Axiell, the leading vendor to public libraries in Europe and the market leader in Scandinavia, today announces its acquisition of BiBer GmbH, a full service provider to public libraries in Germany and Switzerland, offering Bibliothekssystems BIBDIA, an advanced hosting and library logistics solution. The acquisition extends Axiell’s presence in Germany and adds 160 customers with 230 branches to the 3,000 Scandinavian and UK library institutions that already use an Axiell solution.
Axiell’s innovative solutions are designed to help libraries manage their transformation to a modern public library. Combined with BiBer’s market knowledge and network, libraries will now be able to partner with a vendor that can support and manage that transformation journey.
Commenting on the acquisition, Joel Sommerfeldt, CEO of Axiell Group, said: “I am extremely pleased to welcome BiBer to the Axiell Group. The company has an impressive customer base in Germany and Switzerland, with marquee libraries such as Stadtbibliotheken Essen and Staatsbibliothek Berlin.We look forward to working together to deliver solutions that will transform and help German and Swiss libraries provide world-class services to their local communities, just as we have in Scandinavia for more than 30 years.”
With more than 25 years of experience delivering library systems, BiBer has a well-established position in the German and Swiss markets. Following the acquisition by Axiell, the company will continue to serve those markets from its offices in Mülheim a.d. Ruhr and Hochheim am Main and work closely with and support its 160 customers. BiBer will also manage and develop its existing library systems, while expanding its offering with Axiell’s portfolio, including Quria, Axiell’s cloud-based, digital-first solution.
“I am glad that we have joined Axiell. Combining our expertise and resources will give us the opportunity to continue to expand our market share. Our knowledge of the German library market combined with Axiell’s market presence and innovative solutions provides security and long-term stability for our prestigious customer base. During the acquisition process we have found many similarities in the company philosophies, especially in customer orientation and a focus on support. It also became apparent that Axiell’s solutions and services are good additions to our existing product portfolio. We look forward to being able to share that with our customers as we look to the future as an Axiell company,” said Frank Gräfe, Geschäftfuhrer, BiBer GmbH.
The demands on public libraries are changing globally in the internet age and library management needs to facilitate the transformation of the modern public library. This means solutions that support library staff by making daily work routines more efficient, dramatically reducing the number of systems that staff need access to, and providing a complete overview of what is happening within the library.
In addition, a library needs to be cost-efficient in managing all its services – from books and information to learning and entertainment. All areas need to be managed, including the physical collection, community events, handling of e-media and the complete communication process of engaging with patrons. Working closely with its customers and leveraging industry expertise and experience within Axiell makes BiBer well-positioned to deliver solutions in this area.
Additional details around the acquisition are not disclosed.
