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.
Three years after going live with the centralized library management and discovery system or Systemwide Integrated Library System (SILS) in 2021, the University of California (UC) Libraries have successfully renewed our Alma/Primo VE contract with Ex Libris Group (Ex Libris) for the July 2024 – July 2026 period. Ex Libris’ Alma/Primo VE software is the foundation of the SILS Service, which empowers the ten UC campus libraries, the California Digital Library, and two systemwide storage facilities to manage collections and electronic resources across the UC system – which includes a combined 19 million records and roughly 400,000 systemwide users.
The UC Libraries view the next two years as a critical time in our partnership with Ex Libris, and as such, our next renewal will be contingent on improvements to both Ex Libris service and software. In August 2024, Ex Libris and the UC Libraries co-developed a plan for a two year project called the Workstream Improvement Project (WIP). Ex Libris staff will lead a team of Ex Libris and UC Libraries members through the analysis of current issues, recommendations for improvement, and the implementation of solutions. The WIP will focus on consortial issues and other Ex Libris consortial clients will be invited to give feedback on the recommended improvements through the Consortial Community of Practice, an Ex Libris Users of North America (ELUNA) group. By summer 2026, Ex Libris and UC Libraries will make changes that benefit the UC Libraries and the entire user community.
The Alma/Primo VE package has a strong foundation, and with it, the UC Libraries have seen significant positive developments from Ex Libris in the past three years. These developments include:
- Improved responsiveness to client feedback;
- A dedicated consortial product manager;
- An ongoing customer support improvement plan;
- Improved availability of Ex Libris Professional Services staff;
- Several ELUNA advisory groups (including customer support, documentation, etc.)
The UC Libraries are using a collaborative network of Alma Institution Zones (IZ) (the software each campus uses to manage their data and workflows) for each of the ten UC campuses and an Alma Network Zone (NZ) (a separate software connected to all the campus IZs, and supports system-level management of data and workflows). Functionality which allows UC Libraries staff from any campus to do work that supports the entire system is a high priority toward the SILS mission of efficiency and patron service.
Implementation and migration to a new system naturally cause a dip in productivity as staff and patrons adjust to the new system. In the three-plus years after implementation, the UC Libraries have yet to reestablish previous levels of service, and patron dissatisfaction and staff frustration are still prevalent issues. To reach our greater goals, the UC Libraries are looking for improvements in several key areas, including:
- Improved resource sharing between UC libraries as a system and between UC Libraries and the world. This resource sharing includes improving automated request processing to remove the need for human intervention, relieving the burden on resource-sharing staff and allowing the UC Libraries to fulfill more requests.
- Better aggregated analytics for consortia-wide data to support systemwide decisions. This includes IZ Analytics access to NZ data, network-level cost-per-use statistics, and improved data architecture.
- Improved shared acquisitions and electronic resource management. Thus, consortial resources can be acquired, organized, and made accessible to patrons as smoothly as possible.
- Improved ability to work with our collection of 19 million records without software delays; this includes automated jobs, reports, and batch work.
- Improved Ex Libris product documentation. Refined product documentation will allow our staff to assess the behavior of the software correctly and to set up complex workflows without needing assistance.
- Improved response time and the quality of responses from Ex Libris customer service. Thus, staff assistance is meaningful and timely and results in a favorable resolution.
- Improved knowledge transfer between internal Ex Libris departments
- (product, development, documentation, customer service) and between Ex Libris and UC Libraries staff. Thus, answers can be found from the appropriate source quickly and correctly when troubleshooting.
- Improved commitment from Ex Libris in developing consortial features and bug resolution. The software predictably supports shared workflows between consortial members.
The WIP timeline will include two phases to address these matters. Phase 1 (August 2024 – February 2025) covers the analysis of UC Libraries issues and Ex Libris recommendation of solutions for those issues. UC Libraries will collaborate with appropriate ELUNA committees for their input on the proposed recommendations to verify which are of significant benefit to the ELUNA community. UC Libraries will provide comments and feedback on the report to Ex Libris and mutually agree upon final recommendations. Phase 2 (March 2025 – June 2026) involves drafting and finalizing the specifications for each recommendation, testing software development and new service ideas, putting development into production, and sharing with the ELUNA community. Assessment will continue throughout the project.
The SILS Leadership Group values Ex Libris as a vendor and partner. We are pleased that Ex Libris will lead the WIP collaboratively towards improving the software and systems – for the benefit of UC Libraries, Ex Libris clients worldwide and Ex Libris products. We are grateful to the UC-wide community for supporting the UC Libraries in the SILS Service transition, and we acknowledge the hard work and impressive efforts of the UC Libraries staff who contribute to the success of the SILS service.
For more information, please contact the Workstream Improvement Project team at SILS-WIPT-L@LISTSERV.UCOP.EDU.