Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) held a launch ceremony for the ALMA Cloud Services Platform at the Chang Ching Yu Memorial Library on September 22, marking the Library’s transition from an on-campus library automation system to an internationally integrated cloud-based service platform. The new platform brings together a wide range of resources, including physical collections, e-books, academic journals, and databases, making it more convenient for faculty and students to search for and access scholarly information. It also provides stronger support for teaching, interdisciplinary research, and self-directed learning. The system upgrade represents another significant milestone in the Library’s digital development since the introduction of INNOPAC in 1996 and serves as an important step in CYCU’s ongoing digital transformation.
In September 1996, CYCU introduced the INNOPAC library automation system, becoming the first private university in Taiwan to adopt the system. Library operations—including acquisitions, cataloging, circulation, WebPAC services, and digital collections—were gradually incorporated into an integrated system. As electronic resources have continued to expand, the ways in which faculty and students access academic information have also evolved. With the introduction of ALMA, the Library is moving beyond a system centered primarily on collection and operational management toward a cloud-based service model that integrates diverse academic resources.
CYCU President Ying-Ming Lee noted that the library serves as a vital hub for university teaching and academic exchange, and that the introduction of ALMA represents a service upgrade designed to better meet the needs of teaching and research. The project involved a comprehensive process including needs assessment, data migration, system configuration, interface testing, and staff training, bringing together the expertise of the library, administrative, and information technology teams to complete the transition of existing data and service structures.
With the platform now in operation, access to academic resources has become more convenient for faculty and students. The system will also provide enhanced support for teaching, scholarly research, and the development of students’ information literacy.
Hsin-Er Huang, Director of the Chang Ching Yu Memorial Library, stated that following the launch of the platform, the Library will pursue the development vision of “Transformation and Deepening: From Knowledge Repository to Intelligent Hub.” It will continue to advance transformation across its resources, services, and physical spaces, while striking a balance between technological depth and a human-centered approach.
Going forward, cloud-based automation will be used to enhance service efficiency, allowing professional staff to devote more attention to resource recommendations and user services. In this way, the Library will further expand its role beyond collection preservation and lending services to include instructional support, research services, and information literacy education.
With the official launch of the ALMA Cloud Services Platform, library services will extend beyond system management to place greater emphasis on resource utilization and user support. Through its cloud-based architecture and automated functions, the platform can reduce the workload associated with routine operations, enabling professional staff to devote more time to resource recommendations, user services, and academic information support, while helping faculty and students access the information they need more efficiently.
As artificial intelligence continues to advance rapidly, the Library will also address issues of academic ethics and information integrity related to the use of AI, while strengthening the ability of faculty and students to critically evaluate and responsibly use digital and academic resources.
The Chang Ching Yu Memorial Library has formulated its Library Development White Paper for Academic Years 2026–2029 and plans to participate in the Ministry of Education’s “AI in Every Library” capacity-building initiative to explore the application of artificial intelligence in library and information services.
From INNOPAC to ALMA, the evolution of CYCU Library’s systems represents more than a technological upgrade. It also reflects the transformation of university library services from digital management toward intelligent applications, while continuing to connect library resources with the needs of teaching, research, and student learning.
