The British Library and the University of
Auckland, New Zealand, joined the nearly 100
libraries and universities that offer patrons Ex
Libris's Primo interface, to their entire
library collection. Other institutions that have
adopted Primo technology include Vanderbilt
University, the Royal Library of Denmark, the
University of Minnesota, the University of
Bridgeport, and the University of Iowa.
Primo offers a unified solution for the discovery
and delivery of all library resources, regardless
of format and location. It allows quick and
effective searching and retrieval.
The British Library, a long-time Ex Libris
customer running the Aleph integrated library
system, the SFX context-sensitive link server,
and the DigiTool digital asset management system,
chose Primo to provide patrons with access to the
library catalog through a user-centric interface
that adheres to Web 2.0 concepts.
"Primo provides us with a greatly improved
catalogue interface and allows us to collaborate
more closely with our users, explained Roger
Butcher, Primo project manager at the British
Library. It will also help us increase the
exposure of our other collections such as
recorded sound and manuscripts.
Janet Copsey, university librarian at the
University of Auckland, explained "Primo will
enable the library to improve access to all its
print, electronic, audio, and video resources by
reintegrating these increasingly fragmented
collections into a Web 2.0 environment that will
engage our users."