Ipswich, Mass., and Jerusalem, Israel — June 25, 2015. Ex Libris® Group, a global leader in library automation services, and EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO), a worldwide leader in library technology, content and services, are pleased to announce an agreement to streamline libraries’ acquisition processes and optimize the experience of library patrons who are using Ex Libris solutions to access full-text content hosted on the EBSCOhost® platform. The two companies have committed to expanding their collaboration to other areas as well.
According to the agreement, all print and electronic book and journal orders placed via an EBSCO online collection-development or ordering system will be automatically updated in the Ex Libris Alma® library management service through EBSCO’s use of the Alma Real Time Acquisition application programming interface (API). This first phase of the integration will streamline and further automate the acquisition process for libraries. In addition, EBSCO is making its proprietary linking technology available to Ex Libris to improve the accuracy of links from Ex Libris solutions to full text articles hosted on the EBSCOhost platform.
“I am excited about this agreement, which will benefit the many mutual customers of Ex Libris and EBSCO,” remarked Shlomi Kringel, Corporate Vice President for Discovery and Delivery Solutions at Ex Libris. “The importance of openness and the free exchange of data and services through APIs cannot be underestimated. A central element in our solutions’ strategy is the offer of truly open interfaces that enable collaborations such as this as a mean to deliver advanced services to our customers. I sincerely hope that this first step will lead to further collaboration between the two companies down the road.”
EBSCO’s Executive Vice President of Product Management and Customer Satisfaction, Stratton Lloyd, explained, “EBSCO is committed to partnerships that benefit our customers - we have over 30 ILS Partnerships. We see system openness, cooperation and customer choice as critical for the library community. This is in line with the goals of building services and creating partnerships that allow libraries to choose and design the best custom solution for their organization.” He continued, “We look at this partnership and the use of APIs as a starting point and step toward the two companies together creating greater customer choice through additional collaboration and system interoperability. In the end, vendor partnerships like this open the doors for libraries to take a best-of-breed approach in developing their services infrastructure.”
About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the leading discovery service provider for libraries worldwide with more than 8,000 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, point-of-care medical reference, and corporate learning 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 700,000 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.
About Ex Libris
Ex Libris is a leading global provider of cloud-based solutions for higher education. Offering SaaS solutions for the management and discovery of the full spectrum of library materials, as well as mobile campus solutions for driving student engagement and success, Ex Libris serves over 5,600 customers in 90 countries. Ex Libris solutions have been deployed at 43 of the top 50 universities worldwide and over 40 national libraries.
With Ex Libris Primo and Alma, libraries lower operational costs, increase efficiency, and add value to their institution through diverse new services and collaboration with other libraries and organizations. The Ex Libris campusM™ mobile platform enables universities to deliver a unified digital experience, promoting student engagement while providing mobile access to campus-wide information and services.
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