Blacksburg, VA - VTLS Inc., a leader in client-server integrated library automation solutions, announces a partnership with the Research Libraries Group (RLG) to offer advanced interlibrary loan capabilities to libraries worldwide. VTLS Inc. will distribute RLG's ILL Manager software bundled with Virtua ILS - Integrated Library Systems and as a standalone application. This initial partnership will provide the basis for future collaboration between the two organizations.

"We are very pleased to team with an organization of RLG's stature to provide extension services to our customers worldwide," says Jack Bazuzi, Corporate Vice President for VTLS Inc. "ILL Manager and Virtua ILS possess superb functionality. The two products comply with current standards and are designed to work readily and openly with systems of other libraries. They complement each other, resulting in an excellent facility that meets and exceeds the needs of today's interlibrary librarian."

Like Virtua ILS, RLG's ILL Manager is a distributed client/server system, available on a Windows platform. In a distributed ILL environment, all functionality and data resides in a library's local system, and messages that follow a standard protocol are sent directly to various trading partners, who may be on other systems. ILL systems from different vendors that comply with the standard protocol are capable of interacting with each other. The protocols and implementation guidelines (ISO 10160/10161) that make this possible have been established by the International Organization for Standardization and the ILL Protocol Implementators Group. Both VTLS Inc. and RLG are committed to adhering to these international protocols and standards.

With ILL Manager, libraries can realize a dramatically streamlined workflow and real cost-savings. The software automates many routine procedures and provides powerful new tools that work across systems. Accepting patron-initiated requests, routing requests to preferred lenders and providing statistical tracking and reporting are just a few benefits of the system. ILL departments within libraries can concentrate on a single interface instead of training for multiple systems.

RLG

The Research Libraries Group (www.rlg.org) is a not-for-profit membership corporation of over 160 universities, national libraries, archives, historical societies, and other institutions. In addition to a range of collaborative activities that address members' shared goals, RLG develops and operates databases and software to serve the information needs of member and non-member institutions and individuals around the world. Ill Manager is a copyrighted product of The Research Libraries Group, Inc.

VTLS Inc.

VTLS Inc. (www.vtls.com) is an ISO 9001 registered company. VTLS develops, markets, and supports solutions for managing library collections and accessing information via computer networks. VTLS solutions include Virtua ILS - Integrated Library Systems, Visual MIS - Multimedia and Imaging Solutions, and Vista CPS - Companion Product Suite. VTLS is a corporate member of the American Library Association, a voting member of NISO, and a charter member of CNI. A diverse customer base of more than 900 libraries located in 32 countries gives VTLS a global perspective of the industry and compels the company to abide by strict international standards.