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EnglishThe Company
Landskerfi bókasafna (Consortium of Icelandic Libraries) runs a union catalog for Icelandic libraries, known as Gegnir.
The company, which was founded in November 2001, is owned by the Icelandic government and a series of municipalities around the country. Its purpose is to run a central, web-based library system for most of the libraries in Iceland. The background of this project is explained in a paper by Sigrún Hauksdóttir (see also conference page). Our vision can be summarized like this:
| • | To make the best possible use of Iceland's modest library and information resources. |
| • | To provide all users of Icelandic libraries with equal access to these resources over the Internet. |
| • | To implement a single, centrally run library system as the most cost-effective solution. |
See also the following lists:
Contact: skrifstofa @ landskerfi.is
Project Execution Timeline
| 1998-1999 | Goals and means of the project were defined. Writing of requirement specifications and tender documents for a national library system. |
| 2000 |
Tender for library system opened in February. Evaluation of bids, resulting in the selection of Aleph 500 by the end of the year.
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| 2001 |
Contract with Ex Libris was signed in May. System work included system analysis meetings, preparation of a data conversion specification and system configuration. The Consortium of Icelandic Libraries Consortium Inc. (Landskerfi bókasafna hf.) was founded in November. |
| 2002 |
Continued work on data conversion, training, and translation. |
| 2003 |
Training continued. Design of web interface finished in February. An Icelandic version of the system client (Windows-based user interface) was distributed in February. Data transfer for Libertas libraries finished in May. The system opened for production serving 15 libraries on May 19, 2003.
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| 2004 |
100 libraries, which previously used Dobis/Libis, joined the system on April 5 2004. |
| 2005 |
Implementation of authority control of the library system; public tender for a four year contract of hosting the system was announced. |
| 2006 |
On July 17 2006 the library system switched to version 16, and at the same time hosting was moved to a new provider. Data from several libraries were migrated to Aleph, thus finishing the third and final phase of the library system implementation, leaving the number of participating libraries and library branches at approximately 250. |
Consortium Membership
The contract between Ex Libris and the Consortium of Icelandic libraries assumes that the new library system will be used by all or almost all of the approximately 400 libraries in the country.
The government and 48 municipalities have financed the initial funding of the system and are entitled to be serviced by the system. Several municipalities have chosen not to join the system, in most cases because their very small libraries lack the basic equipment needed to enjoy a computerized library system. Almost all the leading libraries of the country have chosen to participate in the library system. Among member libraries are university and research libraries, government libraries, public libraries, primary and secondary school libraries and libraries owned by private associations.
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