Austin, Texas - October 19, 2006 - Biblionix today announced formal availability of its Apollo Automation Service. Apollo was designed by and for small and medium sized public libraries. It is hosted over the Internet from Biblionix's servers, eliminating the need for an on-site server. No software installation is required, only a Web browser on any operating system.
"I love Apollo. Training new staff with no background in library work is so easy. We never have to worry about server problems or backup/restore regimens and it's so simple to import records and keep our database clean" said Sharon Temple, Director, Lake Travis Community Library, Texas.
Apollo is provided on a subscription basis starting at $800 per year. In the transition to Apollo, librarians can test their own data on Apollo while their library runs unaffected. When they are comfortable, the transfer can take place overnight in a smooth, painless fashion. Apollo's impact on efficiency is dramatic. Customers have experienced significant reduction in staff labor hours and eliminated countless errors and nuisances.
"It's the slickest system I've seen", said Bob Gaines, 2001 Librarian of the Year for the Texas Library Association.
Biblionix, born out of real libraries' frustration with poor performance and the difficulty of transition from typical automation systems, has taken a stand on ownership and control of library data. Traditionally, a small library's automation vendor obfuscates data in an unknown, proprietary format, making it costly and difficult to move to a different system. Biblionix has created LDIF (Library Data Interchange Format), a specification for a self-describing XML file which contains all library data. Once a library is using Apollo, it becomes easy to migrate to any other system. Biblionix is exploring options to make LDIF an approved industry standard, allowing libraries to quickly and easily switch automation systems any time they wish.
"I founded Biblionix in 2003 to change the technology and automation landscape for small and medium-sized public libraries. Apollo is our flagship: it helps remove technology frustrations from the lives of librarians and lets them concentrate on providing value to their patrons and community," said Alexander "Xan" Charbonnet, founder of Biblionix.
Apollo is replete with features and functions that save staff/volunteer time and delight patrons. Collection management is made easy by powerful authority control, outstanding reporting capability, and integrated importing of records from other libraries. Tedious labor at the circulation desk can be significantly reduced. Patrons can manage their accounts and perform many library tasks for themselves through an intuitive, customizable Web interface which is the same whether inside the library or at home. There are many, many more meticulously considered features that were developed in collaboration with practicing public librarians.
"It's my dream catalog. Every feature we could think of is in Apollo", said Beth Wheeler Fox, 2006 Librarian of the Year for the Texas Library Association, and Director of Westbank Community Library in Austin, Texas.
For more information on Biblionix and its imaginative tools, visit the website at www.biblionix.com or contact Clark Charbonnet (512-413-0735 or clark@biblionix.com).
Biblionix is located in Austin, Texas and was founded in 2003. Biblionix breaks small and medium sized libraries' bonds to traditional expensive and inflexible installed software that was written for schools. Our Internet-based services are designed by practicing librarians. A powerful combination of exceptional software and database skills and total immersion in the everyday operation of libraries, allow Biblionix to uniquely address the underserved needs of small and medium sized public libraries.
