SOFTLINK LAUNCHES NEW VERSION OF LIBERTY3 LIBRARY AND KM SYSTEM
Added: (Wed Dec 07 2005)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Enhancements across all functions
A new version of Softlink’s popular fully web-based library automation and knowledge management system, Liberty3, is being launched today. Liberty3 is used by over 160 organisations, including Sotheby’s Institute of Art - London, World Wildlife Fund and Cambridge University colleges.
Many enhancements have been made across Liberty3’s features, including to the acquisitions, cataloguing, circulation, OPAC, system and reporting functions.
Iain Dunbar, operations director at Softlink Europe, says, “The Liberty3 enhancements are part of the continual process of product improvement and they mark a significant move towards the release of the SQL version of Liberty3. For example, the OPAC changes have been made to bring users a version which is very similar in capability to the Liberty3 SQL OPAC and will make that transition more seamless.”
Suzan Griffiths, librarian at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, says, “Please pass on to the developers my thanks for the improvements in the accessions module in Liberty 3.1E, noticeably for new orders, checking on ISBN as well as title and the ability to view the record in the bibliographic format. The revamped reservations report with the available copies column is also a great help. I have also been able to use the loans by borrower reports to chase those students with over the agreed limit and the ‘most popular resources report’ to check which books in a given location need reclassifying.”
She adds, “The 2005 cohort of undergraduates like the OPAC, commenting that they prefer it, for ease of searching, to other interfaces used within the university. Many of them prefer the basic search for its ‘Google-like’ interface.”
Highlights of the product enhancements are:
OPAC – choice between Full Record and Limited Record in opac display (click on title in limited display in order to see full record);
OPAC – ‘Suggested Search’ link when search results are displayed, giving a list of related Subjects and Authors as suggestions for additional searching;
OPAC – enhanced Holdings information in record display … if item/s is/are on loan, shows all due dates without having to select an item to see the information and also provides choice as to whether an Article Analytic’s held status is displayed or not. This means that if three copies are held and one is one loan, one reference and one on the shelf, then the status of all three is immediately obvious.
OPAC – a new ‘Guided Search’ facility has been added, to assist people to perform an advanced/complex search.
Cataloguing: ability to add a custom copyright disclaimer at bibliographic or item record level
Circulation: new search fields for specific field searching for advanced searches
Circulation: link from borrower record browse page to current Inter Library Loan requests for that borrower
Circulation Desk – new hot link from Returns to Loans, which automatically identifies the person who had borrowed the last returned item
Interlibrary Loans – Customisable ARTEmail form
Reports/Statistics – new custom Excel reports, including several which create automatic pie charts for Loan Stats
System: ability to carry out bulk deletion of catalogue records
Customers have a choice of upgrade – either with a CD and instructions, or via download. Clients can choose to perform their own upgrade or ask Softlink to perform it for them via a webex (Internet meeting) link but most organisations prefer to have control over their own upgrade process. If the client has an ASP/remote hosting arrangement with Softlink, the company performs the upgrade for them at an agreed time.
Softlink Europe exhibited at the Online Information Exhibition and showed the new version of Liberty3 in action. Online Information was held at Olympia Grand Hall, London from 29th November to 1st December 2005.
- ends-
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 includes Alice and Oliver for school libraries, and Liberty3 for the corporate, special and higher education sectors. Limes Library Automation Software including Millenia and Evolution and pi Primer has now become the responsibility of Softlink Europe Ltd.
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
For further information, please contact: Catherine Dhanjal, TheAnswer Ltd
Tel: 0208 655 0953/ 0794 166 9925 Email: catherine.dhanjal@theansweruk.com
Ref: TA-289