BATON ROUGE, La. – LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network has signed an agreement designed to modernize Louisiana’s academic libraries’ infrastructure to support student and faculty access to academic resources.
The transition to Alma and Primo VE from Clarivate will consolidate LOUIS member libraries’ separate systems into a unified platform and deliver an estimated annual cost savings of more than $100,000, or 15% of current costs, with potential additional savings of up to $430,000 per year from platform consolidation.
This modern infrastructure will provide enhancements across libraries, improving how students search for and access research materials while providing better behind-the-scenes tools for library staff to manage collections and help students and faculty. All implementation costs are covered centrally through LOUIS, so individual campuses will not face additional technology expenses from this modernization.
“As called for in our strategic plan, LOUIS meets member needs by providing statewide access to critical technologies, resources, and information for all students and faculty,” says Emily Frank, Interim Associate Commissioner and Executive Director for LOUIS. “The transition to Ex Libris’ Alma platform does just that by enabling academic libraries and enhancing how users discover and access collections. This investment in innovative digital technology infrastructure will positively impact higher education institutions across Louisiana.”
This transition to a new statewide consolidated library services platform follows the completion of a comprehensive process that engaged academic librarians across the state. This strategic decision emerged from LOUIS’ regular three-year technology assessment, which was conducted by a working group of 17 library faculty and staff representing both public and private institutions at the two-year and four-year levels.
“Doing this as a consortium is cost-effective and allows us to leverage expertise,” says Frank. “The leadership found across the LOUIS team, combined with the knowledge of systems and users held by the staff at our member libraries, will guide us to a successful launch.”
About LOUIS
Established in 1992 by the Louisiana Board of Regents, LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network is a consortium of 47 Louisiana academic libraries united to harness and leverage the strength of their collective power to provide cost-effective information resources, services, and technology that advance the teaching, learning, and research missions of its members’ institutions.