Table of Contents:
- Sirsi's International Sales Soar
- Sirsi and Brodart Co. Announce Alliance
- Sirsi "By Invitation Webinars" Well-Attended: Director's Station and Sirsi Voice Automation (SVA)
- Kitsap Regional Library System Selects Sirsi Unicorn
- Kitsap in the News: Computers in Libraries "It was a rout."
- INFOhio in the News: School Library Activities Monthly
- Marlboro College Named ‘Best Academic Bang for Your Buck' and the Library Opens New Wing
- Sirsi and Bowker Partner for Libraries and Library Users
- OverDrive SIP2-Certified for Sirsi
- Sirsi Partners with Northern Light
- Unicorn 2003.1 and Unicorn 2004 in Beta Testing
1. Sirsi's International Sales Soar
Sirsi announced several international sales for the U.S. based company. "We are expanding our presence in the international community and the popularity of the Unicorn Library Management System is growing substantially," said Patrick C. Sommers, Sirsi's chief executive officer. Recent Sirsi sales in United Kingdom include Ealing, Hammersmith, and West London College; Birmingham Heartlands NHS Trust; Royal Air Force College; Royal Geographical Society, Hull & North East Lincolnshire, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. In Ireland, the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority is a new Sirsi client, as are Fundación Museo Picasso Málaga and Obra Social de la Caja de Avila in Spain. The Collège de l'Outaouais, The Collège de Maisonneuve, City of Deux-Montagnes, City of Québec, City of Saguenay in Québec and Oxford County Library in Ontario have selected Sirsi in Canada.
"Sirsi continues to experience phenomenal growth and has the second largest installed base of clients worldwide," said Sommers. "With Sirsi's recent realignment of top-level personnel, including Andrew Morrice heading up the Asia-Pacific region and Marty Keeley leading strategic initiatives and sales, this momentum will continue to grow."
2. Sirsi and Brodart Co. Announce Alliance
Sirsi's alliance with Brodart Co. seeks to make acquisitions of library materials by Sirsi clients more effective than ever. Both companies are now working together to utilize the X12 standard format to simplify and expedite acquisitions, ordering, and invoicing through Electronic Data Interchange. Brodart's 2.3 million-title database provides access to the most timely and accurate information available on title status and availability. Once complete, the alliance with Brodart will allow Sirsi libraries to electronically order, invoice, and receive books and other materials quickly and more efficiently using the Unicorn Library Management System. "At Sirsi, we are always working to deliver technology and partnerships that help our librarians better serve their communities," said Berit Nelson, Sirsi's vice president of product management. "We are delighted to work with Brodart in developing enhanced functionality and ease-of-use for Unicorn users."
3. Sirsi "By Invitation Webinars" Well-Attended: Director's Station and Sirsi Voice Automation (SVA)
In November and December, Sirsi held six Sirsi webinars by invitation only for clients wishing to demo Sirsi Director's Station and to learn more about Sirsi Voice Automation.
Sirsi Director's Station, to be officially launched in January 2004 at ALA Midwinter, was the hot topic of four webinars. More than 168 participants representing 137 libraries attended the ‘invitation only' events to learn more about the only product in the library industry that will enable directors to make informed, data-driven decisions by providing a unique, customized view of the institution's activities and operations in a colorful and easy-to-read format. Sirsi Director's Station enables directors to analyze trends, pinpoint problem areas, and identify opportunities for the library. With the unique insights that come from using Sirsi Director's Station, directors and staff will make the most of the data available and will be more effective than ever before in developing strategies for carrying out the institution's mission. The unique functionality in Sirsi Director's Station enables directors to activate automated alerts, chart data and trends, conduct natural queries, and build dynamic reports by simply dragging-and-dropping data elements. "Quick access to information is critical for meeting today's challenges and making the right plans for the future," said Hathorn. "Because Sirsi understands the value of time, we've made sure that Sirsi Director's Station is easy-to-use. If you can use a mouse, you can use this product."
Another hot topic of Sirsi's ‘invitation only' webinars was Sirsi's Voice Automation (SVA). Thirty-four participants representing 26 libraries attended the events. "SVA is a convenient, automatic way for libraries to contact users without spending inordinate staff time or budgeting for large postage costs," said Berit Nelson, Sirsi's vice president of product management. "Using SVA and local telephone technology, library users can call in to review personalized account information, renew items, and check library notices, while library personnel can set an automatic schedule to call out to notify library users of past due materials, holds, and special events." SVA's outbound notification reduces the time that staff members spend calling users, as well as the time and money spent preparing, stuffing, and mailing out materials. Libraries can choose an automated voice or recorded human voice with SVA. The SVA module also provides detailed usage statistics, for example tracking the number of notices generated, number of failed calls, and number of items renewed via SVA. The inbound calling capabilities for SVA ensure convenient, 24/7 access to the library for renewing materials, reviewing account information, and hearing the latest news from the library. Use of a PIN ensures the privacy of library users' personal information. After entering a PIN on the telephone pad, the user may choose from menu options set by library staff.
4. Kitsap Regional Library System Selects Sirsi Unicorn
Kitsap Regional Library (KRL) headquartered in Bremerton, Wash., has selected Sirsi and its suite of software and services, replacing KRL's current Dynix system. Kitsap is the eighth Dynix site to make the move to Sirsi in 2003. KRL's nine community libraries will use Sirsi products and services, including the Unicorn Library Management System and the iBistro e-Library, in serving the 230,000 citizens of Kitsap County, Wash., which is located on the Kitsap Peninsula seven miles west by water from Seattle.
"Making the decision to move to Sirsi was relatively easy for us," said Michael Schuyler, Kitsap deputy director. "In fact, almost all of our staff voted for Sirsi when it came time to make the decision about our future technology partner," noted Schuyler. "From a general perspective, staff members saw a smoothness, a continuity of design in the screens, and a simplicity that extended to streamlining the processes that staff members deal with in their everyday lives. They also saw Sirsi as very user-friendly, for both staff and the public. They felt that Sirsi had truly paid attention to some of the workflow issues that plague them."
"We're pleased to have Kitsap join the Sirsi family of clients, a growing family around the world," said Marty Keeley, Sirsi vice president of strategic initiatives and sales. "With the extensive experience we have in upgrading Dynix users to our Unicorn system, the folks at Kitsap can be confident that they've made a solid decision for the future of their library system," said Keeley. "And with the extensive portfolio of other products and services we offer, we are confident that Kitsap Regional Library will be better positioned than ever to serve the people of Kitsap County."
5. Kitsap in the News: Computers in Libraries "It was a rout."
Computers in Libraries November/December 2003 issue featured an article by Michael Schuyler, deputy director for the Kitsap Regional Library System in Bremerton, Washington. Kitsap selected the Unicorn Library Management System over Dynix. Schulyer states, "Sirsi won. In fact, it as a rout . . . 24 voted for Sirsi; two for Dynix." Reprints are available from Sirsi.
6. INFOhio in the News: School Library Activities Monthly
INFOhio, The Information Network for Ohio Schools, is featured in the November 2003 issue of School Library Activities Monthly in an article comparing and evaluating State Virtual Libraries by Marjorie L. Pappas. In the article, Pappas notes several key items that are important for state virtual libraries, including subscription resources, access to a statewide union catalog, Web resources, primary source documents, and instructional resources to teach users about the virtual library they are using. Pappas states "INFOhio is the only virtual library that included all of those characteristics." Pappas further notes that the "INFOhio virtual library is bright, colorful, informative, and well-organized."
"Bravo to INFOhio!" said Angie Stitzel, district media coordinator for the Ross Local School District in Hamilton, Ohio. "We are very lucky to have access to this wealth of information!"
7. Marlboro College Named ‘Best Academic Bang for Your Buck' and the Library Opens New Wing
Marlboro College, located in Marlboro, Vermont, earned the number one spot in the Princeton Review as the "Best Academic Bang for Your Buck" in the nation. Scoring was based on ratings for Academics, Financial Aid, Tuition, and GPA categories from more than 100,000 students for the 2004 edition of the "Best 351 Colleges." With the first-place ranking came a feature on Marlboro College on NBC's Today Show on Aug. 19. In addition, the college also ranked eighth in the nation for the "Class Discussions Encouraged" and "The Best Quality of Life" categories, 12th in the nation for "Dodge Ball Targets," 16th for "Nobody Plays Intramural Sports," and 20th for "Students Happy With Financial Aid."
"It's a fine tribute to our faculty and their commitment to teaching. It's also a gratifying recognition of our financial aid policy. Marlboro has always done its best to meet the full financial need of every student we accept," said Marlboro College president Rod Gander.
Founded in 1946, Marlboro College offers undergraduate education in the liberal arts and, since 1997, graduate study focused on Internet technologies. Its 300 undergraduate students enjoy an 8:1 student-faculty ratio, a voice in governing the community, and individualized courses of study on a 350-acre campus in the hills of southern Vermont.
The cornerstone of Marlboro's academic program is the Plan of Concentration, an in-depth, self-designed exploration of a field or fields of each student's choosing. The Plan culminates in a major independent project involving research, one-to-one study with faculty in tutorials, and a three-hour oral examination with Marlboro faculty and an outside examiner who is an expert in the student's field.
"Because of this individual approach, our students do some remarkable research," said library director Mary White. "We librarians love the many challenging and difficult questions students ask."
Before the excitement of being number one in The Princeton Review could dissipate, students, faculty, staff, and friends of Marlboro College celebrated the long-anticipated grand opening of the Aron Library Wing on Sept. 3. Providing double the space for student studying, enhanced lighting, new classrooms, a group study room, additional shelf space, and new computer lab and media labs, the wing is a welcome addition to the college's busy library. Currently, renovations are being made to the original section of the library including a learning resource center and a special collections room.
Built in 1965, Rice Library was meant to hold 50,000 volumes. Today, the library has more than 64, 000 volumes. With the addition of the new wing, the library will have the space to expand to 120,000 volumes. "Even as the functions of our library continue to grow, this addition allows us to spread out a bit and rededicate ourselves to the centrality of the library in the life of the college," said Jim Tober, dean of faculty.
Funding totaling nearly $3 million for this project came from two major anonymous donors, with other miscellaneous gifts bringing the total Library Building Fund to almost $3 million. The new library wing is named for Jerome and Elizabeth Aron. The couple has been friends of the college for years and Jerome has served as a Marlboro Trustee since 1988. "I believe that one can judge an academic institution by how it supports its library," said White. "One of the many reasons I enjoy working here is because this community considers the library to be its heart and soul." Sirsi is proud of Marlboro College, a member of the Sirsi family of libraries. Special thanks to the Marlboro College Communications Department.
8. Sirsi and Bowker Partner for Libraries and Library Users
Sirsi and Bowker announced successful interoperability tests using Z39.50 protocol, ensuring state-of-the-art communication to benefit both Sirsi and Bowker clients. Sirsi clients will soon be able to use the Unicorn Library Management System to access the Web's premier bibliographic resources, Bowker's Books in Print and Global Books in Print databases. "Cataloging will be easier as Sirsi client librarians can download records from Bowker's Books in Print, adding to the Unicorn database without requiring manual entry of MARC records," said Sirsi's Berit Nelson, vice president of product management. "Additionally, interoperability enables the library end-user to search the Bowker databases through Sirsi' open public access catalogs like Web 2, iBistro, and iLink." Without leaving the familiar Sirsi library interface, Bowker's bibliographic data will be available in the library's catalog.
Bowker delivers a universe of titles – 5 million or more books, e-books, videos, and audio books, in-print, and out-of-print. "Patrons and librarians may link seamlessly between Bowker's bibliographic data and their library's other resources," said Angela D'Agostino, Bowker's vice president of business development. "We're delighted to partner with Sirsi to provide this additional ease-of-use." Librarians have depended on Bowker for title information since 1872. Books in Print volumes have been a mainstay on library shelves, enabling and improving title research and sourcing for countless institutions over the years. "This is one more way to bring our resources to our client libraries and to the library user," said D'Agostino. "We are delighted to work with Sirsi to make these resources more readily available."
9. OverDrive SIP2-Certified for Sirsi
Sirsi announced the newest software vendor to complete the Sirsi SIP2 Certification Program. OverDrive has certified that its Digital Library Reserve, v1.0.3.1103, will integrate with Sirsi's Unicorn Library Management System and DRA Classic. "We're excited to be accepted into the Sirsi SIP2-Certification program," said Steve Potash, CEO and president of OverDrive. "We have engineered our Digital Library Reserve solution to allow seamless integration into Sirsi's library solutions – providing a solid foundation for secure eBook lending and distribution."
The Sirsi SIP2 Certification Program, an original certification program for the standard interchange protocol, version 2 (SIP2), enables third-party vendors to ensure that their SIP2-compliant products integrate seamlessly with Sirsi systems. Once a third-party product is Sirsi SIP2-Certified, Sirsi users will know that they can take advantage of best-of-breed, SIP2-compliant products in their Sirsi environment. In addition to vendors that are taking part in Sirsi's SIP2 Certification Program, Sirsi also has a range of Sirsi Technology Partners who also provide SIP2-compliant products that integrate with Sirsi systems. For a list of Sirsi Technology Partners, visit http://www.sirsi.com/Aboutsirsi/techpartners2.html.
10. Sirsi Partners with Northern Light
Sirsi Northern Light Group LLC announced an agreement to use the Northern Light Enterprise Search Engine as part of Sirsi Rooms. The Northern Light Enterprise Search Engine will be used to search hand-selected Web resources and return context-specific results, assisting library professionals in finding, evaluating, and indexing the "best of the Web" for each "virtual room" included in the Sirsi Rooms solution. Presenting only top-quality Web resources to the library user, Sirsi Rooms will deliver the information library users need – within the contexts they seek – faster than any other search engine.
"Today a library can offer several rooms, each devoted to a subject or audience – such as Science or Incoming Freshmen – but some users may not know which room to visit, and most of today's library users want a real return on their searches, not a flood of hit-or-miss results like commercial search engines," said Sirsi's Berit Nelson, vice president of product management. "Sirsi Rooms will accept search terms, discern the exact indexed Web resources based on those search terms, and direct that user to the correct room, which has already been designed by library professionals using pre-selected, high-quality content."
"Sirsi Rooms Context Management Solutions are evolutionary products that are pushing the development and advancement of technologies beyond any other offering in the library industry," said Sirsi's Mark Moorehead, director of product management. "Sirsi has licensed Northern Light's software and technology to further complement the Sirsi Rooms suite making it even more powerful and dynamic than ever before."
11. Unicorn 2003.1 and Unicorn 2004 in Beta Testing
Both Sirsi Unicorn 2003.1 and Unicorn 2004 are currently in beta testing at 12 institutions: 5 public, 3 academic, 2 special, and 2 consortia. "We're moving forward with beta testing modules of the Unicorn products and we're excited by the response," said Cathy Jones, beta software manager. "Sirsi is delighted to work with such a diverse and diligent group of libraries in testing and perfecting the Unicorn system." More details will be announced in the next edition of the Sirsi Update.
Sirsi Update Contact Information:
Marty Keeley, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Sales (marty@sirsi.com)
Stephanie Westbrook, Public Relations Manager (stephaniew@sirsi.com)
About Sirsi
Sirsi (www.sirsi.com) recognizes that libraries today are on a mission to break down walls — barriers that limit the information and resources accessible to library users. A partner with academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, as well as consortia, Sirsi delivers software and services that assist libraries in expanding the diversity of their user communities and enhancing the library experience of those users.
A partner with leading libraries around the globe since 1979, Sirsi provides software and services that assist libraries in breaking down walls, thereby promoting learning, empowerment, and opportunity for diverse user communities. Sirsi's portfolio of products and services includes the iBistro and iLink e-Library solutions, the Unicorn Library Management System, the Hyperion Digital Media Archive, Sirsi RoomsTM Context Management Solutions, and a full slate of services.
Information Systems Reports, January 2003, named Sirsi the leader in new-name sales of integrated library systems for 2002. Sirsi has held this distinction each year since 1999. Library Journal, April 1, 2003, also made this distinction.