The European Commission Signs Framework Agreement for Ex Libris Alma and Primo

PARIS, June 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ex Libris^®, a ProQuest company, is pleased to announce that the European Commission has signed an inter-institutional framework agreement for the supply of the Ex Libris Alma^® library services platform and Ex Libris Primo^® discovery and delivery solution. Libraries from ten European institutions and bodies will benefit from the agreement, including the libraries of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Committee of the Regions, and the European Court of Auditors.

The expiration of the current library-system agreement this year gave the European Commission the opportunity to evaluate ways to improve library services for all of its users. After an extensive tendering process, Alma and Primo were selected for their ability to enable librarians to increase their efficiency in managing print resources and e‑resources and to provide library users with a powerful and customizable search and discovery experience.

Theo Duivenvoorde, Head of the Library and e-Resources Centre of the European Commission, said, "Alma will provide us with a single solution for managing print and electronic resources with streamlined, automated workflows. The advanced analytics will help us manage and develop collections and improve resource availability, while Primo will enable users to search for resources in the library and beyond very effectively. The cloud-based architecture will ensure that we stay at the forefront of enhancements and developments, assisting us in continuing to provide optimal service."

The agreement also covers the European Union Intellectual Property Office in Alicante, Spain; the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training in Thessaloniki, Greece; the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions in Dublin, Ireland; and the European Institute for Gender Equality located in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Ofer Mosseri, corporate vice president and general manager of Ex Libris EMEA, said, "We are honored to have these ten EU institutions join our Alma and Primo community. Our European customer base continues to grow rapidly, and this decision by the European Commission once again shows that Alma and Primo satisfy the needs of a wide range of academic, research, and national institutions, regardless of their size, requirements, or mission."

About the Library of the European Commission

In 2018, the European Commission Library and e‑Resources Centre will celebrate its sixtieth birthday. The library, a central service for all Commission staff, is part of the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (EAC) and has sites in both Brussels and Luxembourg. Since the library's inception, its mission has remained largely unchanged: to help Commission staff obtain high-quality information on a given subject as quickly and effectively as possible.

As one of the main repositories for all that has happened since the Treaty of Rome was signed in 1957, the library's print and online collections are a unique source of information on European integration. Commission staff, the staff of other EU institutions, and people from outside the Commission can use Find‑eR—the library's search and discovery tool—or one of the library's reading rooms to search the collection.

In recent years, the Library and e-Resources Centre has significantly expanded its electronic collection, added reference services, and implemented tools to make searching easier.

For more information about the European Commission Library, visit their website and join them on Facebook.

About Ex Libris

Ex Libris, a ProQuest company, 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 and scholarly materials, as well as mobile campus solutions driving student engagement and success, Ex Libris serves thousands of customers in 90 countries. For more information about Ex Libris, see our website, and join us on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

SOURCE Ex Libris