IGeLU 2025

Conference

Conference

Conference

The model of access to documentary resources on the Web has driven the development of information retrieval technologies based on the accumulation of data in centralized computing structures, enabling the construction of appropriate indexes that naturally and efficiently guide search processes. It was precisely this massive accumulation of data, combined with extraordinary computing resources, that allowed Machine Learning methodologies to take off, eventually leading to the development of Large Language Models.

In this presentation, I propose a fundamental reflection on the need for such vast data collections in order to enable relevant cognitive processes. Specifically, I argue that, unlike web search processes, the development of intelligent agents does not require such an accumulation of data. This opens the door to a complete rethinking of Artificial Intelligence methodologies, suggesting that the decentralization of agents designed with specific cognitive capabilities could lead to a new vision of documentary resources, and in particular, of Libraries. Such resources could incorporate privacy by design and form the foundation for new library services supported by intelligent agents operating within a peer-to-peer network.

Finally, I will present the UNaIVERSE system, developed within the University of Siena, for managing the peer-to-peer network that supports communication among intelligent agents.

General / Other

Conference

Strategy

General / Other

Conference

Conference

Strategy

Conference

Private meeting for the Primo Working Group

Meeting (SC, WG, NUG...)

Primo / Primo VE

Private meeting. By invitation only

Conference

Strategy

General / Other

Conference

Conference

Roadmap / Update

Analytics / Mixpanel

Conference

Roadmap / Update

Alma

Conference

This session will provide an update on the Linked Open Data Community of Practice Working Group, focusing on the group’s accomplishments, strategic goals for the upcoming year, and key findings from the September 2024 community survey on linked data. This is an open meeting, and all are welcome to attend and ask questions.

Roadmap / Update
Meeting (SC, WG, NUG...)

Linked Open Data

Conference

Primo - what is it good for? This was the question that kicked off a project at the University of Sheffield Library. When we first implemented Primo in 2011, we were worried that Google was becoming the discovery tool of choice for library users, and we tried to make Primo into a one-stop shop for discovery of all the library's collections. We activated all possible content sources and tried to serve the varying content discovery needs of all our users in a single interface. Over the years it became clear that this created a confusing and often frustrating experience for our customers, and an impossible task for sys admins to configure Primo to meet the often conflicting demands and expectations of varied content and user types. Our solution? A project to develop a set of discovery principles, to understand our users' "stories", and to define a scope for Primo within a broader discovery ecosystem, that will underpin our transition from Primo Classic to Primo VE in 2025.

User Experience / Discovery

Primo / Primo VE

Conference

Roadmap / Update

Rapido / RapidILL

Conference

Strengths and weaknesses of the Italian Leganto community will be explored in this presentation. Drawing from the valuable works of the ITALE working group, we will demonstrate how Italian institutions effectively leverage Leganto. Furthermore, we will underscore the critical importance of sustaining a proactive dialogue with the Support Service and product management teams at Ex Libris, positioning this as an essential component of our national framework.

Conference theme: Celebrating 20 years of community
Strategy

Leganto

Conference

Twenty years is a time for celebration and reflection. With this in mind, the Alma Digital Working Group surveyed the Alma Digital community in early 2025 about their experience with the platform. Furthermore, the group thought it was necessary at this critical juncture in the product’s lifecycle - the implementation of the New Discovery Experience (NDE) and the development of Specto - to understand how Alma Digital is utilized and viewed by its users. Presenters will share the survey results and their analysis of users’ perceptions of and experiences with the platform. The presentation will also explore the current needs and wants of the Alma Digital community and how upcoming changes like Specto and the NDE compare to them. Ultimately, presenters hope to draw a clear line between the current iteration of the platform and the future of digital material in Ex Libris’ products.

Conference theme: Celebrating 20 years of community
Other

Alma Digital

Conference

Private meeting for the Content WG and PM.

Meeting (SC, WG, NUG...)

360 Services
Alma
Central Discovery Index
SFX

Private meeting. By invitation only

Conference

Roadmap / Update

Alma
Linked Open Data
Primo / Primo VE

Conference

Roadmap / Update

Alma Digital
Specto

Conference

Interested in Analytics? Find out what the Analytics Community of Practice (CoP) is currently working on. This is an open meeting, and all are welcome to attend and ask questions.

Roadmap / Update
Meeting (SC, WG, NUG...)

Analytics / Mixpanel

Conference

The proposal objective is to present how the implementation of Leganto in the Library System of the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina has optimised access to academic resources, strengthened the integration of library services in teaching and had an impact on virtual teaching. The implementation process included an institutional diagnosis, the training of librarians and teachers and the customisation of the platform to guarantee the ethical use of information. Leganto has been instrumental in facilitating the creation of dynamic reading lists, fostering better communication between the library, academic staff and students, and promoting digital literacy. The results of the evaluation of this platform, after 3 years of use, evidence a more efficient use of library resources, improved academic performance and a reinforcement of academic integrity. This establishes the library as a fundamental component of the e-learning ecosystem.

Migration / Implementation

Leganto

Conference

Drawing from frontline experience managing academic library operations during crisis, this session explores how Ex Libris solutions can be leveraged for emergency response. We examine Alma's configuration capabilities for crisis management, including automated loan extensions, bulk notifications and workflow modifications that maintained essential services. The presentation demonstrates how Alma's analytics provided critical decision-making data during rapidly changing circumstances, and how circulation policies were dynamically adjusted. We explore Rialto's role in emergency e-book management, particularly how its recommendation engine and approval workflows rapidly expanded electronic collections when physical access was restricted. The session addresses gaps identified in current Ex Libris functionality during high-pressure situations and shares creative workarounds developed by library staff, providing attendees with practical insights for maximizing these tools during emergencies.

Conference theme: Celebrating 20 years of community

Alma
Analytics / Mixpanel
Rialto

Conference

Roadmap / Update

Primo / Primo VE

Conference

The ISO18626 protocol has been around for a while and has been used to speak to other Alma libraries. The presenters will show the status of their work on sending requests to individual libraries and other networks (i.e., ReShare) using the protocol. The presenters will also speak about their work within the ISO18626 standards group ("the Centre for Inter-Library Loan Transactions” or CILLT) and what is in store for the next version of the protocol, tentatively scheduled for release in 2027

Conference theme: Celebrating 20 years of community
Practical Applications

Alma
Rapido / RapidILL

Conference

Private meeting for the Alma UX Focus Group members and Alma PM.

Meeting (SC, WG, NUG...)

Alma

Private meeting. By invitation only

Conference

In the rapidly evolving landscape of academic research, artificial intelligence is reshaping research workflow. At this heart of this transformation is a growing ecosystem of AI research assistants which leverage generative models and intelligent algorithms to expedite literature searches, summarize and extract key details from papers, build systematic reviews, and more. This presentation will spotlight how LibKey is emerging as a foundational infrastructure in these tools. Used by over 2,000 libraries in discovery systems, databases, and as the popular LibKey Nomad browser extension, LibKey is now being integrated into AI-driven environments to ensure seamless access to library provided resources, including publisher and aggregator databases, and Open Access sources, ILL and document delivery.

For libraries, this evolution presents both a challenge and an unprecedented opportunity. As more users begin their searches in AI tools rather than traditional library systems, the need for libraries to be present "at the point of discovery" is critical. The integration of LibKey by these services ensures the library remains visible, usable, and impactful. This presentation will review LibKey, discuss current integrations, and review strategic implications for discovery, access, and user engagement.

User Experience / Discovery

General / Other

Conference

Development / Initiative

General / Other

Conference

Conference

The University of California (UC) Davis Library is the first Ex Libris customer to implement BIBFRAME, a linked data cataloging format developed by the Library of Congress to modernize metadata creation and improve the online discoverability of library resources. As an early adopter, UC Davis Library has gained valuable insights into the challenges and benefits of transitioning from traditional cataloging formats to BIBFRAME. In this presentation, I will share our journey, highlighting key lessons learned, staff training approaches, and important considerations. Additionally, I will provide a live demonstration of Sinopia (a linked data editor) and show how BIBFRAME records are viewed in both Alma and Primo.
As part of the UC consortial system, UC Davis Library's experience offers valuable insights for both individual libraries and consortial environments, where collaboration and the harmonization of practices are essential for success.
This session is designed for a broad audience, with no prior linked data experience required.

Migration / Implementation

Alma
Linked Open Data
General / Other

Conference

Last year, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Libraries migrated our Dublin Core schema digital collections from CONTENTdm to Alma Digital, encountering a range of challenges along the way. This session will delve into our journey of adapting Dublin Core for Alma Digital, highlighting obstacles such as crafting a custom import template, managing large file uploads through S3 buckets, and deciphering Alma Analytics with limited documentation. By combining trial, error, innovative solutions, and community support, we developed workflows that boosted efficiency while preserving metadata integrity. Attendees will gain practical insights into workarounds, lessons learned, and actionable strategies for using Dublin Core in Alma Digital. This presentation will also identify areas for platform improvement, providing a roadmap for others using Dublin Core.

Migration / Implementation
Practical Applications

Alma Digital

Zoom presenter session (available to physical and virtual attendees)

Conference

Roadmap / Update

Primo / Primo VE
Summon

Conference

In Italy, academic and research libraries predominantly rely on separate broker systems for interlibrary loan (ILL SBN) and document delivery (Nilde), which also provide integrated functionalities for union catalog searches and license management. This presentation examines the challenges of effectively integrating these systems with Alma’s resource sharing service, particularly concerning workflows, protocols, and collective catalog queries. It highlights the work of the ITALE Resource Sharing Working Group, which has developed full integration with ILL SBN, basic integration with Nilde via Cloud App, and a project for interoperability with Talaria, the new software currently adopted by the RSCVD service, which will eventually replace Nilde’s current system. The discussion emphasizes the central role of the ITALE RS WG in advancing and harmonizing resource sharing with Ex Libris products, ensuring interoperable and community-driven solutions for italian libraries.

Conference theme: Celebrating 20 years of community
Development / Initiative
Other

Alma

Conference

Update on the activities of the Leganto WG. This is an open meeting, and all are welcome to attend and ask questions.

Roadmap / Update
Meeting (SC, WG, NUG...)

Leganto

Conference

Update on the activities of the Rialto WG. This is an open meeting, and all are welcome to attend and ask questions.

Roadmap / Update
Meeting (SC, WG, NUG...)

Rialto

Conference

Private meeting for the Alma WG.

Meeting (SC, WG, NUG...)

Alma

Private meeting. By invitation only

Conference

In this workshop, we will look at some of the ways The Royal Danish Library uses Alma Analytics to uncover data errors in Alma:

• Quick-and-dirty methods to find obvious errors in barcodes and call numbers
• Slightly more sophisticated methods to uncover e.g. items that have been erroneously suppressed from Primo, or have been hanging around in "Transit" for too long (does a book really need a year to travel between two libraries?)

You will have time to set up the reports in your own Analytics, and play around with them.

In the latter part of the session, I hope you will show me and the rest of the group how you use Analytics to spot data errors in your Alma!

To participate, you need:

1. Laptop or similar device that can access Alma Analytics.
2. The "Designs Analytics" or "Analytics Administrator" role in Alma.
3. A basic understanding of how Alma Analytics work.

Migration / Implementation
Practical Applications

Analytics / Mixpanel

Physical session only (no live streaming)

Conference

Update on the activities of the Alma Digital WG. This is an open meeting, and all are welcome to attend and ask questions.

Roadmap / Update
Meeting (SC, WG, NUG...)

Alma Digital

Conference

This session is open to all first timers to the IGeLU Conference, however all are welcome to attend. We will be using this opportunity to welcome you to the conference and for you to introduce yourself to others and hopefully make professional connections to other attendees.We will also use this opportunity to explain who and what IGeLU does for the community.

Other

General / Other

Conference

Roadmap / Update

Leganto

Conference

Update on the activities of the RapidILL WG. This is an open meeting, and all are welcome to attend and ask questions.

Roadmap / Update
Meeting (SC, WG, NUG...)

Rapido / RapidILL

Conference

Roadmap / Update

Rialto

Conference

Update on the activities of the SFX WG. This is an open meeting, and all are welcome to attend and ask questions.

Meeting (SC, WG, NUG...)

SFX

Conference

Meeting (SC, WG, NUG...)

Private meeting. By invitation only

Conference

Piazza del Mercato (Piazza del Mercato, Siena 53100) is one of the main squares in Siena's historic center, located directly behind Piazza del Campo and historically used as the city’s marketplace. In the past, it hosted the cattle market (foro boario). During the Middle Ages, prisoners sentenced to death were led from the dungeons beneath the Palazzo Pubblico, across Piazza del Mercato, and out of the city through Porta Giustizia, a gate that no longer exists. Today, that same route leads to one of the city’s largest green spaces: the Orto de' Pecci. The square opens up to the Sienese countryside and the hills beyond, offering a picturesque view. Today, Piazza del Mercato hosts an Antiques Market every third Sunday of the month and is occasionally used for events.

Some food will be served during the social event (walking dinner).