Mandarin Library Automation SIRS Invests in its Future On July 1, 1995, SIRS plunged into a new industry - library automation technology - with its acquisition of the Mandarin Library Automation System from Melchior Management Systems of Montréal, Canada. First introduced in 1986, Mandarin was one of the earliest PC-based integrated, networked library automation software programs that offered cataloging, circulation, MARC record storage and many configurable options.

The purchase of Mandarin represented a logical business venture for SIRS, a company well-versed in the needs of libraries worldwide. SIRS and Melchior had been working together under the terms of a joint marketing agreement for a year prior to the acquisition. Now under the banner of SIRS Canada, Mandarin's Canadian operations continue to be overseen by Melchior founder and SIRS Vice President Harry Chan.

"At that time, Melchior wanted to link the Mandarin project with a company that had the infrastructure and resources to market Mandarin in all of the United States," recalls Chan. "Because of SIRS' resources, its emphasis on customer service and its unique corporate culture, the merger was a perfect fit. We simply pooled our resources, drawing on the strengths of both companies. The result was a superior product."

"The Mandarin Library Automation software we purchased provided SIRS with needed diversification," says SIRS President Elliot Goldstein. "There was tremendous growth potential in the library automation industry, and Mandarin, consistently rated one of the best micro-based automation systems, was the perfect choice."

SIRS Mandarin M3, the company's newest generation of library automation software, continues the SIRS tradition of high quality library technology at affordable prices. Released in March 1999, M3 has been hailed for its affordability and configurability.