Glasgow Kelvin College Partners With PTFS Europe

Glasgow Kelvin College has partnered with PTFS Europe to launch Aspen Discovery. Aspen Discovery is a next generation platform, the first new platform of its kind to be launched in years.

Aspen Discovery  is a web based system that works on any device and provides easy access for library users to discover books, e-books, magazines, board games and more. Students can also renew items on loan, reserve items and find new content from library sources and external web sites.

PTFS Europe has implemented the new system and will provide on-going hosting and support services to Glasgow Kelvin College to ensure its success in supporting these collections into the future.

Aspen Discovery

Designed around the users’ browsing experience, this Open Source and highly featured Discovery tool integrates the library catalogue, e-content, photographic libraries, websites, open access databases and more, bringing all library resources together via a single search.

Aspen Discovery provides complete integration with an organisation’s underlying Library Management System and eContent Providers while also offering administrators a high degree of custom configuration.

The library can create curated collections, placards and collection spotlights to highlight specific areas of interest and direct the users to additional resources. In addition to all of this, Aspen Discovery also offers web builder functionality which allows the library to use the system to easily create their own web presence.

Monica McKerlie, Head of Student Support Services, Glasgow Kelvin College, said:

Ensuring our students have access to the right resources is a key priority for us here at Kelvin. Accessibility is fundamental to a successful learning experience and ensures we give Kelvin students every possible chance to achieve in their qualifications and enjoy their student time with us. We are proud to be the first UK educational organisation to launch Aspen Discovery.

Katie McAnenay, Team Leader Library Services Glasgow Kelvin College said:

The Aspen Discovery platform will allow our students simplified access to a whole new world of learning resources. It will make access to these resources quicker, more intuitive and more efficient, but importantly, it will provide them with a virtual library of books, publications and learning resources allowing them to expand their knowledge, creativity and thinking. 

Our students work incredibly hard for their qualifications and often combine college learning with part time work or family caring responsibilities. Their study and learning time is really valuable and Aspen Discovery will provide an inspiring, but efficient, platform to get them to the right resources at the right time, regardless of the subject area.

Fiona Borthwick, Head of Sales and Account Management at PTFS Europe said:

We are delighted to welcome Glasgow Kelvin College to the Aspen Community. They are our first Academic site to implement Aspen and join a growing number of libraries who see the benefits that the library engagement platform brings to the library service. Glasgow Kelvin College (as part of the wider Glasgow Colleges Group) have been Koha customers with PTFS Europe for several years and we enjoyed working with them on this implementation. Students have a friendly and attractive system at their fingertips where they can search for all the College library resources – print and electronic. The library is also using Aspen to provide access to websites and additional research resources to ensure the students have access to everything they need for their courses in one central system.

About PTFS Europe 

PTFS Europe have been working with open source software since 2007 – software developed by online communities for free use by all. The reason so many people like working with us is that we solve problems, we don’t sell software. We listen, find solutions and commit to deliver these solutions for our customers as part of our complete managed service and support package. As an ISO27001 accredited company, you can rely on the quality and integrity of the support we’re providing to over 120 organisations (and counting).
Any questions?  Please contact Fiona Borthwick [email protected]

About Glasgow Kelvin College

Glasgow Kelvin College is based in four campuses across the north and northeast of Glasgow. Formed in 2013 from three of Glasgow’s hardest working and best loved colleges – Stow, North Glasgow and John Wheatly- Kelvin is home to a wide range of curriculum areas with specialisms in:
Engineering, Music, Health & Social Care, Science, Construction, Jewellery, Fashion, Sport, Childcare, Hair, Beauty & Barbering, Community Education, Art & Design, Performing Arts.

The college also operates in learning centres across the area, providing community outreach programmes and qualifications in this accessible community setting.