NEWS

Ex Libris Forms an Expert Advisory Group
for Open Data in the Alma Library Management Service

The new group will advise Ex Libris on the governance of
Alma’s vast shared bibliographic records

Ex Libris® Group is pleased to announce that it has brought together an international group of renowned library experts who will provide input during the formation of the Alma Community Zone, a catalog of bibliographic records shared by all libraries that are using the Alma library management service.  

The Community Zone is tightly integrated into Alma workflows, enabling libraries to work directly in a collaborative environment. Libraries are encouraged to contribute records to this open environment, without limiting the records’ terms of use. Side by side with the Community Zone is the Library Zone, a catalog for each library, in which the library stores the records over which it wants to exercise local stewardship. In this hybrid environment, libraries can leverage community expertise and streamline their processes while maintaining control over unique local resources.  

Members of the Alma Community Zone Advisory Group will provide guidance to Ex Libris on policies, standards, and procedures that should be used in the governance and stewardship of metadata records that reside in the Community Zone.  

The advisory group consists of the following members:

• Paul Ayris, Director of UCL Library Services & UCL Copyright Officer, University College London & President of LIBER (Association of European Research Libraries) (UK)
• Diane Baden, Head of Monographic Services, O'Neill Library, Boston College (US)
• Pascal Calarco, Associate University Librarian, Discovery & Digital Services, University of Waterloo / Tri-University Group (TUG) (Canada)
• Karen Coyle, Consultant (US)
• Kurt De Belder, University Librarian, Leiden University (Netherlands)
• Professor Mauro Guerrini, University of Florence (Italy)
• Ben Showers, Programme Manager, Digital Library Infrastructure, Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) (UK)
• Barbara Tillett, Chief of the Policy and Standards Division, Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access Directorate at the Library of Congress (US)
• Katharine Treptow Farrell, Head, Order Division and Assistant University Librarian for Technical Services, Princeton University Library (US)
• Andrew Wells, University Librarian, The University of New South Wales (Australia) 
• Jennifer A. Younger, Ph.D., President, OCLC Global Council & Chair, Board of Directors, Catholic Research Resources Alliance (North America)

Karen Coyle, an independent consultant and cataloging expert, commented: “Absolutely key to the success of libraries as modern information resources is our right to disseminate library data freely and without constraints on its use. A close second is the actual ability to do so easily and affordably from our library systems.”  

“We are thrilled to be working closely with such preeminent experts in the field of bibliographic data and cataloging, who will help forge the Alma Community Zone into a powerful shared resource for libraries around the world,” noted Susan Stearns, vice president of the Ex Libris Strategic Partnerships unit. “By helping create the governing principles of the Community Zone, this new group will play a pivotal role in helping us achieve one of Alma’s most important objectives—optimizing library operations via collaborative networks.”

www.exlibrisgroup.com