Abstract
After a long period of developing library systems in house, Tilburg University (TiU) decided to buy a new integrated library system (ILS) and at the same time go for a cloud solution. Functionality, cost and vision of the future of scholarly communication were weighed up, and OCLC came out as the winner: TiU is now implementing OCLC’s ‘Web-scale Management Services’ (WMS) and WorldCat Local (WCL). The road leading to that decision is described and some issues to be resolved are mentioned. The implementation project is intended to end in June 2012. Additionally, a short description is given of a possible future Dutch national information infrastructure for scholarly output that consists of just four major building blocks which partly already exist.
Highlights
Based on a paper presented at the UKSG One-Day Conference, London: ‘A Problem Shared? Understanding shared services and the drive for efficiency in scholarly communications’, on 16 November 2011
After a long period of developing library systems in house, Tilburg University (TiU) decided to buy a new integrated library system (ILS) and at the same time go for a cloud solution
A short description is given of a possible future Dutch national information infrastructure for scholarly output that consists of just four major building blocks which partly already exist
Summary
Based on a paper presented at the UKSG One-Day Conference, London: ‘A Problem Shared? Understanding shared services and the drive for efficiency in scholarly communications’, on 16 November 2011. On 1 June 2010, Tilburg University (TiU) chose OCLC’s ‘Web-scale Management Services’ (WMS) as its new library ‘back end’ system and WorldCat Local (WCL), from OCLC, as its new ‘discovery platform’. TiU uses a few shared developments: for instance, our discovery layer is called ‘Get It!’, which was developed together with Delft Technical University and a firm called CQ2 using their ‘Meresco’ software It has provided us with a good integrated search solution for a few years but, as for our home-grown systems, the burden of keeping software like this up to date and able to deliver services on a level that people expect today – fully integrated, simple, fast – is becoming too much for a rather small university like TiU. That meant that we were left with a choice between Ex Libris’ Alma/Primo and OCLC’s WMS/WCL
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
