KRC
KRC Software : Law Library Data Manager
On April 10, 1999, KRC Software introduced a new library management software package, developed using Microsoft Access, called Law Library Data Manager. While the product is new, Mary Forer (developer and principal of KRC Software) has been using Microsoft Access to manage her own library for a number of years and to develop databases for several other businesses. In addition to her database experience, Forer has 15 years of library experience as librarian at Ruder, Ware & Michler in Wausau, Wisconsin. The development of Law Library Data Manager (LLDM) is in response to the large number of librarians who have wondered aloud, on listserves and at conferences, whether or not an affordable solution for library management existed that would work with Microsoft Access.
Whether or not LLDM works in your library will depend on what you want to manage. If you want a simple system that allows you to:
* track basic information* about the titles you have in your collection;
* circulate materials to library patrons;
* receive subscriptions and standing orders;
* track new orders and payment of invoices;
* maintain a history of payments and receipt of subscriptions, and;
* produce basic reports,
then this may be an appropriate solution for your needs.
If you want a system that will do more (e.g., support prediction of subscription issues, support use of MARC records, produce call number labels), then you might want to continue to look for a solution. The key to being able to use this product in a library that needs more than basic functionality is your willingness to support customization. This customization could be done either through your own in-house programming staff or consulting services provided by consulting firms specializing in Microsoft Access development or by KRC Software.
Still, the basic functionality provided by LLDM without customization is more than rudimentary.
System features include:
A Microsoft Windows interface that allows library staff to:
* Set up and maintain lists that are used to ease data entry and provide validation. The fields included are Expense numbers (general ledger account codes), Locations (library collections), Sections (sub-locations found within each library location/collection), Types (of materials), Update frequency (for subscriptions/standing orders), and Topics (subject authority control/validation).
* Manage publisher information.
o Add and maintain Publisher records.
o Search for publisher records by publisher name (using a drop down list of all publishers).
o Search for publisher by any field in the Publisher record.
o Print results of search.
* Manage catalog/inventory.
o Add, modify or delete Inventory records (a.k.a. catalog records).
o Search for Inventory record by title or topic (using a drop down list of all titles or topics).
o Search for Inventory record by any field in the Inventory record.
o Display all records in form view (screen format) or list format.
o Navigate to Supplement screens (serials check in).
o Navigate to Invoice screens (acquisition information).
o Navigate to Circulation screens.
o View status/location, routing instructions and any additional notes.
* Manage patron/circulation.
o Add and maintain Patron records.
o Checkout and check in library materials.
o Search for materials by title, patron, notes, and check in/checkout dates.
o Print results of search.
* Manage invoices/acquisitions.
o Create new orders.
o Receive invoices and/or update invoice records.
o Navigate to Inventory record screen.
o Search for Invoice record by title (using a drop down list of all titles).
o Search for Invoice record by any field in the Invoice record.
o Print results of search.
* Produce reports.
o Detailed or Summary Budget Report.
o Detailed or Summary Sales Tax Report
o Inventory reports by location or topic.
o Routing list report.
* Perform searches on all record types via a search menu that provides access to all quick search screens (that allow access by drop down lists) or full search screens (that allow access by searching any field in the record).
End user access to the system is accomplished by installing an icon/shortcut on each desktop that points to the database (a network version of Microsoft Access must be accessible). Security can be set up that allows non-library staff members access to search only menus/screens. Alternatively, while LLDM does not provide web access functionality, Microsoft Access databases are ODBC compliant and can be published to the Internet or Intranet quite easily by a variety of means. One example would be to create access using middleware software (i.e., Cold Fusion). With Cold Fusion, you would develop the web pages needed to send SQL queries to the database and display the results in an HTML format.
Pros
* Developed using Microsoft Access, a database manager that is also available as a desktop application by any organization using Microsoft Office 97, Professional Edition. Over the past two years many librarians from special libraries have been directed by their IT staff to identify systems that have been developed using database tools with which they (the IT staff) are already familiar. The strategy here is to reduce the number of products in which they need to develop expertise -- in order to support them adequately.
* Highly customizable. KRC Software provides customization services and/or customization can be done in-house if staffing is available. This can also be seen as a negative if customizations are extensive. Too many changes and soon you aren't really using the product that you bought, leaving the vendor to wonder just what to support.
* Simple, easy to use interface.
* Integration of Inventory, Invoice, Circulation, and Supplements (Serials) data allows the library staff to easily navigate between each function.
* Drop down lists improve data entry and searching capabilities. The various lists that are maintained in the system provide improved searching functionality and consistency when data is entered.
* The Topics and Publisher fields have an authority control feature. No topic or publisher can be added if it doesn't already exist, without being prompted to use an existing topic or publisher or add a new one. Also, if the topic or publisher changes, you simply have to change it in the topic list or Publisher record and the change carries through all records.
* Pre-formatted reports are simple in design and easy to read.
Cons
* KRC Software is a new vendor without a track record in customer support for LLDM.
* LLDM is missing several features that are available from other vendors. Most evident are no support for MARC records, no prediction of issues for supplements, and no capability to produce spine labels. This may or may not be a problem depending on your needs. A small to medium sized library may not have the staff required to do the maintenance of a full-blown catalog, serials and/or acquisition system. With LLDM you have the basic catalog functionality and some functionality for serials and acquisitions without all the bells and whistles of a larger system.
* The Inventory record provides a very limited means of describing each title. While it does include, title, author, publisher, ISBN, holdings and a general note field, it is missing fields that even the most basic cataloger might find the need to use (alternative title, year published, series title, etc.) This could be remedied through customization but the product would probably benefit from the addition of other fields most often used in cataloging.
* You must create a new inventory record for each multiple copy of the same title. This creates a problem when using the drop down list for searching on titles, since each occurrence of the title is present in the drop down list. Using the Keyword search provides a result set of the multiple records.
* Other than a field in the publisher record for the publisher's web site, there are no fields that can be used to record URLs for web resources or links to documents and/or images on the network. Since it is so easy to make Microsoft Access databases web accessible, it seems a natural to include this type of data in the database.
* The interface (while simple and easy to use) is a bit bland with the gray and white color scheme. The menus, screens, etc. could use some color.
Summary
Overall, my impression of LLDM is favorable. A new product/system from a vendor whose principal is an experienced law librarian and database developer. One challenge KRC Software will face will be in finding the right market and meeting the needs of that market. They are off to a good start with the clean, simple to use interface, validation and lookup lists, and integration between functions that allow easy access to everything you need to know about a title.
With the software as it exists today, the market will very likely be libraries (and not necessarily law libraries), who:
* Have small to medium physical collections made up primarily of serials and standing orders.
* Do not have multiple copies of individual titles.
* Want to maintain good financial records of purchases and payments that detail the receipt of each standing order or renewal of each subscription.
* Need to report on what was purchased and/or paid for, during a specific time, by general ledger account number.
* Have too small a staff to maintain a serials system that requires prediction in order to check in materials, but instead will check in and then claim missing materials manually. While this may sound time consuming, the act of prediction of serials in most systems today is also a time consuming task that can seem fruitless when so many of the titles received in law libraries are irregulars that can't be predicted.
* Have no need for complete catalog records and/or spine, card or pocket labels (unless added through customization). I was recently reminded by a cataloging vendor that there is no reason for even the smallest library not to use MARC records today since they are so easily available, since the disk space required to store a complete record is barely more than what we might use with an incomplete record, and since it costs no more in cataloger's time to retrieve and import a MARC record. Using MARC records allows us to more easily anticipate growth of the collection and move from one automated system to another. On the other hand, very few small libraries use MARC or see the need to use MARC.
* Want to record routing information but don't do enough routing to warrant the production of routing slips and can easily manage manual routing. If the office is small enough that three letter initials serve as enough information to identify a routee, it may be more cost effective to write the initials on whatever is being routed and send it on -- instead of going through the act of producing routing slips.
* Want to record circulation of materials as they are checked out and checked in.
* Have in-house support for customization or are willing to pay the vendor or other consultants for that support.
The second challenge KRC will face is developing the product to its potential. Microsoft Office 2000 promises tighter integration between its components and the web. As KRC begins to develop the next version of LLDM, let’s hope that we see more integration with the web in the form of a web interface for end-users and additional fields that allow integration with web and/or network data. In addition, if larger libraries want to make use of LLDM, then improvements need to be made in how the system handles multiple copies and items held in branch locations, support for MARC records, etc.
The final challenge KRC Software faces is to distinguish itself and Law Library Data Manager with good customer service. With so many vendors vying for a limited market, the winners will be those who have created a reputation for good customer service.
System Requirement for Microsoft Access 97/LLDM:
* Personal or multimedia computer with a 486 or higher processor
* Microsoft Windows 95 operating system or Microsoft Windows NT Workstation
* 12 MB of memory for use on Windows 95; 16 MB of memory for use on Windows NT Workstation
* 28-60 MB of available hard-disk space required for application software; 40 MB required for typical installation, depending on configuration.
* Additional MB for LLDM database as needed.
Pricing:
Software: $895.00 + shipping
Customization: $45.00/hour
Contact Information:
KRC Software
1115 Dunbar Street
Wausau, WI 54402
E-mail: forer@dwave.net
Web site: http://www.dwave.net/~forer/krchome.html
*Fields included in Inventory record include title, holdings, publisher, ISBN, author, classification number, requested/reviewed by, current, frequency of update, material type, location, section, expense number, route to, routing instructions, additional copies notes, and general notes.