New library management system enhances support for students, scholars and community users

Students and scholars at the University of Calgary are about to benefit from many months of project planning and close collaboration between Libraries and Cultural Resources (LCR) and the university’s Information Technologies (IT) team. A new library management system went live on May 29.

The Ex Libris Alma library services platform and the Primo discovery system have replaced systems that are more than 20 years old. Over the course of two decades, collections have grown and evolved, and many more digital resources have become available.

“This new, streamlined system will ensure the library continues to provide the best support possible for the campus community,” explains Tom Hickerson, vice-provost (libraries and cultural resources) and university librarian. “This aligns with our vision of creating the library of the future and enhancing its role in the advancement of scholarship.”

This is a complete overhaul of the library management system, a project supported by the Office of the Provost. Students and scholars will benefit from new features including a mobile-friendly responsive interface and the ability to bookmark favourites when searching.

As an added convenience, library materials no longer need to be renewed. They will renew automatically and indefinitely unless the items are recalled. Fines will only be charged when recalled items are not returned promptly. Fines for most items accumulate at a rate of $5 per item per day to a maximum of $50 per item. 

Planning for the new library management system has been going on behind the scenes since August 2016, involving LCR and IT implementation teams and intensive training of library staff.

“This multi-year project is a great example of teamwork and collaboration between units” explains D’Arcy Moynaugh, chief information officer. “Working together to deliver a system to meet the needs of students and everyone using our libraries, those involved in the project should be proud of what they’ve accomplished.”

The University of Calgary is one of 1,000 institutions around the world to adopt this new system. Other members of the Association of Research Libraries using the system include Harvard University, Carnegie Mellon University, Simon Fraser University and the University of Manitoba. Other Canadian institutions include the University of Regina and Memorial University, and Mount Royal University is also implementing the same system.