Evaluation of library automation software

EVALUATION OF LIBRARY
AUTOMATION SOFTWARE
ANIL KUMAR T
DEPT. OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION
SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS

•Library Automation
• Traditionally, Library automation is referred to the
computerization of the entire library house keeping operations
like acquisition, cataloguing, circulation & serials control.
• it is also referred to handle the large quantity of data and
information more efficiently and quickly with the help of
computers and other modern information technologies

• According to Edward (1990) library automation is generic term
used to denote the various activities with an improving quality
of products and services of library and information centers. It
enhance the speed, productivity, adequacy and efficiency of the
library professional staff and save the manpower to avoid some
routine, repetitive and clerical tasks such as filing, sorting,
typing, duplication checking etc.

• General features of the software
• Various computer platform: the various computer platform
needed to run the software e.g. server, wireless connectivity, hard
disc space needed etc.
• Multiple platform: does the software able to run in multiple
platforms such as windows 2000, windows N.T., windows98, 95
etc.
• Capacity: The restriction in total number of database
/information /records in a database it can handle effectively.
• Speed: Speed of operation in different environment.
• Flexibility: Flexibility to handle of records of variable sizes.
• Standardize data format: Does it use standardize data form for

• De-bugging facility: De-bugging facility and scope of proper
error message while executing the software.
• User friendliness:
• Is the system easy to use?
• Does the system empower the experienced user with shortcuts and
flexible tools?
• Is the system easy to learn?
• Is the system menu driven? Are the commands mnemonic?
• Effectiveness: Does the system meet the specification.
• Reliability: Does the search give consistent result?
• Expandability: Is the system permit addition

• Services
• Acquisition: Does the system carry out duplicate checking while
entering the data. Does it have the capacity to print accession
register?
• Data entry and editing: How effective the system is for data
entry? Is the software provides easy way for editing of records?
Is insertion and deletion of records are easy?
• Circulation: provision of facility for issue, return, computation
of fines, reservation of document etc.
• Serial control: Provision of monitoring multiple issue of a serial,
provision of grace period for receiving the serial , provision of
renewal, overdue alert, entering the abstract of a serial.
• OPAC: Provision of reservation through OPAC, provision of
searching OPAC from outside the library, provision of searching

• Library administration: The software should allow generating
different reports i.e. collection statistics, circulation statistics
and also should be helpful to create your own specialized report
to meet your specialized need.
• Enhanced MARC data: Many software allows to catalogue
website, E-Books, AV resources in addition to the library
resources. These website are added by the library media
specialist manually.
• Updating: Does the library automation system company from
their own site help to install, upgrade (web based updates), and
patches or simply to help you with a particular function.

• Security
• Provision of user id /barcode etc.
• Provision of access restriction to certain records/ fields.
• Is there any provision for students and staff to log in and log off on their
own.
• How new modification/ new version of the software to be obtain by the
librarian?
• Power out feature: Is there any power out feature included? There should be
a manual hand scanner available to check material in and out that can easily
be connected to the compute system once its back up and running.
• Future exist cost: In near future if you want to switch over to another
packages then the cost involved in such cases should also be consider.
• Post installation
• Does the vendor gives performance/ service warranty?
• Post installation support from the vendor.

•Library Automation Software
Lucidea Integrated Library Systems
 Destiny Library Manager by Follett
 Koha ILS by LibLime
 Handy Library Manager by PrimaSoft PC
 OPALS by OPALS
MODERNLIB by SAKTHI Technologies
 LIBERO by Insight Informatics
 LIBSYS7 by LIBSYS

LUCIDEA INTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEMS

EVALUATION OF SOFTWARE
• Evaluation of library software package is a very complex process. For
evaluation of packages, all the packages must be used by the
evaluation team under the same condition
• But it may not be possible practically due to various factors CDS/ISIS
and MINISIS are not included here for evaluation because these
software packages are well known internationally and a lot of
literature has already been published on these software Package
• Some attempts have been made earlier on the evaluation of library
software packages but after that many software packages have been
added and their evaluation is not available

• Thus, attempts have been made here to evaluate a few
important software packages on the basis of published
literature, demonstration of software packages in
conferences/exhibitions and practical use, etc.
• The software packages are evaluated here from the aspects of
hardware requirements, operating system platform, language
of development, various facilities available related to library
activities, search technique, data storage technique, etc.
• The main purpose of evaluation of software packages is to
provide some idea to libraries for selecting a suitable software

PARAMETERS OF EVALUATION
• Service availability
• Functional checklist
• Data conversion and backup utility
• Standards compliance
• Hardware and companion software
• Performance testing

GENERIC PARAMETERS: SERVICE
AVAILABILITY
• Core Services
• Acquisition, Cataloguing, Circulation, OPAC, Serials control, Bibliographic
format support, Data exchange format support, Article indexing, Retro
conversion, Standard report and System administration
• Enhanced Services
• Customized report generation, GUI based user interface, Reservation facility,
Interlibrary loan module, Multi-lingual support, Union catalogue, Authority
file support and controlled vocabulary, Online help, Online tutorial, Power
search facility, Internet support, Intranet support, Web access OPAC,
Multimedia interface, Barcode support and Backup utility
• Value added Services
• Patron self service through RFID & Smart card (self circulation, self
reservation etc.), Online user training/orientation, Stock verification facility,
Members photo ID card generation, Barcode generation, Fine calculation &

GENERIC PARAMETERS: SERVICE
AVAILABILITY
•Data related
• Searching Capabilities (All modules)
•· Data Entry and Editing (All modules)
•· Bibliographic/item File and Maintenance
•· Cataloguing editor (Cataloguing)
•· Authority Control (Cataloguing)
•· Inventory (Circulation)

• Service related
• Check-out (Circulation)
• · Renewal (Circulation)
• · Circulation/Management Reports (Circulation)
• · Check-in (Circulation)
• · Fines and Fees (Circulation)
• · Notice Production (Circulation)

GENERIC PARAMETERS:
DATA CONVERSION AND BACKUP
• Data conversion
• Shared cataloguing
• Backup

• Cataloguing
• ISO – 2709 for bibliographic data interoperability;
• Standard bibliographic formats compliant with ISO - 2709 (e.g.
MARC 21, UNIMARC, CCF/B);
• Z 39.50 protocol standard for distributed cataloguing
• Holdings
• Z39.71 standard for holdings statements; BS ISO 9735-9:2002
Electronic data interchange for administration, commerce and
transport (EDIFACT)
• Circulation
• Z39.83-1 (NISO Circulation Interchange Part 1: Protocol (NCIP));
Z39.83-2 (NISO Circulation Interchange Part 2: Protocol (NCIP))

• RFID
• ISO/CD 28560-1; ISO/CD 28560-2; ISO/CD 28560-3
• Unicode
• ISO/IEC 10646: 2003 (Universal Multiple-Octet Character Set or UCS)
• Others
• MARC-XML
• METS
• MODS
• SRW/SRU
• Z 39.50

GENERIC PARAMETERS:
HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE
REQUIREMENTS
• Hardware
• The ILS should provide a complete list of hardware
requirements (processor type and RAM) for sever and client
machines
• Software
• Operating System requirements and back end RDBMS (with
version) requirements.

GENERIC PARAMETERS: PERFORMANCE
TESTING
• ILS should be evaluated by checking some performance testing like
• transaction throughput capacity
• response time,
• hardware functionality,
• module functionality,
• conversion testing,
• database loading,
• index building etc.

HARDWARE AND OPERATING SYSTEMS
• For implementing software in a library, a suitable hardware is
needed according to operating system (0s) of the software.
• Availability of suitable hardware in Indian libraries is a problem
mostly due to non-availability of funds or non-priority to
libraries.
• Thus, a library selects software either according to hardware
facility available at the institute or the software which requires
less costly hardware.
• Operating system of software is also selected according to the
needs of library, skill of manpower, availability of hardware, etc.
• Hardware requirements and operating systems for some of the
software packages are given below

no Software Packages Operating system Minimum hardware
requirements
1 Basisplus and Techlibplus UNlX SVR 4.0 or above 1 Basis server Intel 80x86,
Pentium RAM 16MB,150MB
Cartridge
2. Basis Client Intel 80386
MS-Window 3.1 RAM 4MB
but 8MB preferred
HD16MB, 20MB, TCP/IP,
PC-NFS
2 Granthalaya 1. MS DOS 6.0 and
above 2. SCO UNlX ver
5.3.2 3. lngres ver 6.2
or above 4.0racle ver
6.2 or above
PC-AT 486 RAM 8MB HD
540MB
3 Libsys 1. MS DOS 6.0 and
above 2. SCO XENlX 3.
SCO UNlX
PC-AT PC-AT PC-AT
386/486, Motorola 68000/
tntel 386/486 based mini

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE OF SOFTWARE
• Programming language is elso takn into consideration at the
tirne of deveioprnent or procurement of software because many
facilities such as fixed field, variable field length, variable
format, search facility, etc. are provided in the software by
using suitable programming , language.
• Every language or RDBMS has some special features.
• Software packages for libraries written in older, higher
programming languages, such as Cobol, Fortran, Basic, etc.
• generally face problems in their maintenance, upgradation,
customization, etc., due to non-availability of suitable
manpower, not much interest of young computer scientists in
these languages, etc..

No Software Package Programming
Language
Data Storage
Techniaue
1 Archives FOXPRO Relational database
2 Basisplus & Techlibplus VB Relational database
3 DELMS Cobol B-tree
4 Delsis Visual Basic Relational database
5 Granthalaya FOXPRO Relational database
6 Libman dBase Ill Relational database
7 Librarian Clipper & Foxbase Relational database
8 Libris Ingres, C Relational database
9 Libsys C Inverted file and B-
tree
10 Maitrayee lngres Relational database
11 Sanjay CDS/ISIS, PASCAL Inverted file
12 Suchika C++ B-tree
13 Tulib Oracle with C Relational database
14 Ulysis C B-tree
15 Wilisys Unify RDBMS and C Relational database

SEARCH RESPONSE TIME AND DATA STORAGE
TECHNIQUES
• Response time of the search module of a software depends on
the foliowing factors:
• (a) File organisation, file access
• (b) Operating system
• (c) Hardware platform
• (d) Rackend sofhvare used
• (e) Number oi records in the database
• Data storage techniques also play a vital role in search
response time. It' has been experienced that invert file
structure is faster than B-tree structure and B-tree structure is
faster than RDBMS.

COVERAGE OF LIBRARY/LNFORMATION
ACTIVITIES
• Superiority of the software packages depends upon their
capabilities and versatility
• Software providing more facilities to automate different
activities in library and information centres may be treated
most suitable for libraries as compared to those having limited
facilities.

SOFTWARE UPGRADATION/ CUSTOMERS'
SUPPORT
• Software maintenance, its customisation and upgradation
depending upon the needs of library are very important
• . This service may be good in case of software package like
Libsys, LIBRIS, etc. developed and marketed by a private
company, for their survival in the market.

REFERENCES
• DESIDOC Bulktin of lnfonnation Tedmology, Vol. 18, No. 5, September 1998,
pp. 9-1 7 0 1998, DESiDOC
• https://www.capterra.com/library-automation-software/ refered on
8/11/17
• https://liswiki.org/wiki/Criteria_for_evaluation_of_library_software_package
s refered on 8/11/17
• Srivastava, RK & Saxena, SC. Software requirements and existing software in
India for library automation. Paper Presented at the Indo-British Meet on
Library Networking, 1415 Jan 1997, DELNET, New Delhi. 6
• Antony, Jose. Libsys-a selection for library automation and networking. In
Proceedings and Souvenir of National Seminar on Library Automation-
Problems and Prospects, 2426 May 1997, UP Library Association, Roorkee.
13

Evaluation of library automation software

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