Irish school wins new library software from Softlink
Added: (Tue Dec 14 2004)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
St. Vincent's Secondary School, Ireland
receives
Softlink Europe Library Automation Award 2004
See Softlink at BETT in January, stand LR1
St. Vincent's Secondary School for girls in Dundalk, Ireland has won the Softlink Library Automation Award for 2004, entitling them to receive a full Softlink library management system.
The 720-pupil school was selected for the award based on the library’s need for a new automated system, the availability of computers, and the benefits that the software would bring to the learning environment. Library automation specialist, Softlink, also identified the school as an award winner due to its awareness of software installation programmes. St Vincent’s library will offer accessibility across Ireland as a demonstration site.
Softlink’s Managing Director, Alasdair Darroch, said: “We are delighted to award St. Vincent's Secondary School with the Softlink Library Automation Award for 2004, and highly praise the school’s commitment to providing ongoing support and inspiration to pupils. Softlink’s new library software will give the school’s library a highly interactive system, which will benefit both pupils and staff.”
The simple to use yet sophisticated library management software, called Softlink Alice, is tailored for libraries in junior and secondary schools, and higher education; and is used by 10,000 organisations worldwide. 900 primary and 280 post-primary and special schools in Northern Ireland benefit from Softlink’s Alice Library Management system through the country’s Classroom 2000 (C2k) ICT-based learning initiative.
St. Vincent's Secondary School Librarian, Breda Carolan, says: “Softlink’s fast automated system will mean that we can have an interactive and highly streamlined new library system for our 12,000 books. The new software will save time, enabling me to spend more time handling individual needs of pupils and staff. It will raise the profile of the library as a research, study and borrowing resource.”
Mrs Carolan adds: “Currently some pupils who visit the library in class groups are reluctant to queue for books or they don’t have the time at the end of lessons or during their lunch break. Softlink’s new system now means that staff and pupils need not necessarily come to the library to check whether a certain item is available. The Softlink system will enable us to run a more efficient and interactive library service.”
Currently the St Vincent’s school library aids students and staff with its philosophy being ‘to provide a welcoming environment where teachers and students are encouraged to borrow, browse, read and learn.’ The school celebrated its 150th anniversary last year, and is inspired by the Mercy Philosophy of education, being committed to the academic, cultural, social, spiritual and physical development of its pupils, in the context of the Catholic faith.
Softlink presented the award at the School Library Association (SLA)/International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) joint conference held earlier this year.
For more information about Softlink or to arrange a remote or on-site demonstration, please contact: add@softlink.co.uk
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
Softlink Europe
Library technology specialist Softlink invests in research and development to provide library technology for the 21st century and to offer a suite of products that offers unlimited possibilities for education, public, corporate and special libraries. The product range now includes Oliver, an exciting new web-based automation solution for school libraries.
With 20 years of experience and over 10,000 installations of library management solutions worldwide in libraries in a variety of sectors, Softlink Europe is well placed to implement quickly and efficiently from its Oxford and North of England offices. The library automation specialist has a UK-based support and development team and is a firm believer in investment in research and development to provide library technology for the 21st century.
www.softlink.co.uk
The International Association of School Librarianship
www.iasl-slo.org
Classroom 2000 (C2k)
www.c2kni.org.uk
St. Vincent's Secondary School
www.stvincents-dundalk.ie