have migrated from 37 locally hosted systems comprised of four
discovery and three ILS platforms to shared use of the cloud-based Alma
unified resource management solution and Primo discovery solution. Working
in partnership, the Alliance and Ex Libris each played critical roles in
managing the complex migration of four cohorts comprised of 6-11 libraries,
each cohort migrating over a six-month period.  Beyond migration, the
Alliance and Ex Libris worked in partnership to create a new resource
sharing solution and to develop consortial functionality that will allow
Alliance member libraries to build on their 20-year history of shared work.

"This is truly a collaborative project that could not have happened without
the support of everyone across the Alliance. Dozens of member library staff
across the northwest U.S. have been in near-constant contact with Ex Libris
colleagues based in Chicago, Boston, and Jerusalem," stated Jane Carlin,
chair of the Alliance and library director at the University of Puget
Sound.  "We now share a system and there are so many possibilities for
service, training, workflow and product knowledge and development."

"This has been a long and complex migration and huge credit is due to the
leadership, imagination, hard work and perseverance of dozens of staff
across all 37 member libraries," remarked John F. Helmer, executive
director of the Orbis Cascade Alliance. "For 20 years, we have been
exploring the potential of deep collaboration, and implementation of this
next-generation shared system is key to helping us realize our strategic
goal to 'do things once, do things together, do things the same.'"

"It has been a pleasure to work with Ex Libris on this historic
achievement.  Along the way, we often discovered new challenges and worked
in partnership on creative solutions," said Al Cornish, the Alliance shared
ILS program manager.  The Alliance and Ex Libris worked together to plan
and achieve one of the project's key objectives: a streamlined resource
sharing program based on Alma's capabilities.  "Ex Libris was a very
responsive partner throughout this effort," stated Anya Arnold, the
Alliance resource sharing program manager.  "Resource sharing has deep
roots in this consortium, with our first patron-initiated borrowing system
going live for five libraries in the early 1990's and migration to a second
platform in 2008. It is a thrill to now launch the next generation of
resource sharing serving all 37 members of the Orbis Cascade Alliance."

Matti Shem Tov, President and CEO of the Ex Libris Group, commented:
"Having all Alliance members live with Alma and Primo is a huge
accomplishment, the result of excellent teamwork and many months of
intensive efforts by all project members. This day is only the beginning.
Now that the foundation is in place, we will start witnessing the emergence
of new, innovative practices and services across the Alliance. We feel
honored to be a partner of the Alliance and we look forward to many more
years of collaborative work."

"The success of this project is a testament to the dedication, ingenuity,
and enthusiasm of so many individuals throughout the Alliance and Ex Libris
who have enjoyed a close and productive relationship for the past two
years," stated Melissa Hilbert, Ex Libris Vice President of Professional
Services North America.  "Beyond implementing new systems, we have worked
together to establish consortial implementation best practices and
recognize the extremely valuable contributions the Alliance has made in
this area."

*About Orbis Cascade*
The Orbis Cascade Alliance <https://www.orbiscascade.org/> is a consortium
of 37 academic institutions <https://www.orbiscascade.org/member/> in
Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, serving faculty and the equivalent of more
than 275,000 full-time students. The Alliance helps member libraries to
advance institutional missions through collaboration and innovation.
Members join together in the spirit of innovation and combined expertise,
seeking efficiency and productivity to strongly promote the success of
students, faculty, staff, and researchers. We bring multiple perspectives
together to challenge traditional thinking and elevate our ability to
deliver outstanding services, programs, and collections. The Alliance
supports a number of programs that promote this vision, including a shared
resource management and discovery system; standardized policies and
collaborative workflows; a service that allows students, faculty, and staff
to easily search and request library materials owned by member libraries;
courier service providing delivery of library materials in Oregon,
Washington, and Idaho; enhanced access to archival and manuscript
collections in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington through
a union database of finding aids; an Alliance distributed print repository;
consortium-wide participation in the Western Regional Storage Trust (WEST);
cooperative purchasing of databases and e-journals; and demand-driven and
licensed e-book collections.

*About Ex Libris*
Ex Libris <http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/> 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.
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