FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DREXEL HILL, PA, February 18, 2025 — The Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration and Innovation (PALCI) is pleased to welcome Alvernia University’s Franco Library as its 79th member institution. Located in Reading, PA, Alvernia University is a growing professional doctoral institution that is nationally recognized for its commitment to service and is committed to providing robust academic resources for students and faculty. By joining PALCI, Alvernia expands its access to cost-effective shared electronic collections, enhances interlibrary loan services, and opens new avenues for professional development and collaboration.
Alvernia’s participation in PALCI will bring valuable benefits to the university community. Through PALCI’s flagship EZBorrow program, students and faculty will gain seamless access to an expansive network of academic library resources, significantly increasing the breadth of materials available to support research and learning. Additionally, the Franco Library’s strong core print collection and its special archives—including collections on John Updike and the political papers of the late Pennsylvania State Senator Michael A. O’Pake—will now be more readily accessible to the broader PALCI community.
Jennifer Luksa, Director of Library and Learning Commons at Alvernia, brings a deep appreciation for the advantages of PALCI membership from her prior experience at Misericordia University. “I have seen first-hand how PALCI membership can enhance resource-sharing opportunities, support professional development, and foster collaboration across institutions,” said Luksa. “Joining PALCI allows Alvernia’s Franco Library staff to engage with a regional network of peers who understand the challenges and opportunities we face as a growing university.”
PALCI’s mission is to empower academic libraries through resource sharing, innovation, and collective action. The consortium’s commitment to open-source initiatives, such as Hyku, and its dedication to advancing library technology and services align well with Alvernia’s academic and institutional goals. Additionally, PALCI offers workshops, meetings, and learning opportunities that will support Alvernia’s library staff in their professional growth and help ensure the library continues to meet the evolving needs of its students and faculty.
“We are thrilled to welcome Alvernia University Library into the PALCI community,” said Jill Morris, Executive Director of PALCI. “Our members are united by a shared vision of expanding cost-effective access to knowledge and information services through collaboration, and we look forward to the contributions Alvernia will bring to our consortium.”
As Alvernia continues to grow, its partnership with PALCI will play a key role in expanding library resources, enhancing academic support, and fostering connections with other institutions dedicated to advancing higher education.
For more information about PALCI and its member institutions, please visit https://palci.org.
About Alvernia University
Alvernia University is a Catholic comprehensive university with a liberal arts foundation founded by the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters in 1958. The university serves nearly 3,000 students in Reading, Pottsville, and Philadelphia with a unique blend of rigorous liberal arts education, strong technical training in many high-demand majors, ever-expanding experiential learning opportunities through study abroad and internship experiences, and community engagement through its Franciscan-based community service model.
About PALCI
The Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration and Innovation (PALCI) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization that originated in 1996 and was incorporated in 1998 as the Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc. Today, PALCI’s membership has grown to include more than 70 academic and research libraries in Pennsylvania and contiguous states. PALCI’s mission is to enable cost-effective and sustainable access to information resources and services. PALCI is known for its highly-regarded EZBorrow consortial interlibrary loan (ILL) service. PALCI members collaborate to serve over 800,000 students, faculty, and staff, focusing on collaborative collections programs, resource sharing services, and innovative technology projects and approaches to library services.
For further information, please contact:
Jill Morris
Executive Director, PALCI
Email: jill@palci.org
Website: https://palci.org
