MELBOURNE, Australia, June 28, 2007 - SirsiDynix, the global leader in strategic technology solutions for libraries, announced today that TAFE New South Wales (NSW), the largest TAFE (Technical and Further Education) organisation in Australia, will implement the SirsiDynix Unicorn Library Management System for its core library solution for the future. Along with Unicorn, additional integrated modules will be installed, including SirsiDynix Enterprise Portal Solution(tm) (EPS) and SirsiDynix Director's Station.
TAFE NSW is not only Australia's largest training provider, but is also among the largest in the world. There are 10 institutes within TAFE NSW, delivering a wide range of nationally recognised courses at more than 130 metropolitan and regional campuses. TAFE NSW serves more than 350,000 students each year through its library services. The SirsiDynix Unicorn Library Management System will manage all technical and library needs for all of the organisation's library sites.
The Unicorn system will be installed and implemented by July, with the new SirsiDynix Symphony platform being implemented later in 2007.
Lucy Hill, manager of TAFE Library Services, said: "We chose to work with SirsiDynix to implement Unicorn based on our longstanding partner relationship with the company which has supplied and supported our online library information system for the last 17 years. With the large number and variety of libraries across the state, TAFE NSW required a stable and sustainable library management system with a future development path - a system that could provide the functionality to support both our current and future business requirements. We also required a library system that would fully support the changing educational paradigms of the organisation, with an emphasis on flexible, online and independent learning and the inherent demands such an environment places on library and information services. We were particularly interested in a system that supported our long-term plans, and SirsiDynix has offered us a forward path using a range of their products."
As part of the Unicorn implementation, TAFE NSW will integrate SirsiDynix Enterprise Portal Solution, which will provide the libraries a single interface to all the relevant, high-quality information, resources and services they offer, including books from the libraries' collection, databases, digital archives, RSS feeds, virtual reference, ILL - even powerful federated search capabilities - in contexts that make sense. With this tool, the libraries will be able to more easily maintain up to date Web sites and events calendars.
Additionally, SirsiDynix Director's Station, a real-time statistical analysis solution, will give library administrators tools to examine trends in borrowing and circulation.
Hill explained: "We anticipate that the new system will give library managers a quick and easy to use system for data analysis so they can uncover trends and plan to better serve our user community."
Keith Sturges, president of SirsiDynix International, said: "At SirsiDynix, we work with large organisations like TAFE NSW to deliver strategic technology solutions that help people in their communities make sense of the vast world of information. We also deliver productivity and business efficiency tools like SirsiDynix Director's Station that assist libraries in increasing productivity and efficiency and improving customer service. We are honored by the confidence that TAFE NSW has shown in us, and we look forward to working closely with them to implement technology solutions that meet their needs today and into the future."
Other TAFE institutions that use SirsiDynix products and services include the following: Box Hill Institute of TAFE, Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE, Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE, Chisholm Institute of TAFE, South West Institute of TAFE, Holmesglen Institute of TAFE and William Angliss Institute of TAFE.
In March, SirsiDynix announced a new technology platform, code-named "Rome." The platform, formally named SirsiDynix Symphony, is built on the proven, scalable and extensible architecture of the industry-standard Unicorn Library Management System and will include an impressive set of new solutions created as part of SirsiDynix Horizon 8.0/Corinthian development. SirsiDynix Symphony offers integrated technology building blocks for today's libraries and consortia, including cost-saving SaaS hosted options, state-of-the-art portal and search solutions, new and easy-to-manage Web-based library staff software, electronic content management and presentation solutions, the broadest suite of library management and productivity solutions - and more. The first version of Symphony is scheduled for release later this year.
About SirsiDynix
SirsiDynix is the global leader in strategic technology solutions for libraries - vital institutions whose primary mission is to make sense of the vast world of information for people and communities. This is an exciting role as libraries assist people in discovering and using knowledge, resources and other valuable content for their educations, jobs and entertainment. In concert with key industry partners, SirsiDynix supports this strategic role for libraries by offering a comprehensive integrated suite of technology solutions for improving the internal productivity of libraries and enhancing their capabilities for meeting the needs of people and communities. SirsiDynix has approximately 4,000 library and consortia clients, serving more than 300 million people through more than 20,000 library outlets in the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. For more information, please see www.sirsidynix.com.
About TAFE NSW
TAFE NSW is Australia's largest training provider, and is among the largest in the world. The letters "TAFE" stand for Technical and Further Education and, for hundreds of thousands of people each year, it also stands for high quality, accessible training. TAFE NSW prides itself on offering quality education tailored to suit the needs of its clients. TAFE NSW offers relevant training and education in a way that makes sense in today's world. TAFE NSW courses and education programs are delivered flexibly - online, by distance, face to face or by a combination of methods. For more information, please see www.tafensw.edu.au.