PROVO, Utah—August 4, 2004—Dynix, the world's leading provider of automation technologies, solutions, and services for libraries, today announced that Columbus Metropolitan Library (Columbus, OH) will migrate from the in-house system it has used to manage its collection since 1988 and install the Horizon Information Management System.
Among public libraries serving a population of more than 500,000 people, CML is currently ranked as the second best public library in the United States by Hennen's American Public Library Index, which rates libraries for the value, service, and resources offered to patrons. CML serves a community of nearly 900,000 and receives 7.9 million in-person visits each year. The library's 21 locations, along with consortium partners Southwest Public Libraries (Grove City, OH) and Worthington Libraries (Worthington, OH), conduct more than 18 million item transactions annually, answer 1.3 million reference questions, and maintain a collection size of nearly 4 million items.
CML chose Horizon following an 18-month review process that began with six vendors and ended with the selection of Dynix. The library sought an automation solution that would provide integration with a wide variety of third-party products. Furthermore, after 16 years of using its homegrown system, CML recognized the value of partnering with a vendor that maintains a dedicated research and development team and is constantly working to build the latest technologies into its products.
"After intense study by our staff, we believe Dynix is a good fit for CML and will help the library achieve its strategic initiatives," said Patrick Losinski, the library's executive director. "Horizon will offer more service options for our customers, as well as new efficiencies for our staff."
"We are excited to be working with CML, one of the leading libraries in the United States," said Dynix President and CEO Jack Blount. "I am very pleased with the relationship we have developed and look forward to partnering with CML in providing their staff and users with the most comprehensive and reliable suite of technology tools available to libraries today."
"A staff-driven committee evaluated the ILS market based on functionality, and Dynix scored higher over competitors' offerings in every category based on the needs of CML," said Director of Information Systems Scott Fothergill. "Throughout the process, Dynix was an accommodating and responsive company with which to work."
"We were attracted to Dynix because of the company's intense focus on industry standards," Fothergill added. "We believe that software development in the library world should be guided by standards. In our review, Dynix demonstrated a commitment and focus on using and developing standards for the future."
"We will be able to continually provide enhanced service to our users because of the Horizon system's ability to integrate seamlessly with third-party offerings," said Manager of Web and Applications Development Jessi Crim-Weithman. "The feature-rich customization ability of Horizon and Horizon Information Portal will enable us to improve the functionality, look, and feel of our staff and user interfaces."
Crim-Weithman added that the report generation options provided by Horizon will be a key improvement for staff. "We will be able to pull and use numbers much more dynamically than before," she said. "Development on our homegrown system has focused on the patron side, so we are excited to use the advanced staff functionality found in Horizon."
About Columbus Metropolitan Library
Columbus Metropolitan Library has been serving residents of Central Ohio for more than 125 years. The Public Library and Reading Room opened in 1873 and has since expanded to include 20 branches and a Main library. The library's collection has grown to include more than 3 million items. Each year, 15 million items are borrowed, and librarians answer over 1.2 million questions. For additional information about CML, visit www.columbuslibrary.org.
About Dynix
Dynix is the global leader in new-name sales of library management systems and has the largest installed customer base of any library technology vendor. As a committed advocate of the library community, Dynix serves academic, special, school, public, and consortium libraries in over 40 countries. Dynix has more than 100 professional librarians on staff and proven experience in software leadership. Since 1983, Dynix has provided customers visionary technology solutions that support the latest industry standards and offer intuitive functionality. For complete corporate information and a guide to Dynix products and services, visit www.dynix.com.
