The WACTCLC web site has been migrated to a LibGuides-based site, and still uses the same URL as previously: https://www.wactclc.org
The "members" page on the site has recently been updated with direct links to each member's library web site and online catalog. That page can be found at: Members - About - LibGuides at Big Bend Community College.
We have completed patron record integration between ctcLink and Alma for all but the following institutions, which are part of the DG5 and DG6 deployment groups, that have just recently or will soon go live on ctcLink:
The time at which fresh patron record loads from ctcLink to Alma begin has been from one to several weeks after actual ctcLink go-live, just depending on schedules at staffing at the respective institutions.
Clover Park Technical College took the decision to migrate away from Alma / Primo, and will be going live on Koha later this Spring, after which they will no longer be participants in the Alma / Primo project.
While this information was known in 2021, the buyout ($5.3 billion USD) of ProQuest by Clarivate formally concluded in Dec, 2021.
The most interesting aspect of this acquisition might be that Clarivate is a publicly traded company (CLVT) on the NYSE.
To my knowledge, this is the first time a library services platform provider (or actually platforms, since ExLibris holds Summon, Innovative Interfaces, and Polaris, in addition to Alma / Primo) has resided within a publicly traded company. It will be interesting to see how much financial detail from the library platforms business line becomes visible in the financial statements put out by publicly traded companies.
Clarivate has a number of business lines, with a couple of more recognizable (to librarians) offerings being Web of Science products and EndNote.
Yahoo! Finance summarizes Clarivate as follows:
Clarivate Plc, an information services and analytics company, provides structured information and analytics for discovery, protection, and commercialization of scientific research, innovations, and brands. It offers Web of Science products and services, such as Web of Science, InCites, Journal Citation Reports, EndNote, ScholarOne, Converis, Publons, and Kopernio to organizations that plan, fund, implement, and utilize research; and Life Sciences products, including Cortellis and Newport Integrity for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to support research, market intelligence, and competitive monitoring in connection with the development and commercialization of new drugs. The company also provides Derwent products, which include Derwent Innovation, Techstreet, and IP Professional Services that enables its customers to evaluate the novelty of potential new products, confirm freedom to operate with respect to their product design, help them secure patent protection, assess the competitive technology landscape, and ensure that their products comply with required industry standards; CompuMark products, such as trademark screening, searching, and watching products and services for businesses and law firms; and MarkMonitor products, which helps enterprises to establish, manage, optimize, and protect their online presence. It serves government and academic institutions, life science companies, and research and development corporations in the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company was formerly known as Clarivate Analytics Plc and changed its name to Clarivate Plc in May 2020. Clarivate Plc is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
The Alma / Primo contract with ExLibris is currently being restructured so that all Alma and Primo-related services exist under a single, once-a-year umbrella contract. In previous years, each of the three implementation cohorts were on separate contracts. As well, each of the pre-existing, per-institution Primo contracts were separately billed. With the new contract structure, all services will appear on a single, once-a-year invoice, making cost-sharing calculations and billing on the consortium side easier to manage.
Meanwhile, ExLibris has not year determined pricing increase, if any, for the 2022 / 2023 fiscal year. Contractually, the annual increase is limited to 4% maximum, or annual CPI inflation for the previous billing period, whichever is lower. Last year, the contract increase was 0%.
Just a head’s up to all, I (Wade) have let the governance committee know that I won’t be looking to renew my employment contract with WACTCLC when my current contract expires at the end of June.
I’ve been working on library systems since 2004, through three different organizations, and with a specific focus for the past decade on Alma/Primo. So, I'm ready for a break, and change.
Meanwhile, the Alma / Primo project is now 5 years into its existence, ctcLink will (finally) be live at all institutions as of May, and (hopefully) COVID will shortly be in the rearview mirror for all of us.
All those things combined provide an excellent time for the consortium (particularly those participating in Alma / Primo) to consider the next five years for the Alma / Primo project, and what you would like to happen now. I’m sure the governance committee will be considering the position I currently hold, and what the next iteration of the position, and the consortium, might look like. And it’s a great opportunity for participating institutions to consider your needs and desires regarding the position and the consortium.
I’m sure there will be opportunities for feedback and discussions about the next 5 years and beyond. So, I’d suggest to all to begin thinking about what kinds of support your library needs or wants going forward, and what else you might wish from the shared effort.
The Washington Community and Technical College Library Consortium provides on-going support for the Ex Libris ILS Alma and Discovery Index Primo VE.
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