Alma/Primo VE Training and Communications

Why is this change happening?

Our previous system was implemented in 1999 and has reached its end of life. Research tools are evolving and modern library needs have outgrown the idea of a print-centric organizational system. We are working on changing our existing infrastructure to better help library users find electronic resources as well as improve the discoverability of topics hidden in print content.

Having a modern system to support our work. Our old catalogue, Voyager, was designed before electronic resources existed. E-resources now account for more than 80% of our collections budget. UVic Libraries have had to develop additional systems and complex workflows to manage these resources and make them findable for our users. There’s much duplication among these systems and it takes a lot of work to keep them synchronized. Alma/Primo is designed to manage e-resources, so that complexity will be replaced with a properly integrated system and more streamlined workflows.

Interfacing with campus and external systems. Alma/Primo has the capability and flexibility to link and share content with a wide variety of other campus-wide and vendor systems and services. For example, we can provide a richer and faster set of services to users of BrightSpace and other UVic systems. This ease of integration will make it much easier to add new services for our patrons. 

Improving user access to electronic resources.  Alma/Primo consolidates search results from an underlying network of connected systems and services. This will give users faster, easier access to e-resources, while also improving staff workflows.

Thanks to SFU Libraries for sharing their Alma/Primo documentation!