IPSWICH, Mass. — October 21, 2019 — Chalmers University of Technology has become the first university library to go live with FOLIO with hosting services from EBSCO Information Services. FOLIO is an open source service platform created by a community of librarians, services providers and developers. Adopting the FOLIO platform allows Chalmers to manage both its electronic resources and print materials on the same platform.
Chalmers University became the first EBSCO FOLIO beta partner in 2017 and has been working with EBSCO on a phased implementation process. Chalmers first brought the Electronic Resource Management (ERM) suite of apps online before fully implementing FOLIO’s base applications and discontinuing its previous Integrated Library System (ILS).
Chalmers is running FOLIO applications including check in/out; tracking user updates and requests; and managing inventory, orders, agreements, licenses, eHoldings, settings and SIP2 connections. Chalmers is also using FOLIO to integrate with existing systems such as OpenAthens, GOBI®, EBSCO Holdings IQ, EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS), along with the LIBRIS (The Swedish Union Catalogue maintained by the National Library of Sweden) and the library’s self-check-out machines.
Head of Information Resources at Chalmers, Marie Wenander, says having a Chalmers library staff that was ready for change and working with EBSCO added an important element to the migration. “The EBSCO implementation team members, who became an extension of our staff, were willing to work together and orchestrate a migration that was different from any we’ve been through — a true learning experience which allowed a smooth transition to a brand-new system.” Wenander says meeting members of the FOLIO Community along the way made the implementation even more important. “We knew we were leveraging the work of our fellow librarians and the FOLIO community while also contributing back the real-time information we were acquiring about the system and how it worked in a live environment.”
EBSCO Information Services’ Senior Vice President for Analytics and Hosting Services, Gar Sydnor, says the library at Chalmers University was a great beta tester because of its willingness to work with EBSCO on a template for migration and because of its electronic resource-heavy collection. “The Chalmers’ team made this implementation a great learning experience for EBSCO and the FOLIO community itself. Chalmers has a collection consisting mainly of electronic resources which allowed us to test FOLIO’s ERM module and ensure a smooth transition with the library’s existing EBSCO Discovery Service implementation.” Sydnor went on to note that “EBSCO would also like to offer a special thank you to the Open Library Environment (OLE) for their outstanding collaboration and contributions on the FOLIO project. Chalmers would not be live without OLE.”
The FOLIO project began as a community that brought libraries, services providers and developers together to bring an open source library services platform online that would look at traditional library automation services in a new way — combining print and electronic collections like never before. The platform leverages microservices and allows libraries to run the open source system themselves or work with service providers for hosting and system support. Libraries have full control of the software and are able to choose a full FOLIO migration or a phased approach of selected applications. The FOLIO platform is built for innovation and gives librarians choice while ensuring services will be interoperable.
About FOLIO
FOLIO is a collaborative effort among libraries, vendors, developers and consortia that leverages open source technology and a community-based effort to redefine library services and innovate based on library futures. By building on what libraries need and by leveraging library expertise as well as vendor capacity and velocity, FOLIO is designed to move libraries forward, build on the services they provide and redefine the role libraries play within their institution. FOLIO also levels the playing field and makes open source technology available to all institutions regardless of size or staffing. FOLIO brings vendors together to innovate and host services for customers and introduces open source as a service to libraries. To sign up to participate or receive more information go to www.folio.org.
About Chalmers University of Technology
Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, conducts research and education in technology and natural sciences at a high international level. The university has 3,100 employees and 10,000 students, and offers education in engineering, science, shipping and architecture.
With scientific excellence as a basis, Chalmers promotes knowledge and technical solutions for a sustainable world. Through global commitment and entrepreneurship, Chalmers fosters an innovative spirit, in close collaboration with wider society. The EU’s biggest research initiative — the Graphene Flagship — is coordinated by Chalmers. They are also leading the development of a Swedish quantum computer.
About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the leading discovery service provider for libraries worldwide with more than 11,000 discovery customers in over 100 countries. EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS) provides each institution with a comprehensive, single search box for its entire collection, offering unparalleled relevance ranking quality and extensive customization. EBSCO is also the preeminent provider of online research content for libraries, including hundreds of research databases, historical archives, and clinical decisions tools serving millions of end users at tens of thousands of institutions. EBSCO is the leading provider of electronic journals & books for libraries, with subscription management for more than 360,000 serials, including more than 57,000 e-journals, as well as online access to more than 1,000,000 e-books. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: www.ebsco.com. EBSCO Information Services is a division of EBSCO Industries, Inc., a family owned company since 1944.
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For more information, please contact:
Kathleen McEvoy
Vice President of Communications
(800) 653-2726 ext. 2594
kmcevoy@ebsco.com
