[Publib] Computer reservation software system

[Pruntel,Alison]

We also recently deployed CASSIE (very simple for a non-systems person like myself). We have 3 branches w/35 public PCs using the reservation/print management (along with a number of staff PCs) and did not have the problem Glenda described (our firewall is configured differently) with the VPN. We put the manager on its own server, but it's not required. We used CybraryN previously and I did look at Envisionware, SAM and Pharos, along with CASSIE. The end-user staff and our IT dept strongly preferred CASSIE over the others. You can read about my experience here - http://www.maintainitproject.org/blog/my-path-to-pc-management-heaven-cassie

Hopefully iTeam has some sort of listserv or user group, if their customer support is lame? CybraryN did not have much in the way of support, which was one reason we ditched them for Librarica.

We are very happy with Librarica's CASSIE product.

Good luck,

Alison

Alison Pruntel
Electronic Resources Librarian
Fauquier County Public Library
11 Winchester Street
Warrenton, VA 20186
540-349-2770 (voice)
540-349-3278 (fax)
http://library.fauquiercounty.gov
http://fcpleresources.blogspot.com
P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail


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Message: 2

Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2008 09:33:35 -0800

From: "Shea-Clark, Laura" <Laura.Shea-Clark at mountainview.gov>

Subject: RE: [Publib] Computer reservation software system

To: "kathy Berggren" <berggren at sslic.net>, <publib at webjunction.org>

Message-ID:

        <E122115766CB3E45BDD17771AA4541430299A965 at CH-EXCHMB01.mtnview.city>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"



We installed Librarica's CASSIE software this past summer and love it. It's budget friendly, relatively easy to set up and use, and their customer service is excellent. It does PC and print management, as well as reservations. There is also an option to use it on a wireless network to control access and allow printing, but we're not using that at this point.



Laura Shea-Clark, Library Services Manager

Mountain View Public Library



________________________________



From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org on behalf of kathy Berggren

Sent: Fri 11/28/2008 1:55 PM

To: publib at webjunction.org

Subject: [Publib] Computer reservation software system







We have tried SAM (Smart Access Management) and had nothing but problems.



We are currently using iTeam but the limitations are giving us ulcers.  Unless our computer technicians are clueless, the staff have filed the following complaints...







?         The patron screen leads you to believe you have numerous options but then you find out that all of those little check boxes are really non-functional



?         There's no way to manipulate or pause the hold queue as we did in SAM



?         There is no way to access or manipulate the patron database



?         The number of reports you can produce is extremely limited



?         You have to divide the total figures on those reports in half manually because the iTeam system can't total them accurately



?         There is almost no useful documentation to help you understand how the system works or what it is really capable of



?         After an entire year we've heard nothing about forthcoming improvements







Does anyone have a reservation system they can whole-heartedly recommend?







Kathy Berggren



Matteson Public Library



801 S. School Avenue



Matteson, IL 60443



Fax: 708.748.0579



Ph: 708-748-4431 x 16



Email: berggren at sslic.net<mailto:berggren at sslic.net>



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Message: 6

Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2008 12:58:43 -0600 (CST)

From: gpate at cedarcountylibrary.org

Subject: RE: [Publib] Computer reservation software system

To: "Shea-Clark, Laura" <Laura.Shea-Clark at mountainview.gov>

Cc: publib at webjunction.org, kathy Berggren <berggren at sslic.net>

Message-ID: <60520.10.10.253.13.1228157923.squirrel at webmaile.sp>

Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1



We are installing it now.  If you have two or more branches each with a

firewall, you will need to create a VPN tunnel for Cassie to access the

manager. When we did that, it made our card catalog inaccessible to the

public.  We are working to correct that.  I suspect that Cassie is great

for 1 library



Glenda Pate

Cedar County Library

www.cedarcountylibrary.org<http://www.cedarcountylibrary.org>

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