Ex Libris Alma vs. Gremln

I think Ex Libris Alma is well suited to any library, including those with multiple locations, that is looking for a back-end collections management solution and a front-end discovery website for patrons (Ex Libris Primo) that will play together seamlessly and require little work to synchronize. It might not be the best fit for libraries that regularly evaluate their collections in depth using digital information that is not provided in Alma's own analytics package. I would recommend carefully evaluating what Alma's analytics can do vs. your library's needs before committing, but otherwise it does the job well!

I think that Grmln works best for small businesses that are not in position to hire a brand management company or specialist. They can still feel in touch with the purpose because they are still personally involved in the messaging. It best suited for businesses that have less than 7 social media platforms for their company.

• Integrates smoothly with other Ex Libris products (like Primo for patron-facing searching and Esploro for a research repository) and Springshare
• Works well across multiple connected library locations
• You can set many different levels of permissions for different users
• Easy to create and save fairly complicated advanced searches

• This product is good at publishing. It is very easy to use. It allows me to publish in real time quickly, and I can publish on a schedule if I like. Participating in the conversation is important for staying engaged with existing and potential customers,

• When you conduct an advanced search, there are some of the data points that simply won't export to a .csv, making external analytic work tedious or impossible
• UI is not the friendliest - there is a lot of clicking on subtabs to get the information you want

• Some of the tools/applications don't work, as it's still a relatively new service.
• Sometimes contacting support can be frustrating (IE support won't actually explain what is wrong, but just tell you it's not their problem).

The pro version is cheap. It is relatively easy to use. The recurring tweets are very helpful and not many other services offer that. It is worth paying the monthly price for this feature alone.

The usability on the listening side is poor. The process to set up streams is not very intuitive, involving too many steps. Also, the ability to create custom search streams is fairly well hidden. The reporting is pretty weak as well, with separate click through reports from other types of engagement, and a lot of engagement types within Facebook and Twitter are simply missing.

The product worked when needed and never gave us any problems.

I have had no issues with performance

The were attentive to my needs but I had and responded in a timely manner.

The inline videos are very clear

Be patient. Identify what you want to know how to do first and learn the basic functions then move onto the more complex features.

I have used both Hootesuite, Twitterscope and Grmln. Using the individualized brand platform (Twitterscope) still meant that had to separately post to my other networks. Hootesuite is comparable and the only thing that really makes it standout is the the social media management certification. The downside of that is that you have to pay continue to pay a monthly fee to maintain the certification. Grmln is simply easier to use

The product delivers what it says it will and is useful for making your time more efficient.

• Ex Libris Alma was in use before I started working at the library, so I can't say for sure

• Gremln has helped us reach way more customers than trying to post separately in each of our social media platforms.
• We have better customer interaction and feedback after being able to post across many outlets.
• Employees have more time to focus on answering questions, interacting with customers, etc now that they can set up and monitor posts with Gremln.