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Library Moving to a New Library System: Omni
We are pleased to announce that the Library and Archives will be moving to a new online library services platform called “Omni,” which includes a new library catalogue, to become operational mid-December 2020. This is the same system as that now used by 14 other Ontario university libraries since 2019; the libraries of Laurentian and Algoma Universities will become the 15th and 16th members of the Omni consortium. The Library and Archives committed to joining Omni early in 2020 and have now begun the system migration process.
Omni will simplify and improve a number of library collection management and borrower services processes. Library users will enjoy searching the new catalogue and will benefit from being able to search our article databases at the same time. For a sense of the new library search interface, one can try it out on another Omni library website (e.g., Ottawa or York). Omni is based on the Alma and Primo products by the ProQuest subsidiary Ex Libris.
As Omni is a library consortium as well as an online system, Laurentian library users will easily be able to see the resource holdings of other Omni libraries. As well, our inter-library loan and document delivery service will be, in many cases, simpler to use and quicker to provide requested content. Where licenses may allow, online content at other Omni libraries will be easier to access at Laurentian. Since we will need to harmonize our library lending and fines regime with that of other Omni members, some loan periods will be lengthened, and most late fees will be removed, though, alas, fees for lost items will remain.
We will be sharing more information about Omni as we move closer to our go-live date and will offer some workshops. Meanwhile, read here the official announcement of Laurentian’s joining Omni from the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL), Omni’s organizational home.