Hi Montserrat,

 

We are in the process of investigating whether Alma Digital will solve our IR needs.  The advantage is that if you have Alma/Primo for your library system you can then use the same system for your IR, with a separate Primo “view”.  The other advantage is of course that it is in the cloud and all upgrades, etc, are managed by Ex Libris.

 

There are a couple of limitations to the software at the moment if using for an IR.  The main one is that if you have multiple attachments to a record (such as full text, supplementary information, peer review info, etc), you cannot have a mixture of open and restricted access.  For example, if you have an OA full text, you can’t seem to set other supplementary material as restricted.  The workflow for adding new records and associated attachments is also quite clunky and time consuming compared to many other IR platforms.  Alma Digital is not currently able to be indexed by Google (although I have heard that ExLibris has plans to change that – no known timeframe though).

 

At the moment, I see Alma Digital as being perfect for simple digital collections, that may only have one attachment that is either all OA or all restricted.  I have no doubt that eventually it will also have all the functionality of an IR, but at the moment it just doesn’t all seem to be there.  We are keeping an eye on this space though.

 

Cheers, Bec

 

Rebecca Owen

Repository Coordinator

University of the Sunshine Coast Library (ML19)

Ph: +61 7 5456 5016 | Fax: +61 7 5430 2810 | Email: [log in to unmask] | Web: www.usc.edu.au

  

 

 

 

Hi Melissa and all,

 

Have you or anybody else investigated the use of Ex Libris Alma or a product part of it? I was in a meeting recently and the issue of changing IR software came up and someone suggested Alma. My understanding is that Alma is only for library management services, like cataloguing and acquisitions, but to replace an IR?

 

Many thanks,

 

Montserrat

 

 

 

 

Maria de Montserrat Rodriguez-Marquez

Digital Collections Liaison and Support Officer

University of Surrey

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Everyone,

 

We are currently reviewing our institutional repository software as part of a larger CRIS system upgrade and wondered if anyone had changed their IR software or discontinued using their IR in preference for an integrated package like PURE.  

 

Regards,

Melissa.

 

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Dr Melissa Cole

 

Research Outputs and Visibility Manager

T +44(0)1895 266017 | E [log in to unmask]

 

Brunel University London