TORONTO, CANADA - May 30, 2000 - Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board and Avon Maitland District School Board, both in Ontario, Canada, have selected Follett Software Company as their district-wide library automation vendor. Collectively, Follett Software will provide automation software and services to 118 schools in the districts.
Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board
Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB) in Hamilton, Ontario, is comprised of 60 schools, all previously automated with Columbia. HWCDSB plans to update its schools with a full suite of Follett Software solutions, including the company's Circulation Plus, Catalog Plus, WebCollection Plus, Union Catalog PlusTM and Alliance PlusTM software for Windows. The new software will:
- Allow searching of resources district-wide
- Enable students, staff and the community to search library resources over the Internet
- Simplify circulation and reporting
- Ease cataloging with quality MARC 21 records on CD-ROMs
To speed along implementation, HWCDSB has retained Follett Software's Field Services technology specialists. The group is implementing the Follett Software systems at the district, working closely with district technology staff and helping them get acquainted with the new system. HWCDSB has also used Follett Software's custom data conversion services to transfer its existing data to the new system.
Avon Maitland District School Board
The Avon Maitland District School Board is a district in Stratford, Ontario, that formed when two boards merged. It includes 58 schools, half of which are upgrading from Follett Software DOS library automation systems and half of which are automating for the first time. The district's ultimate goal is to bring all the schools' libraries together in a union using the central cataloging capabilities of Follett Software's Union Catalog Plus. The district is also implementing Follett Software's Circulation Plus and Catalog Plus for Windows for simplified circulation, reporting, cataloging and searching. Avon Maitland will use Follett Software's Alliance Plus for help with ongoing cataloging.
"Follett Software Company has the right resources to meet the unique needs of Canadian school libraries and to develop lasting relationships with them," said Tom Schenck, the company's president. "We have dedicated, Canadian-based staff who work with our customers from pre-sales consultation through implementation, training and ongoing use to ensure their students and staff get the best access to information."
Other recent wins for Follett Software in Canada include the District School Board of Niagara in Ontario, with 130 schools, and Edmonton Public School District in Alberta, with 205 schools.