WESTBOROUGH, MA (June 25, 1999)-Carmel Clay Public Library and Carmel Clay School Libraries in Indiana joined the growing list of libraries implementing the Geac PLUS client/server solution. The installations include the latest release of PLUS, including Web-based access, deployed on Sun Enterprise servers.
Due to the growth of the community and the changing needs of their patrons, the school libraries began operating as a separate entity earlier this year. "Today's technology makes it possible to have independent patron and bibliographic databases on separate systems, while still offering virtual access to the resources available in both the public and school libraries," stated Sue Moeschl of Cannel Clay School Libraries.
Wendy Phillips of Carmel Clay Public Library echoes Moeschl's enthusiasm. "The shared system was an asset to the community when it was established. But with the tremendous growth of our community and the advances in technology, we needed to look closely at how we could best continue to meet the needs of our patrons."
Although Library staff planned for about two weeks of downtime while the database separation occurred, Geac staff performed the necessary work in one week, minimizing downtime and allowing the libraries to serve the community with minimal interruptions. "We were delighted with the way Geac staff handled the database record separation," said Moeschl. "They were knowledgeable about our circumstances upon arrival, and their professionalism and expertise led to minimal downtime for our staff and patrons."
According to Ellen Isaacson, Senior Manager for Geac's Library Division in the United States, "the Carmel Clay installations demonstrate the flexibility that PLUS offers to meet the needs of public libraries and school districts. The professional and thorough project management provided during these installations exemplify Geac's superior service organization." The Public Library purchased a Sun Enterprise 3500, upgrading their current system capabilities and allowing for future system growth. Cannel Clay School Libraries purchased Geac's PLUS and GeoWeb software and licenses, along with two Sun Ultra lOS servers.
The Carmel Clay Public Library catalog is available at http://webcat.carmel.lib.in.us/. The School Library catalog is scheduled to be available by Fall 1999.
Geac's Library Division offers client/server products that provide access to global information through graphical user interfaces and Web-based software. Product and service information on Geac's Library Division is available on the Internet at www.librarv.geac.com or through electronic mail at www.library.geac.com. Geac Canada Limited and Geac Computers, Inc. are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Geac Computer Corporation Limited, a publicly traded company with its common shares listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (Symbol: GAC).
