Ex Libris History, 1978-2005 Last updated, 7-Oct-2021
Red = 23-Mar-2017 update Green = new since 23-Apr-2017 update Orange = 17-Sep-2017 update Blue = 15-Mar-2018 update Purple 7-Oct-2021
In general, the site is organized chronologically. The bolded entries are of especial interest.
Click here for a somewhat more mobile-friendly version of this page.
1. Timeline of Ex Libris history (1978-2005)
2. Judy Levi answers questions about early ALEPH history
3. Oren, Yohanan, and Jerry's discussion of ALEPH/Ex Libris history
4. Avner Navin: My part in the history of Ex Libris (1978-1999)
5. 1980 Control Data (Israel) Application Report on ALEPH (-- largely written by Judy Levi) (with photos)
6. Elhanan Adler's Powerpoint (in English): "An introduction to information technology in libraries ... in Israel and the world", covering 1972-83; the preceding in its original Hebrew
7. 1980 Hebrew University ALEPH Guide (in Hebrew), courtesy of Joan Kolarik
8. Prof.(Em.) Michel Bercovier:
a. My personal story of Aleph-Yissum (Ex Libris) (1983-1996)
b. Bercovier Aleph-Yissum / Hebrew U / Ex Libris documents
9. Udi Arad's History of Ex Libris, in three chapters (1986-2002)
10. Jerry's (audio) interview of Oren Beit-Arie
11. Judy Levi's 1989 article "Library Automation in the University Libraries of Israel" + another version of same (courtesy of Oren Maurer)
12. Aleph 300 OPAC screenshots (courtesy of Yoel Kortick)
13. Four 1980's Hebrew University ALEPH Documents (--from Yoel's "Ex Libris Historical Documents" collection--)
14. First contract (1991) between Aleph and Ex Libris (in Hebrew) (courtesy of Matti and Adiya R.)
15. May1991 letter from Technical University of Budapest to Azriel Morag (courtesy of Yoel K.)
16. Weizmann Instructions for ALEPH (1991)
17. Jerry's (audio) interview of Judy Levi and Randy Menakes
18. Transcript of Jerry's interview of Barbara Rad-El (covering 1991-2005)
19. Ex Libris photos from early 1990's (courtesy of Barbara)
20. Four 1992 issues of EX LIBRIS Reports: A Newsletter for the International Association of ALEPH Users (courtesy of Yoel K)....
· I would note especially Azriel's "Developing a System" article on pp. 3-5 of the July 1992 issue (199207) and, pp. 3-4 of the Oct 1992 issue (199210). The first is a simple but eloquent statement of what Ex Libris is about (and I believe presages Ex Libris' success in the library-automation/information marketplace); the second discusses the important role of customers in the creation of the Aleph programs.
21. Three 1993 issues of EX LIBRIS Reports
22. 1996 Ex Libris business plan, courtesy of Ron Biran
23. Aleph 500 / SFX at Ghent (1997- ) Photos from Ghent (-- including Ex Libris staff).
24. 1997 Library Technology Reports issue on Ex Libris Limited
25. Notre Dame chooses Ex Libris (1997-8) (with photos)
26. Jerry's North American Kickoff presentation (Ex Libris Comes to the U.S -1998) (with photos)
28. List of ICAU conference sites and dates , with nice photos for 1999-2005
29. A year 2000 EL staff photo (courtesy of Omri) -- with a numbered key to identify each person. Click on photo ==>
30.
31. Ori Miller's "museum" (photo of physical artifacts -- Use the magnifying glass!)
32. SFX
· SFX photos (courtesy of Albert Oller and Lieve Rottiers)
· Screenshots of how SFX looked in 1999 (zip file of 10 screens)
· Albert Oller's SFX questionnaire response
· Customer SFX questionnaire responses
33. Matti Shem Tov's "Ex Libris - Strategies and Concepts", from 2003, addressed to the CEO selection committee
34. ITALE Newsletter, Sept 2003 (courtesy of Yoel K.)
35. Four at the Kos System Seminar + a Floridian at Kos (2005) {photos taken by Gary Johnson (SDLN/CCLA)}
36. librarytechnology.org list of Aleph and SFX libraries
37. Ex Libris staff responses
· Aharon Rivlin (notes on early ALEPH history)
· Andrea Hell (early years in Germany)
· Barbara Rad-El ("Thirty years of Ex Libris - Personal recollections" - blog, with comments)
· Daniele Nottegar (early years in Italy)
· Jo Richardson (questionnaire response; great details on early years in U.K.)
· Katherine Heavey (questionnaire response)
· Laura Pierson (questionnaire response)
· Michael Kaplan (questionnaire response)
· Natan Lev (on early ALEPH Version numbers and history)
· Oren Beit-Arie (questionnaire response)
· Tami Ezra (questionnaire response)
· Tania Gutman (questionnaire response)
38. Ex Libris customer responses
· Anne Beavan (University of Aberdeen) (questionnaire response)
· Bettina Kaldenberg (Germany/Israel/ALEPH in the early 1980's)
· Bill Slauenwhite (NOVANET) (questionnaire response)
· Charles Simpson (SUNY - Stony Brook) (questionnaire response)
· Debbie Becker (Cape Peninsula University of Cape Town) (questionnaire response)
· Donna Hirst (University of Iowa) (questionnaire response)
· Fang Peng (Stony Brook University) (questionnaire response)
· Jan Jourdain (Five Colleges) (questionnaire response)
· Jirka Kende (Freie Universität Berlin) (questionnaire response)
· Katherine Ward (Notre Dame, 1998- ) (questionnaire response)
· Maureen Zajkowski (ALEPH at SUNY 1999- ) (questionnaire response) Photos
· Naomi Steinberger (ALEPH at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1990)
· Naomi Steinberger (JTS) (questionnaire response)
· Patrick Hochstenbach (Aleph 500/SFX at Ghent 1997- ; Photos
· Ron Johnston (McGill University) (questionnaire response)
· Theo Engelman (Aleph 500/SFX at Utrecht 1999- )
· Yosef Branse (University of Haifa, 1991- ) (questionnaire response)