“This library system is unique.”  That’s what Forsyth Library Director John Ross says about Fort Hays State University’s new cloud-based system.

During a Thursday morning news conference, Ross demonstrated next-generation library services software called Alma and Primo, part of the Ex Libris Group.  Among 60 institutional development partners, FHSU’s Forsyth is the first of the early adopters in the United States to go live on Alma.

Alma is a single, consolidated system that replaces several systems at Forsyth for managing print, electronic and digital collections. Library staff can monitor and manage collections, databases and other resources in real-time.

Features of Alma and Primo deliver documents directly to a user’s desktop and also provide immediate access to the catalog to the world’s largest and most prestigious libraries.