Oxford University Halts VTLS Implementation

The University of Oxford and VTLS have ended their agreement to implement the Virtua library management system. The August 1 press release from Oxford announcing the decision noted several top-level personnel changes since the university contracted with VTLS in 2005, including the retirement of Oxford University Library Services Director Reg Carr, the departure of OULS Acting Director Ronald Milne, and the appointment of Sarah Thomas as Bodley’s librarian and director of OULS.

“Oxford is a complex organization,” said Thomas, “and it needs to simplify and standardize its operations to take full advantage of system functionality and efficiency. Until we resolve some of the issues around the diverse practices prevalent in our libraries, we are hampered in implementing an advanced library management system such as Virtua.”

The press release said Oxford planned to delay system implementation until it can resolve various issues, notably those relating to its need for a custom-designed automated stack request feature; the library receives some 9,000 closed-stack delivery requests per week.

When the contract was signed in October 2005, Oxford said the steering group responsible for the procurement chose Virtua over six other tendered systems, noting that VTLS’s proposals to enhance Virtua addressed the university’s “unique and complex needs.” OULS is the largest university library service in the United Kingdom, holding some 15 million items in over 100 separate libraries.

VTLS declined to comment on the development, citing an agreement with Oxford that the university would be the sole source of information on the matter. Oxford had not responded to e-mailed questions from American Libraries as of August 6.

Posted on August 6, 2008. Discuss.

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