Name: Sierra
Services Platform by Innovative Interfaces, Inc.
Description: Sierra Services Platform is
replacing Millennium ILS from the same company. It has an open data structure
and more features than the previous program.
Functionalities:
- · The new system offers many more reports for libraries. You can gather data about the collection, circulation trends, patrons, and financial information. Patron information is more detailed. For example you can see who placed a hold, when, and if it was frozen or not. You can also search for patrons who owe different amounts of money.
- · It processes print, digital, and e-resources for patrons to search.
- · Option to check for copy cataloging
- · The company also offers many supports such as their blog, which I found the most helpful
Newer capabilities:
- · Mobile, desktop, and laptop options/views
- · Integration abilities with other applications
- · Push notifications can be set up by the library
- · Updated staff user experience including facets, web-style browsing and rich browse screens
- · Access to local and global searches which can be controlled by the library
- · Librarians can control policies and rules for fulfillment through the program
Would you recommend that a Teacher
Librarian research this product further – does it seem suitable for a K-12
library?
I
would recommend a library to look more in depth at Sierra. It has gotten great
reviews and many libraries are purchasing it. The blog is very helpful for
gaining information, asking questions, and learning how to use the program.
There were several capabilities and features mentioned on the site that used acronyms
that I was not familiar with. The blog was much better at explaining parts of
the program in greater detail. From what I could find it seems that the program
has a lot of features that are customizable by the library. This would make it
ideal for a school since the librarians could have more control over what young
patrons could do with the program.
I like that Sierra seems to have more "local control" than Follett. The customizable options would be really helpful. It also seems to have all the major fundamental abilities that you would look for in a system. Thanks for your work!
ReplyDeleteThis definitely looks like a product that has been around a while. It seems like they address a lot of things I have never even heard of. It seems to have good reviews and their usability has grown greatly with the mobile devices option. Looks like they are continuing to grow and change with the times.
ReplyDeleteI'm not familiar with Sierra but I can see some similarities to Follett's Destiny, especially in regards to the detailed patron information. I don't believe it is as easy to customize program features as well using Destiny as it is with Sierra, but there are some areas within the program that offer options to customize, options that are already built in to the program.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reviewing Sierra. In MT, Follett is the most popular school library ILS, followed by Sirsi Dynix, but there are plenty of other libraries in plenty of other places using competing products. Even if your school does settle in and stick with one, all state contracts have to be regularly reviewed and you are required to look and see what else is out there. Remember the annual automation marketplace articles because that's the article that is going to make that task manageable for you when you are eventually assigned to do that.
ReplyDelete