Automating your Library

Greetings!
Would you like to automate your library? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a list of the books your school owns and be able to find them quickly and easily? Well, you can do it and for less money than you might expect. I sound like a commercial for library automation software, but it is nice to be able to locate books quickly and know instantly whether you have a book on a particular subject without going to the shelves and perusing them hoping to find the subject you need.

You may have read the Journal of Adventist Education Summer 2011 issue on Libraries. I wrote an article with the help of my assistant, Joy Palmer, on how to organize a small library. If you read it, you will have a good start on getting your library organized.

However, this post is focused on what kind of automation program would be best for your school. The NPUC has recommended two automation programs; Readerware and ResourceMate.

Readerware is the less expensive of the two programs. Readerware is easy to use and is cheap. The prices you pay are one-time fees. The database can hold between 10,000 and 20,000 items which is perfect for most of our small SDA schools. The program extracts reviews and cover art for most books. There is a free tutorial and they offer a free 30-day trial. The program uses either Windows or Mac. I could not find any information to find out if a bar code scanner is included in the purchase price. Three years ago when I gave this information out, each item was purchased separately, but the prices are changed slightly and it appears that the program includes a complete package with all items needed. There are three options for purchase.
1. Standard Edition $40.00 – this is a single user and includes all the Readerware features needed.
2. Client/Server Edition $90.00 – This version includes all the features of the Standard Edition and supports up to five concurrent users.
3. Client/Server Enterprise Edition $500.00 – Includes all the features of the Standard Edition but has no user limit.

If you choose to go with Readerware, I would recommend the Client/Server Edition because you will be able to have one computer as the data station that can be password protected so students cannot alter the data and you can have four other computers as the card catalog in use at a time.

ResourceMate is another automation program that you might consider. There are four options for purchase.
1. ResourceMate Regular ($195.00) has the following features.
a. There is no limit to the number of items.
b. It uses Windows.
c. It is easy to use. You input the ISBN and search for the book. You can get Dewey information and subject information. It is also easy to add information that your school might need. For example a teacher wants to remember the books he or she used for the rainforest unit they just taught. Type in ‘rainforest’ for each book that does not already come up with you search for the rainforest books.
d. A demo is available. You must enter information to access this.
e. Training videos are available. There are three videos. You must purchase these for $35.00 each or two for $59.00, or three for $89.00. (Schools may be able to share these or maybe talk the NPUC into purchasing these for check-out.)
f. Online training is available for $35.00 for each subject taught. Examples include cataloguing basics, printing labels and cards, etc. There is a list of subjects on the website. You choose the session or sessions you want and sign up for the particular class on a specific date.
g. Tech support – the first 3 months are free, and then support is about $70 - $110 a year. Tech support is optional. The NPUC also has a few other teachers who are using this program and might be able to help you with any problems.
h. A user manual is included.
i. Built-in reports such as author, categories, call number, circulation, etc.
j. Password protected so the computer can be used for searching and the information cannot be damaged by someone searching on the computer.

2. ResourceMate Regular Multi ($395.00) includes the features above plus
a. Multiple people (up to 3) can install the program on their computers and enter items there and the data can be merged to the main database. This makes it easy for volunteers to help with the automation process.
b. Bar coding – need to purchase the bar codes and a scanner
c. Inventory reporting
d. History of circulation activity
3. ResourceMate Plus ($395.00) includes the features of the Regular version and the Regular Multi version. There are some extra features as well.
4. ResourceMate Plus Multi ($595.00) – similar to the above with some extras.
5. ResourceMate School Basic bundle – ($1042) This includes the following
a. ResourceMate Plus software
b. 1 patron search license
c. Bar code scanner
d. Bar code labels (1000)
e. Extended circulation
f. Spell check
g. One package of 1000 labels (spine)
h. Level 1 Training video

If you opt for ResourceMate, I would recommend the ResourceMate Plus for $395.00. The Regular Multi also costs $395.00, but the Plus version seems to have some features that aren’t listed with the Regular Multi version. I am not sure why, but you can do more research on the website.

If you are deciding between the ResourceMate and the Readerware, I would recommend the ResourceMate simply because it is a more robust program, no limit to the number of items, and we have other teachers who can help with questions you may come across.

I hope you find this information helpful if you are considering automating your library. This post and all previous posts are available on my blog sdalibrarian.blogspot.com.

Have a great week!
Audrey