Library Technology Guides

Two announcements were made within the same week concerning VTLS–one involving very different completed implementation of Virtua at Queens Borough Public Library and the other revealing the decision of Oxford University Libraries in the UK not to go forward with their migration to Virtua. These contradictory events defy simple explanation. In an implementation process that had been kept under wraps, the Queens Borough Public Library has completed its migration to a customized version of the Virtua library management system provided by VTLS. The library is moving from DRA Classic, which it has used since about 1989. The Oxford University Library System announced that it has abandoned its effort to implement Virtua as its core automation environment. Oxford, with over 100 libraries, ranks as one of the world’s largest and most complex library organizations. Oxford had contracted with VTLS in October 2005 for the basic library automation system but also for custom software to manage requests and retrievals from its many closed stack libraries.

Francisco Partners has sold Ex Libris Group to Leeds Equity, another private equity firm. Leeds, based in New York, manages investments over $4.1 billion. The firm specializes in companies in the educational sector. Other companies in its portfolio include Campus Management, EduK Group, Education Management, and eInstruction Corporation. The acquisition of Ex Libris marks Leeds' initial foray into the library automation industry.

Following Grant's exit from VTLS, he and Lou Leuzzi founded CARE Affiliates, a company focused on providing services for open source software for libraries. The company was involved in a number of partnerships, especially with Index Data, LibLime and WebFeat. The OpenTranlators initiative launched by CARE Affiliates involved providing access to the collection of connectors developed and maintained by WebFeat to libraries using other federated search platforms such as the MasterKey federated search environment developed by Index Data. During its year of operations CARE Affiliates signed agreements with OpinionArchives for services related to MasterKey and with the Ohio Public Library Information Network for OpenTranslators.