So what is included in the LMS?

I've been visiting a few libraries and groups of libraries lately & one question has been "So exactly what is included in the LMS package?"

Now that we are days away from signing a contract I think we can point you to the range of products that are included in the offer.  And rather than me try to explain all of the products and how they work, it is probably easier to point you to the SirsiDynix website and let you read what they say about their products.  I acknowledge that much of what you read will be "sales speak", but at least it will give you a sense of what is included. 

Under the "Products" tab take a look at Integrated Library System and choose Symphony.  As well as the screen of information and various links to other pages on the site here are also a number of .pdfs that you can download.  Going a bit further to the Patron Discovery section you will see a range of offers - most of which we are buying.  We will be getting:

• Enterprise (the name of the discovery layer)
• Portfolio (the digital asset management system which is searchable in Enterprise)
• E-Library (the name of the standard OPAC) &
• Bookmyne (a mobile App that works on both iPhone and Androids).

You may also want to check out eResource Central - which gives an update about SD's intention to provide direct access to a range of e-content including e-books directly from SD and discoverable and downloadable directly through Enterprise.  I had a detailed conversation with the company's Chief Technology Officer Talin Bingham about the plans for this product - it looks awesome!  You can see a link to some information about eResource Central here.

If you go further down on the "products" tab to the Management & Productivity section you will also see a range of products.  Of these we will be getting:

• API & Web services (we will get access to an API library which will assist in integrating many other products should we choose to use this feature)
• Director's Station (a powerful reporting tool)
• Staff Web
• Web Reporter (another reporting tool that runs differently to Director's Station.  Both have different features, so we have bought both so that people can use the one that best suits their needs)

We will also be getting the Social Library product which provides a native Facebook application - i.e. create a Facebook page which integrates catalogue searching, "liking" items management of loans and hosds etc.  The link to information about this product is here.  Burdekin Public Library in QLD is the 1st library in the world to deploy this App & they tell me that it has driven lots of addtional traffic to the library & resulted in ongoing increased new memberships too. 

As part of the subscription we will also be getting Syndetics Enriched Content.  This is both the cover art and the reviews that you can see attached to most records in Enterprise.

I think that is about it for now.  I hope you will enjoy searching the SD website and looking at the features of the variously named products that will be available through this project.