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Warren Hill Prison Eclipse Case Study
“We have been using Eclipse 2 at Warren Hill for just over a month at the time of writing (September 06) and staff and trainees have nothing but praise for the system.”
When I started as Library Manager at HMP & YOI Warren Hill
just over a year ago, the library system in place was a manual
system of book logs and brown tickets! The system was time
consuming, very open to human error and diffi cult to monitor.
I decided that a computerised system was badly needed, but
which one? Eclipse 2 and MLS came highly recommended by
Suffolk School’s Library Service. This was not just for the user-
friendly software but also the customer service and ongoing
support provided by MLS via their helpline. My experience
with MLS since purchasing Eclipse 2 certainly endorses this
and I can certainly vouch for the helpline, which is superb.
Getting started with the Eclipse package was very
straightforward. The instruction manual is comprehensive
and the helpline sorted out any little problems that I had. The
big test for Eclipse 2 would be how quickly the library staff
(there are ten Operational Support Grades [OSGs] that can be
assigned to the library) could understand and feel confi dent
using the new system, especially as I am not in the library
all week. It soon became apparent that this was not going
to be a problem. Even OSGs with little computer experience
were confi dently using the Eclipse system after an hour
of instruction and support. The most frequent comment
from library staff was that the system was ‘common
sense’ and ‘straightforward’.
The Eclipse 2 system has completely transformed the
library at Warren Hill. We have been freed from hours
of manually recording book loans in logs, crossing out
returned books, searching for overdues, checking for
reserved books and sending out notes plus a multitude
of other time consuming tasks. Library staff now have
more time to spend on more important things such as
helping trainees fi nd and choose books and just talking to
trainees about what they would like to see in the library.
We are also in the process of installing a computer in
the library for the trainees to use. Through ‘Search Star’
trainees will be able to reserve their own books, search
the catalogue, write reviews and look at their account.
The Eclipse 2 system is very simple to customise to
your library’s needs. Limits can be set for number of
books and for length of loan time for different groups e.g.
sentenced, remand and staff. If a trainee has overdue
books they appear in red and it can be set so that no
more books are issued until overdues are returned.
Reserving books is simple and fair. As reserved books are
returned, letters to trainees are automatically produced
The ‘reports’ feature of Eclipse 2 will give you information
about number of active borrowers, favourite fi ction / non-
fi ction, authors etc. Very useful information to have to hand
during an inspection or when the Governor or IMB pop in
out of the blue!
Ian Orchard
Library Manager, HMP &YOI Warren Hill
“Eclipse 2 has enabled us to manage our book stock more effectively and have a greater understanding of trends within the prison population.”trends within the prison population.”
returned, letters to trainees are automatically produced
and can be sent to the units that same day.
“Eclipse 2 has enabled us to manage
trends within the prison population.”
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