Atlantis Srl, the sole Ex Libris distributor in Italy, announced today that the University of Palermo has selected the latest version of ALEPH 500 to replace its DOBIS library system. Following in the footsteps of the University of Messina, also in Sicily, Palermo will be the 23rd Italian ALEPH installation.

One of the oldest and most renowned cities of Sicily, Palermo dates back to the third millennium B.C. The University of Palermo, a major academic institution on the island, comprises 11 faculties, which include architecture, humanities, economics, law, and pharmacy. The university sponsors many cultural and scientific events for the community of students and researchers, both at the local and national levels, and represents a lively institution in the academic scenery of Sicily and Italy.

Asked about the university's choice of ALEPH 500, Dr. Giuseppe Giannantonio, head of Library and Document Services, said, "With ALEPH 500 we expect to satisfy our need for a single integrated software system throughout the university. At one large information site, the library system will incorporate the numerous databases that have been autonomously created over the years."

Erwin Linthout, sales manager of Atlantis Srl, welcomes the University of Palermo into the steadily growing group of international ALEPH users, who represent more than 500 sites in 40 countries worldwide.

Atlantis will be responsible for project management, system installation, the migration of records from the library's DOBIS system, staff training, and first-line support.