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.”