Boca Raton, FL, January 27, 2004 - School District No. 23 in Kelowna, British Columbia, Seven Oaks School Division 10 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and York Catholic District School Board in Aurora, Ontario recently awarded Mandarin Library Automation, Inc. contracts to provide the Mandarin M3 Library Automation System to their schools.
School District No. 23 has had a successful ongoing relationship with Mandarin in many of its libraries for more than 12 years. In July of 2003, the district decided to exclusively use Mandarin M3 in all 42 of its libraries. Also being installed at each school is the M3 Web OPAC, which allows students to access library collections via the Internet. "Mandarin's software is flexible and powerful," said Al Van Gasbeck, information systems support/library automation specialist for the district. "Their genuine and caring staff offers superior support, and we received individual attention throughout the implementation process."
In November of 2003, Seven Oaks School Division 10 contracted with Mandarin to automate its 21 school libraries. In addition to Mandarin M3 and the M3 Web OPAC, Seven Oaks purchased electronic data transfer services for its collection, facilitating a smooth transition to Mandarin M3. The division also purchased Mandarin's authority record processing service, which updates library collections with the most current Library of Congress headings. "We needed a product that was totally integrated and user friendly while adhering to true MARC21 standards," said Frank Wiebe, information technology technician for Seven Oaks. "After extensive research, we found that M3 was best suited to meet our automation needs. We strongly believe that M3 will greatly enhance productivity and access for both students and staff."
The York Catholic District School Board first installed Mandarin software in its libraries in 1992. In September of 2003, the district decided to automate an additional 26 libraries with Mandarin M3, bringing the total to 87. According to Elise Trepanier, coordinator of library automation services, the district plans to have the 26 libraries converted by the end of 2004. "M3 benefits students and staff by enhancing the learning environment," said Trepanier. "It gives librarians more time to spend on curriculum development and encourages students to become independent learners. It also teaches students current research techniques that will benefit them in high school and college."
Mandarin's flagship product, Mandarin M3, provides libraries with superior cataloging, circulation, inventory and searching capabilities that are user-friendly and highly customizable. Whether a library's collection numbers one thousand or one million, Mandarin M3 and optional add-on modules offer complete solutions to meet the needs of each individual library.
About Mandarin Library Automation, Inc.
Mandarin Library Automation, Inc. delivers library automation solutions utilized by thousands of school, public, academic and corporate libraries in over 50 countries. Founded upon a solid foundation of experience, technological expertise and strong, long-term relationships, Mandarin is committed to providing affordable and reliable products and services. Mandarin's participation in standards activities, including Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF), ensures that the latest technological developments are quickly available to customers.