Evaluation of Vendors INVESTIGATING VENDORS ANDINTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEMS

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Part One: Evaluation of Vendors INVESTIGATING VENDORS ANDINTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEMS (ILS). These questions should be answered for a vendor that you select. The focus: What does this company offer? Would I want to do business with this company?

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Innovative: http://www.iii.com/index

Ebsco Gobi https://gobi.ebsco.com/gobi

SirsiDynix: http://www.sirsidynix.com/

Follett Destiny: https://www.follettlearning.com/technology/products/library-management-system

TLC: http://www.tlcdelivers.com/tlc/

ExLibris: http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/category/ILSOverview

Click here for the word document with the questions below Vendor Evaluation Questions.doc Vendor Evaluation Questions.doc – Alternative Formats

Vendor Evaluation Questions

  1. How long has the company been in business?
  2. Is the company an independent company or owned by someone else?
  3. Where is its headquarters?
  4. What is the name of the product that you are discussing? It must be a circulation control system or an integrated system.
  5. When was the product introduced?
  6. When was the latest version introduced?
  7. What type of libraries use this product? Public? School? Academic? Special? Research?
  8. Does the company have other library systems/products available? Name them.
  9. Does the company provide customer training on their product? For whom? How: online tutorial, workshops, workbook, other? Where (on your site, at their site, outside facility? Free?
  10. What type of customer support does the company provide? For Example: Technical support: Hours per day? Estimated response time to request for help? Online, phone, personal help? Support Personal
  11. Does the company make available references and names of other customers to talk to?
  12. Did you find the company website helpful? Easy to navigate?

Part Two: Review the characteristics of the ILS that you have selected.

  1. Is it easy for borrowers/staff to use? Easy to navigate from screen to screen?
  2. Is it reliable? Does it provide the promised service and info?
  3. What type of backup exists if the server goes down or the power goes off?
  4. Does it provide adequate checkout services and checkout records. For example:
  5. Shows borrower’s name, card or id number?
  6. Address-phone-email? Status of borrower (local patron or other, expired, delinquent?) Item number (bar code) of the particular copy checked out? date due?
  7. Info about check outs available immediately?
  8. Provides for interlibrary loan to other libraries or from other libraries?
  9. Can accept patron cards from other library systems?
  10. Provides for multiple checkout periods, depending upon type of materials?
  11. Shows where item is if off shelf but not checked out (Maybe Bindery, repair, reserve shelf, display)?
  12. Can patrons go online from home to see books checked out? Can patrons place reserves online from home?
  13. Does the system allow for self-checkout or for integration with another company’s self check-out terminals?
  14. Is a receipt provided that includes due dates?
  15. Does it keep track of overdues and related records?
  16. How are overdue notices sent to the patron?
  17. What kinds of reports are generated? For example: Generates checkout statistics report by classification number (Dewey or LC number)? By category (mysteries, fiction, science fiction)? By format (print, audio, video, DVD, software, real media, other?) Generates user statistics by categories (area of town, age of user, resident/non-resident)?
  18. E.C. – (5 points) Find a library that uses your selected system?