Automation of Library Services : Demonstration of Liberty

Library Management System

by

A Training Workshop on Issues in

the Acquisition and Management

of e-Library in TETFund-

Supported Institutions

September 2014

As Information Technology has convergedwith Communication Technology (ICT), themedium of information delivery has beengreatly affected. Bibliography in libraries isslowly but surely, transforming from physicalto electronic. Librarians now have to dependon ICT to acquire, hold, index and disseminateelectronic resources. This presentation looksat the tools required to manage both physicaland electronic resources under thisdispensation.

Many Librarians have expressed the view thatLibrary management systems would, for theforeseeable future, need to span both printand electronic materials and that the centralissue was to provide a coherent view of ahybrid collection of bibliographic types. In thissense, an emphasis on content solely in printformat is too limiting.

Advances in technology have changed the wayeven books are published. The concept,organization, functioning and management oflibrary have also changed. The very nature ofresources now in the custody of librariesrequire innovative and new ways of storage,management and dissemination. The newtypes of resources that now presentthemselves in virtual formats have changedthe way the library function as it now has tomanage physical and electronic resources.

The requirement of a library systemtherefore, depends on the bibliographic typesin its collection. However, one mustremember that your patrons may havedemands of their own and so must anticipatetheir needs and plan for them.

Conventional printed resources :

Books,

Journals,

Maps, etc

Electronic resources :

eBooks

eJournals

Video clips, etc

Web resources

Websites (URL)

Online subscription databases etc

Bib

liogra

phic

types

Your library management system should be able to handle all these resource types.

Liberty is a web based library management

system that runs on Microsoft SQL Database

engine while complying with ISO standards

Z39.50 and Anglo American Cataloguing rules

(AACR).

It is used by over 5,000 libraries across the globe,

including some highly esteemed institutions in

Nigeria like the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal,

Nigeria Institute for International Affairs and

Nigeria Defense Academy, NIPSS amongst

others.

Liberty's intuitive web-based interface offers integrated

access to all resources in your library and organisation.

Liberty is available to users anywhere, anytime:

24/7 access to resources from any Internet connection

Integrated, intuitive interface

Powerful search engine

Federated search capabilities

Integration with other online and internal portals

Cloud computing offers access to Computers and

mobile devices

Liberty introduces efficient workflows and information

management processes that will improve library services

and enhance productivity, without sacrificing control:

Fully-integrated modules

Automated alerts, notices and defaults

Fully-integrated Z39.50 portal for fast cataloguing

Quick and simple check-in for print and e-journals

Single sign-on for end user access to personalised

and secure information

Liberty is a scalable, high-performance solution that can

grow with the needs of your organisation. Liberty has

proven ability to support users with flexible package

options to suit requirements and budgets of any sized

organisation, across a range of industries:

Enterprise-level technology (J2EE, JBOS, Tomcat etc)

Industry standard database - Microsoft SQL

Customizable interfaces to suit requirements

Scalable, three-tier architecture

Hosting/Managed services for SaaS or ASP deployment

Multi-site and Consortia deployments

Liberty comes with a set of fully-integrated

core modules to optimise the collection,

management and dissemination of

information.

A range of optional modules and third-party

add-ons can also be seamlessly integrated

with the core Liberty solution according to

the individual needs of your library.

Core Modules includes :

OPAC and Customer Portal

Cataloguing

Fast Cataloguing – Z39.50 online portal

Circulation

Serials

Interlibrary Loan

Acquisition

Reporting

Customization / Management

Systems Administration and Maintenance

Full-text, basic, browse and advanced

search options

Federated Searching

Customizable OPAC screen

Client self-management portal

SDI Alerts, SMS & RSS facilities

Smart-logic searching

Single sign-on (SSO)

Saved Searches and URLs

Default search and operator query

Real-time integration

Integrated Z39.50 portal

Built-in standard bibliographic reports

Flexible cataloguing templates

Unicode compliance (Multi-lingua/script)

Validation control, merge authorities and

global changes

Supports multiple MARC, non-MARC &

Dublin Core formats

Simple navigation tools and powerful

search facilities

Import/update resources - single click

Configurable user settings, including

preferred sources, results quantity, and time

limits

Search multiple sources simultaneously

Configurable lending rules & charges

Lending matrix

Flexible circulation policies, borrower &

resource categories

RSS, SMS, email or print borrower alerts

'first available' reservation processing &

notification

Resource booking

SIP2 & RFID compliant

Offline data capture

Receipt printer functionality

Flexible prediction patterns

Quick & easy check-in,claims, subscriptions

Ad-hoc issues,scheds,routing lists, loose-leaf

Automated check-in by publisher barcode

Integration with Acquisitions & budgeting

Add contents-page/brief article information

Configurable funds, budgets and cost

centres

Integrate with accounting systems

Foreign currency calculation

Quick cataloguing / inter-library loan

search

Record and manage both requested and

supplied inter-library loans

Cancellation processing

Seamless integration with Liberty

Acquisitions and reporting

Over 250 reports from all modules

Searching/Selection of desired records

Export to Microsoft Word or Excel to edit,

save, print or email

Modify authority lists; branches, formats,

collections, item status, categories

No manual Housekeeping

Over 200 adjustable parametres

Security grouping

User privilages

Batch stocktake

Liberty Cloud customers have no hardware

or software to buy, install, maintain, or

update. Access couldn’t be easier – All you

need is an internet connection.

The Library Link mobile application gives

library borrowers the ability to connect to

Softlink Liberty with Apple or Android pads

and smart phones.

InfoNet automatically indexes uncatalogued

electronic files such as .pdf, .doc and .txt in

folders and directories in specified locations

on the Server.

Softlink’s suite of Web Services allows the

library to become part of any leading Virtual

Learning Environment with personal library

account information automatically

presented to each user as soon as they log

on to the VLE.

You can enhance your Liberty OPAC by

subscribing to “more information” about

each book. Wherever there are summaries,

table of contents, reviews, first chapters

and cover images available on the Syndetic

databases, a “more info” link appears in the

Softlink system OPAC.

Change is the only constant thing in life but your change should be for the better.

Be a smart “Cat”

Do not just buy a

Library system, solve

your library needs by

doing so.

Sylvester Chinga

Systems Director/CEO

Library and Information Support Services

Email : sylvester_chinga@yahoo.com

Telephone: 0803-3206201