HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (May 23, 2001) Cooperative Computer Services (CCS), a consortium of 20 Chicago-area public libraries that are part of the North Suburban Library System, has selected SIRSI to provide a fully integrated, easy-to-use library management system. According to Richard Thompson, director of the Wilmette, Ill., Public Library and chair of the CCS committee responsible for recommending the new system, "The CCS consortium went through a meticulous vendor selection process involving representatives of all the member libraries in a variety of capacities. We ended up selecting SIRSI in a decision that was unanimous. Now we're looking forward to our libraries and our patrons reaping the rewards of that decision."
Established in 1975, CCS is the oldest library consortium in the U.S. Its original purpose was to provide a shared circulation system for member libraries, but it has evolved into a system that supports members' material selection, cataloging, public catalogs, circulation (including payment of bills and fines), interlibrary loan, and other resource-sharing activities, as well as access to local and remote databases. The 20 CCS libraries serve approximately 600,000 patrons and have an annual circulation of approximately 8 million items.
According to Richard Shurman, CCS Administrator, "We're excited about SIRSI because it will provide us with a well-integrated, graphically based system that is easy to operate from a central site. We're especially excited about the iBistroTM Electronic Library-not only does it deliver useful content like bestseller lists and book reviews, but the contents are updated by SIRSI. iBistro will help CCS libraries provide better service to their users."
SIRSI (www.sirsi.com), the leader in library technology since 1979, delivers advanced software and services for libraries around the globe. By providing the industry's most complete library management infrastructure and unique solutions for capitalizing on the power, speed, and versatility of the Internet, SIRSI and our clients are changing the way the world shares knowledge.
