All services listed below are considered basic services.
All SLSP customer libraries are authorised to receive the basic services of SLSP by paying the annual flat rate. The current SLSP service portfolio applies in each case. In addition to the basic services, SLSP also offers optional services. These can be booked for a fee by existing SLSP customer libraries.
The swisscovery software (library management system) is currently based on the products Alma and Primo from Ex Libris. It supports all tasks in library operations for electronic, digital and physical resources – in individual libraries as well as in a consortial environment.
The “SLSP Support” service (hereinafter SLSP Support) is used to support the operation of the swisscovery library system and is the central point of contact for SLSP customer libraries.
The SLSP Support service includes the management and provision of a central support ticketing system that is used by all customer libraries to communicate with SLSP Support.
Customer libraries are distributed across so-called Institution Zones. The distribution has been made with a view to optimising the provision of support services by SLSP. At their own request, customer libraries can receive extended configuration authorisations for their Institution Zone in order to independently carry out configurations in their Institution Zone for all customer libraries grouped there in accordance with the agreed standards in swisscovery. An institution zone with a customer library with extended configuration authorisations that performs these authorisations for all customer libraries in the institution zone is referred to as a “self-coordinated IC”. A customer library with extended configuration authorisations must ensure that the library staff have sufficient knowledge of the system configuration. In addition, the customer library must have the agreement of all customer libraries belonging to this institution zone to be able to carry out configurations independently without SLSP. In the event of a problem being reported by customer libraries from such an Institution Zone, it is not always possible to clearly and unequivocally distinguish between configurations carried out by the customer library with extended configuration authorisations and those carried out exclusively by SLSP in order to provide rapid support. Therefore, after extended configuration authorisations have been granted, the customer library undertakes to carry out an initial support assessment independently in the event of error messages from its institution zone and to analyse and rectify these messages with regard to the configurations it has carried out independently. Once an analysis has been carried out and it becomes apparent that the customer library cannot process the error message independently, the error is reported to SLSP Support for further processing via the support channel.
SLSP Support is the single point of contact between the system provider Ex Libris and SLSP’s library customers. Problems that cannot be solved by SLSP Support as part of regular support (G2) are passed on by SLSP to the system provider Ex Libris.
This support also includes the submission of further development requests and requirements management vis-à-vis Ex Libris by SLSP.
On behalf of the participating customer libraries, SLSP negotiates framework agreements with suppliers for products commonly used in swisscovery (currently user ID cards, barcodes) and can achieve better price and delivery conditions through coordinated procurement (“purchasing consortium”). The centralised procurement of products by SLSP, which affects common technical parameters and workflows, ensures compatibility with SLSP’s system landscape with the aim of creating uniformity and uniqueness in the consumables used in the customer libraries connected to SLSP.
SLSP provides centralised user data management on behalf of all affiliated customer libraries. This includes the following components and tasks:
The training programme for employees in SLSP’s customer libraries focuses on the use of functionalities in the library management system Alma and Primo and the working standards used by the participants within the platform, e.g. the SLSP application rules of RDA. The training courses are held at regular intervals and as required. The offer includes online modules for self-study (either produced by the system supplier or by SLSP itself) as well as face-to-face courses and workshops where appropriate. The implementation, development and organisation of the offering is managed centrally and follows the principles of “blended learning”. The languages of the training courses are German, French, Italian or English. All training units are documented on a shared web-based platform.
Not included in the basic services are additional advanced training courses that relate to local specialities that cannot be trained centrally by SLSP. Such training courses are carried out independently by customer libraries. If available, external persons can also take part in the training courses at cost price. In individual cases, SLSP can examine requests and organise additional training courses for a fee.
Within Alma, functionalities and tools (normalisation rules, field aids, copy cataloguing, selection lists, record templates, etc.) are provided at institution zone level for entering and editing bibliographic data and holdings. The bibliographic data is synchronised with the network zone and is merged into a common catalogue there.
For formal cataloguing, cataloguers are offered the option of linking the bibliographic records to the GND (Community Zone), IdRef (Community Zone) or SBT (Network Zone). For subject indexing, cataloguers are offered the option of linking the bibliographic records to selected subject indexing files (GND, Rero AUT, SBT, MeSH, RVK, IdRef, UDK etc.).
SLSP provides the authority files SBT and Autorités RERO (subjects) in the Network Zone and takes care of their technical maintenance. The content management of these authority files is not included in the service.
Common metadata standards (exchange formats, metadata formats, standards and rules) are defined for SLSP AG in the form of a specialist committee for recording in the joint catalogue. These standards are implemented by SLSP in the swisscovery system.
The service includes the services provided by SLSP for all customer libraries for the centralised provision and management of e-resources in the swisscovery network zone.
This includes licence management, the activation/deactivation of electronic resources in swisscovery and the metadata management of centrally managed e-resources (Alma ERM).
Optionally, SLSP supports customer libraries with electronic resource management in swisscovery (Alma ERM) at local level in the institution zone. It should be noted, however, that the costs for optional expenses will be charged to the customer libraries by SLSP in accordance with Annex 2 of the service agreement.
A basic set of standard statistics and reports is automatically made available to all customer libraries participating in SLSP at defined intervals via Alma Analytics. The service includes the automatic delivery of figures from the FSO’s Swiss library statistics. SLSP AG creates the templates required for the standard statistics and reports.
With Rapido, SLSP provides a functionality for electronic copy dispatch within Alma, which includes the following components:
The service does not include any functionality for creating scans/copies.
With the Bursar service, SLSP AG offers centralised invoicing by means of QR invoices sent by e-mail for all fees created in the library system. SLSP issues invoices, payment reminders and a maximum of one final reminder in the name and on behalf of the legal entity that initiated the fees. The SLSP acts solely as a service provider or representative (within the meaning of Art. 32 et seq. of the Swiss Code of Obligations) vis-à-vis the library customers. The bursar service does not include any processing or transfer of the claim (including legal collection) of the instructing institution to SLSP.
The Bursar service also does not include any other forms of dispatch (e.g. via physical post, eBill) or payment options (e.g. payment apps, credit cards). Adjustments to the centralised fee collection process must be approved by all participating customer libraries and additional costs must be borne by the participating customer libraries.
SLSP AG ensures the return flow of fee income to the respective customer libraries. SLSP AG uses a financial management system for this purpose, which is connected to the library management system via an interface.
With swisscovery, SLSP AG offers a centralised discovery system for researching content and accessing media that are indexed both in swisscovery and in external resources. swisscovery provides a central, multilingual research interface for the holdings of the customer libraries participating in SLSP.
A local view of swisscovery for an IZ, a single or multiple customer libraries can be created according to the guidelines of the master template. This enables the customer libraries to implement the requirements of their corporate identity and design in swisscovery.
swisscovery offers APIs for the connection of local peripheral systems to swisscovery and the configuration of data flows between swisscovery and local peripheral systems (e.g. external local financial system, local self-checkout machines, local room information systems, etc.). Customer libraries are responsible for integrating their local peripheral systems via the corresponding API. SLSP offers support for the data flow from swisscovery to the API.
Management of API keys at IZ level:
On request, SLSP creates the API keys at IZ level for the self-coordinated (in exceptional cases SLSP-coordinated) IZs, which are required for the integration of peripheral systems via the API interface or for changing data at IZ level.
The Master Service Agreement between SLSP AG and the system supplier Ex Libris includes the use of four Premium Sandboxes (1 Network Zone, 3 Institution Zones). Functionalities in Alma and Primo can be tested in these four Premium Sandboxes. The Premium Sandbox with the Network Zone is used by SLSP AG to check, test and validate functionalities, configurations, data mutations, etc. at the Network Zone level. The Premium Sandboxes, each with data from an Institution Zone, are used by SLSP AG to check, test and validate functionalities, configurations, data mutations, etc. in conjunction with metadata and configurations at the Network Zone level.
A sandbox is used for the SLSP training programme. SLSP AG decides which data is loaded into these sandboxes and reports this to Ex Libris. Ex Libris loads the data from the production system into the premium sandboxes. SLSP AG takes into account which data from which Institution Zones are relevant throughout the network and are most suitable for checking, testing and validating functionalities at the level of the IZ. Data in these sandboxes is updated by Ex Libris on fixed dates (in February and August of each year). Customer libraries can use a Premium Sandbox to test their own functionalities. Usage is regulated in more detail in the sandbox concept.
Further information on the optional services or the services offered by SLSP can be found here.
Are you interested in joining swisscovery or do you have general questions about the basic services? We look forward to hearing from you using the contact form.