eBook Management in Ex Libris’ Alma: A Tale of Two Workflows

ABSTRACT

In August 2020, CUNY transitioned to ExLibris’ Alma, a cloud-based Library Services Platform (LSP). Led by the Office of Library Services (OLS), the migration resulted in new processes to replace existing ones. This case study describes how Lehman College and Queens College, both part of CUNY, created new workflows for ordering, invoicing, activating, and cataloging eBooks in Alma. A new workflow for activating eBooks was also necessary because CUNY would now be using Ex Libris’ Primo VE, an upgraded discovery system. The article discusses the challenges of staff training and the role of the electronic resources librarian in designing and updating eBook workflows. The electronic resources management challenges are explained with a focus on the system’s changes, consortial impact on the processes and local technical difficulties. This discussion is an important contribution to library literature, at a time when eBook acquisition is increasing to meet student and faculty demand for use in course curricula.

KEYWORDS:

• eBooks management
• electronic resources
• Alma
• consortium
• technical services

Acknowledgments

Lehman College would like to thank the Library’s Technical Services Staff for all their hard work in transitioning to Alma.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

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