21 November 2018. Four leading academic libraries in New Zealand have migrated to Tipasa, the first cloud-based interlibrary loan management system that automates routine borrowing and lending functions for individual libraries. The University of Canterbury, University of Waikato, Auckland University of Technology and University of Otago expect to go-live in December 2018.
OCLC introduced Tipasa in January 2017 as a new interlibrary loan management system built on the OCLC WorldShare technology platform that takes full advantage of the world's largest resource sharing network. The straightforward staff interface is easy to use, making it easy to train staff. A library-branded patron interface built with responsive design allows users to place and monitor requests from anywhere with any device.
Timothy Stedman, Resource Acquisition Manager, University of Canterbury says "We chose Tipasa because it promises a better user experience for our students and staff. VDX has reached its end of life and we were encouraged by the development path Tipasa is taking. In particular we are interested in streamlining workflow opportunities and future integration with other library systems, and we are looking forward to OCLC delivering on these expectations. The process so far has been well managed by OCLC and we appreciate the efforts OCLC have taken to walk us through each step of the migration process."
Kate Miller, Library Systems Manager, University of Waikato agrees, stating "We are looking forward to an improved user interface for our staff and students and the promised integration with our library management system which will reduce complexity and allow us to provide a more seamless service to our users. We appreciate all the support we have received from OCLC during the migration process so far."
OCLC continues to develop Tipasa in phases. New features and functionality released this year includes RapidILL integration, copyright, and patron data retention. Additional features and functionality will continue be added over time, such as NCIP integration to streamline workflows between Tipasa and library management systems.
