Blog

OCT. 25, 2015

Director Matthew J. Adams has declared this “The Year of the Library” at the Albright; our library’s electronic facilities will be upgraded completely over the course of the next few months. We will be implementing Alma, a new cutting-edge, cloud-based SAAS system developed by the Ex Libris Group, the top global leader in library technology. This software package is already revolutionizing the ILS industry, while in only the early adopter testing phase. Thanks to an anonymous donor and the generous terms offered by ExLibris, the Albright will have the most sophisticated library systems available, providing unparalleled tools and content to Albright fellows and patrons.

All who use our facilities can look forward to the prospect of greater accessibility and broader utility. The next phase in moving the Albright into the digital age, the new ILS will not be merely a catalog,  “but a suite of other tools that allow our researchers to find more resources, not just within our own holdings, but that are available out there in the world,” said Dr. Adams. “The new system will, in the near future, also allow us to catalog our archives, in addition to our collection of archaeological objects, which will be digitized and accessible to all, also those across borders!” This step comes after Dr. Adams, over the past year, completely revamped computing at the Albright.

In the meantime, the librarians are working diligently with the Ex­Libris tech teams to transfer the data from our old system to the new.
Many thanks to the donor who has made this possible. We are grateful to all who have helped us tackle our list of needs and projects (and our list is long). If you would like to contribute, please visit our online store.