St. Louis, Missouri -- April 22, 1996: Data Research Associates (DRA), today announced the release of DRA Schools, an evolutionary enhancement to the company's software products. DRA Schools is a library automation system for school districts, and is at the center of DRA's effort to bring the K-12 community online. DRA is the only library automation vendor to offer dedicated Internet access, and provides schools with high-quality connections to the Internet backbone through its Internet product, DRA Net.
DRA Schools features everything a school library needs to bring its students easy access to the latest information and technologies: DRA Kids, a colorful, easy-to-use, Z39.50-compliant graphical user interface designed specifically for the needs of young library-goers; DRA Media, a media center automation module; DRA Web, a Z39.50-compliant World Wide Web server; DRA Net, offering exceptional resource-sharing capabilities through a unique collection of networking and Internet services, as well as a wide selection of periodical databases; and DRA News, access to the popular Internet newsfeed service, including optional screening of undesired news groups.
DRA Schools also includes a host of modifications specific to school libraries. Record masking lets the library mask records in the Public Access Catalog (PAC), so they can be viewed differently at different privilege levels. For example, this allows the library to hide items temporarily out of circulation from students' view. Holdings manipulation includes adding, searching and deleting materials at the individual library level, which lets a school district initiate centralized cataloging. Catalog tracking provides the ability to track cataloging by staff members, to facilitate cataloging at multiple locations and to manage volume-based compensation plans (for the benefit of DRA's Australasian library customers). Other features include a reserve module; transferring fines to an administrative database as well as identifying their source on-line; the ability to use and change PIN numbers; and more.
DRA Schools offers school districts the flexibility to maintain current policies at the individual school level, as well as a high degree of self service, freeing school library staff to attend to individual instruction, cataloging, collection development, curriculum enhancement, and other pressing school district needs. DRA Schools is designed to grow with the school district, ranging from ten user installations to statewide implementations comprising hundreds of users. The system is already installed in over 1,200 schools worldwide.
DRA, headquartered in St. Louis, is a leading systems integrator for libraries and other information providers, offering its own proprietary information services software; third-party software and hardware; Internet, World Wide Web and other networking services; and other related support services. Its World Wide Web page is located at http://www.dra.com.
