SILS News
Below please find posts from the SILS News listserv! While confidential, UC-only information originally distributed on the listserv won’t be made available here, we are posting all publicly shareable content to increase project transparency and ease of access to information. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact AskSILS-L@listserv.ucop.edu directly.
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Date: November 26, 2024
Title: UC Libraries Renews Contract with Ex Libris Group for Two Years
The SILS Leadership Group announces the successful renewal of our contract with Ex Libris Group for the Alma/Primo VE software suite and a new two-year collaborative improvement project. … (more).
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Date: December 17, 2021
Title: Farewell 2021, and Farewell SILS Phase 4
As announced previously, Phase 4 of the UC Libraries’ Systemwide ILS (SILS) Project concludes on Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021. Beginning in January 2022, a new UC Libraries Advisory Structure (UCLAS)-integrated governance structure and operational teams will replace the existing SILS project in perpetuity. … (more).
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Date: November 1, 2021
Title: Follow-Up to Ex Libris Analytics Workshop
Many thanks to those of you who recently attended the Ex Libris workshop on analytics. While analytics is fresh in everyone’s mind, we want to acknowledge that analytics presents opportunities for local and systemwide transformation. We would like to share with you what we are doing now and the current thoughts for moving forward from a SILS perspective: … (more).
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Date: September 9, 2021
Title: Further Details About the New, Ongoing SILS Governance and Operations Structure
As previously announced via SILS-News, phase 4 of the SILS project will conclude on December 23, 2021, and the new UC Libraries Advisory Structure (UCLAS)-integrated SILS governance will commence on January 3, 2022. Please see below for a brief overview of the transition and new structure. … (more).
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Date: August 31, 2021
Title: Introducing the SILS Transition Task Force
With the Dec. 23 end date for the SILS Phase 4 project approaching, a Transition Task Force (TTF) has formed to develop and oversee onboarding and orientation for all new groups to the University of California Libraries Advisory Structure (UCLAS)-integrated SILS structure. … (more).
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Date: August 18, 2021
Title: UCLAS-integrated SILS Structure
After more than four years of collaborative work on the SILS project, and a successful launch of UC Library Search in July, it is now time to look at the ongoing SILS operational management. … (more).
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Date: July 27, 2021
Title: Together, We Accomplished the Incredible!
It brings us immense joy to announce that UC Library Search, the first truly unified discovery and borrowing system across our University of California ecosystem, is live! … (more).
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Date: July 1, 2021
Title: This Month in SILS and UC Library Search for July 2021
Below is the final monthly high-level summary of information for both project implementation and the end-user service, to keep the UC Libraries community informed in advance of go-live on July 27, 2021. … (more).
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Date: June 4, 2021
Title: This Month in SILS and UC Library Search for June 2021
Below is a monthly high-level summary of information for both project implementation and the end-user service, to keep the UC Libraries community informed in advance of go-live on July 27, 2021. … (more).
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Date: May 17, 2021
Title: SILS Phase 4 Midterm Report
The Systemwide Integrated Library System (SILS) Working Group is pleased to share the SILS Phase 4 Midterm Report (Public Version), available now on the SILS website... (more).
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Date: May 6, 2021
Title: This Month in SILS and UC Library Search for May 2021
Below is a monthly high-level summary of information for both project implementation and the end-user service, to keep the UC Libraries community informed in advance of go-live on July 27, 2021. … (more).
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Title: The Impact of UC Library Search on Service and Operations
The launch of UC Library Search on July 27, 2021 will bring fundamental changes to our collective patron services and internal operations.
Below, several members of the SILS Phase 4 Cohort share their thoughts on the impacts of UC Library Search, some of which are being felt now and others which await in less than three months’ time. … (more).
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Date: April 1, 2021
Title: This Month in SILS and UC Library Search for April 2021
The SILS Phase 4 Cohort has introduced a new pilot communications initiative intended to provide a monthly high-level summary of information for both project implementation and the end-user service. … (more).
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Date: March 30, 2021
Title: Findings from the fall 2020 SILS shared governance poll
In mid-October 2020, the UC SILS Project Shared Governance Task Force (SGTF) released an assessment poll to inform planning for ongoing SILS governance. … (more).
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Date: March 5, 2021
Title: This Month in SILS and UC Library Search (March 2021)
The SILS Phase 4 Cohort is introducing a new pilot communications initiative intended to provide a monthly high-level summary of information … (more).
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Date: February 1, 2021
Title: We Have a Name: UC Library Search
On Friday, Jan. 29, the University of California’s Council of University Librarians (CoUL) formally approved UC Library Search as the patron-facing name … (more).
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Date: January 11, 2021
Title: Feedback Requested: SILS End-User Name Proposal
The SILS Working Group is requesting feedback from cohort members and SILS News subscribers on UC Library Search, the SILS end-user name put forth … (more).
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Date: January 7, 2021
Title: January 2021 Project Updates
As we flip the calendar to 2021, we enter the final seven months of the SILS implementation phase leading up to go live on July 27, 2021. … (more).
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Date: November 4, 2020
Title: SILS Vanguard Phase Complete; Implementation Begins
We are pleased to announce that the six SILS vanguard institutions successfully completed the vanguard phase of the project, which ran from June 15 to Oct 30. … (more).
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Date: October 20, 2020
Title: Communicating What SILS is, and its Value
As we approach the end of calendar year 2020, and a single-digit monthly countdown to SILS go-live on July 27, 2021, there exists an increasing need to communicate both what is SILS, as well as its value … (more).
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Date: September 23, 2020
Title: Primo Test Environments for SILS Vanguard Institutions Now Live
Between Sept. 16 and 21, the six SILS vanguard institutions were presented with their test environments for Ex Libris’ Primo VE discovery platform. … (more).
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Date: August 3, 2020
Title: Vanguard Institution Data Migration Complete; Testing to Begin in September
Last Friday, July 31, the six SILS vanguard institutions completed their test data migration to Alma, Ex Libris’ library software system. … (more).
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Date: July 16, 2020
Title: SILS Phase 4 Principles and Shared Assumptions
This week the Council of University Librarians (CoUL) approved SILS phase 4 principles and shared assumptions … (more).
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Date: June 3, 2020
Title: Announcing our new SILS Service Manager Caitlin Nelson
The California Digital Library’s Discovery & Delivery program is pleased to welcome Caitlin Nelson as its Systemwide ILS Service Manager … (more).
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Date: June 1, 2020
Title: Introducing the UC Libraries SILS Project Wiki
We invite the entire UC Libraries community to explore the UC Libraries SILS Project wiki, hosted on Confluence … (more).
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Date: May 8, 2020
Title: SILS phase 3 report
With phase 4 of SILS (implementation phase) underway, we are overdue for an official closure to phase 3 (RFP phase)… (more).
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Date: May 4, 2020
Title: SILS vanguard institutions
We are pleased to announce the following campuses will be our vanguard institutions… (more).
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Date: April 10, 2020
Title: SILS migration phases explained
SILS Phase 4 is officially underway! Below is an overview of our migration timeline for the next 18-months, divided into three phases. The phases and timeline were defined by Ex Libris. The dates listed represent our best estimates and are subject to change. For updates and more, please stay tuned to the SILS-News email list… (more).
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Date: March 26, 2020
Title: SILS Phase 4 cohort announced!
The SILS Working Group would like to assure you that in these difficult times, work on the Alma/Primo implementation with our vendor, Ex Libris continues to move forward as planned. To that end, we are pleased to announce the SILS phase 4 cohort!… (more).
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Date: March 11, 2020
Title: SILS March webinar – recording now available!
On March 5th, the SILS working group and the Shared Governance Task Force hosted a DOC-sponsored virtual brown bag on the SILS project. SILS representatives talked about implementation and the governance structure for the implementation phase of the project (phase 4)… (more).
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Date: March 2, 2020
Title: Upcoming DOC webinar on the SILS project: March 5 2-3pm
Please join us for an update on the Systemwide ILS (SILS) project as we transition to phase 4, the implementation of the selected SILS… (more).
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Date: February 28, 2020
Title: ELUNA consortial membership for UC Libraries
Given the high amount of interest in the upcoming ELUNA (Ex Libris Users of North America) Conference (May 5-8 in L.A.), the SILS working group put together a FAQ about membership benefits and costs! Please feel free to share widely… (more).
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Date: February 24, 2020
Title: CoUL endorses the phase 4 shared governance structure
We are pleased to report that the Council of University Librarians (CoUL) endorsed the phase 4 shared governance structure at their meeting last week. The governance documents are now available on the UC Libraries website… (more).
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Date: February 21, 2020
Title: SILS Harmonization Reports + Shared Governance Webinar!
We’re happy to report that the SILS Harmonization pilot reports are now available. The SILS Harmonization group, a subgroup of the SILS Working Group, managed harmonization pilots in the second half of 2019 to test possible harmonization processes, including: engaging experts, selecting topics, discussing potential areas of alignment and coming to some agreement on next steps… (more).
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Date: February 13, 2020
Title: SILS Service Manager job posting to close on Mar. 01
This is just a reminder that the Systemwide ILS (SILS) Service Manager job posting closes on Mar. 01, 2020… (more).
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Date: February 12, 2020
Title: Update on the work of the SILS Shared Governance Task Force
The SILS Shared Governance Task Force (SGTF) was charged by the SILS Working Group this past summer to plan and develop SILS governance for the forthcoming migration and implementation phase of work, as well as for ongoing, UC Libraries Advisory Structure (UCLAS) integrated SILS governance… (more).
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Date: January 6, 2020
Title: UC selects Ex Libris for Systemwide ILS
The University of California (UC) Libraries have selected the Ex Libris Alma and Primo services to deploy the Systemwide Integrated Library System (SILS). The Council of University Librarians (CoUL) made this decision following the SILS Request for Proposal and careful consideration of the libraries’ goals and requirements for a shared solution. We have reached this important project milestone thanks to the hard work and expertise of many; phase 3 involved over sixty project cohort members and extensive, systemwide consultation and review… (more).
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Date: March 27, 2019
Title: Moving forward with internal review of the SILS Phase 3 mid-term report and RFP
We’re happy to report that the SILS Working Group recently shared their phase 3 mid-term report, which includes the RFP documents, with the Direction & Oversight Committee (DOC) for their review and feedback. Many thanks to DOC for their helpful comments and edits. Next week, the report and RFP will be delivered to the Council of University Librarians (CoUL)… (more).
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Date: February 27, 2019
Title: We’re almost halfway through phase 3 of the SILS project!
We’re almost halfway through phase 3 of the systemwide ILS (SILS) project! Below please find a few updates about work happening right now… (more).
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Date: February 6, 2019
Title: SILS RFP requirements – feedback due on Friday
As many of you know, the third batch of requirements for the SILS RFP was released for review at the end of January and campus feedback is due this Friday, February 8th. The expertise groups have done an excellent job of representing UC’s needs for selecting a systemwide ILS… (more).
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Date: January 15, 2019
Title: SILS December webinar – recording now available!
In December, the SILS working group hosted a DOC-sponsored virtual brown bag on the SILS project… (more).
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Date: December 21, 2018
Title: Introducing SILS-News, the blog edition!
Recognizing that the SILS-News listserv doesn’t provide a satisfactory mechanism for reading past messages, we’ve decided to implement a SILS-News blog edition on the SILS project website… (more).
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Date: November 30, 2018
Title: DOC virtual brown bag on the SILS project this December
We’re happy to share that the next DOC virtual brown bag will focus on the SILS project! SILS representatives will talk about the vision for the SILS, how the expertise groups are approaching the requirements drafting process and what this means for campuses, and finally, a preview of next steps in the SILS project… (more).
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Date: November 8, 2018
Title: High-level SILS timeline now on the public website
We’ve expanded the timeline on the public SILS project website to include key dates for phase 3 and future phases of work… (more).
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Date: November 6, 2018
Title: SILS phase 3 slogan, mission statement, and slogan!
We’re happy to share that the phase 3 SILS principles are now on the website, along with a SILS mission statement and slogan… (more).
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Date: October 26, 2018
Title: Expectations around confidentiality and the SILS project
You might be wondering why more project information isn’t readily available on the SILS website, or why the SILS project wiki isn’t public. To maintain the integrity of the request for proposal (RFP) process and the confidence of suppliers entrusting UC with proprietary information, it is critical that the libraries avoid publicly sharing certain project details at this time, including potential requirements and confidential information concerning potential ILS suppliers… (more).
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Date: October 25, 2018
Title: Introducing: the SILS abbreviations glossary!
Phase 3 of the project is underway, and thanks to your feedback we’ve realized something important: the SILS project has accumulated an impressive number of abbreviations!… (more).
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Date: August 13, 2018
Title: SILS phase 3 cohort announced!
Earlier this month, the Council of University Librarians (CoUL) announced the SILS phase 3 cohort!.. (more).
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Date: June 28, 2018
Title: SILS project team completes phase 2!
The SILS Working Group is very pleased to announce we have successfully completed phase 2 (Exploration) of the Systemwide Integrated Library System (SILS) project and have approval from the Council of University Librarians (CoUL) to proceed with phase 3… (more).
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Date: May 22, 2018
Title: SILS Project is nearing the end of phase 2!
The SILS Working Group has nearly finished phase 2, the exploration phase of the Systemwide Integrated Library System (SILS) project… (more).
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Date: April 10, 2018
Title: Introducing: SILS News!
Thank you for your interest in the Systemwide Integrated Library System (SILS) project and welcome to SILS News! The SILS Working Group is about halfway through phase 2 of the project… (more).
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Date: March 29, 2018
Title: SILS Project update
This update was previously shared in March 2018 by University Librarians before SILS News was created. In case you missed the email, we’re sharing the news again.
The SILS Working Group had a project team kickoff on January 10, 2018 to begin phase 2. Phase 2 is a brief exploratory phase intended to help us quickly understand costs and the systems likely affected by a consortial ILS. Our deliverable at the end of this phase is a report to CoUL describing the systems that would likely be replaced by a consortial ILS, our existing costs, and likely future costs for a consortial ILS… (more).
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Document owner: SILS Operations Center at CDL