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The four main modules:
Find-a-book, Borrow-a-book
& Return-a-book, Administration
and Reports
Setting up a library system:
Importing Books, Book Reviews
Pricing and License:
Unlimited site license, System Requirements
| Find-a-Book |
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The find-a-book system allows pupils to interrogate your library inventory using a set of keywords. Up to two
key words may be entered to refine a search. The software searches title, author and keyword information to select
materials. Resulting tabulated display shows: -
| Accession Number |
A unique number allocated to each volume in the library. |
| Title |
Volume's title. |
| Author |
Volume's author |
| Dewey |
Dewey or fiction code |
| Location |
Volumes physical location. An unlimited number of locations may be set e.g. Library, Nature Room,
ICT Room etc |
| Loan Status |
Whether book is out on loan or available for loan. |
| Media |
The type of medium eg. book, internet site, slide set etc. |
Clicking on any row of the search results table will pull up a review for that item if one has been created. Also
included is an optional facility to restrict searches to up to seven pre-set categories of books. This is designed
to facilitate the grouping of books into reading levels, but can be used for other groupings if required, or disabled
completely.
An option to print results is included but may be disabled from the administration module if not required.
An inclusive standalone version of the book-search module (search-station mode) allows multiple book-search stations
to be set up on other PCs and updated with floppy disks or via network from the main library system.
| Borrow-a-Book and Return-a-Book |
 
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These modules make up the issues and returns systems. Issuing a book entails selecting a library member's form
and name from drop-down lists and then entering a book's accession number. Alternatively an automated bar-coded
reading system may be used for both library member and book. The system always prompts to check the correct book
number has been entered for the volume being taken or returned. Default and maximum loan periods and number of
loans maybe set-up from the administration module.
Return of book is simply a matter of entering (or swiping) its accession number.
| Administration |
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The administration module allows you to create and maintain your library databases: the pupil and book database.
The pupil database consists of the following data fields:
- last name
- first name
- class
- pupil number (a unique number allocated to each library member)
- books currently on loan to pupil
- pupil book loan history
- maximum allowed loans (or leave blank for default)
- picture of the pupil maybe imported if required
The book database fields:
- Accession number (unique number for each book)
- ISBN
- Ttitle
- Author
- Dewey number
- Price
- Media
- Book status (blank if not on loan)
- Category (fiction/non-fiction)
- Location (physical location of item)
- Publisher
- Keywords
- Entry date (the date the book was entered into the system)
- Number of times book has been loaned
- The user defined group set for the volume, this can be used to set up reading difficulty levels for example.
The following administrative tools are provided:
- Duplicate item
- Sort database
- Find records by field (both as table and form view)
- Enter book reviews
- Count records (stock or pupils)
- Configure grouping levels
- Edit class names
- Update pupil databases for new year
- Set default loan periods
- Set default maximum number of loans
- Import/export databases in various formats
- Backup/restore routines (also can used to copy databases to standalone book-search stations )
- Tidy database
- Globally change keywords or locations of items
- Run extensive reports
- Password protect security for administration (default is a blank password)
- Module allowing issues and returns to be operated without access to administrative functions
- Memo pad for keeping task-lists and such.
The administration module provides main guts of the software. Although sophisticated, the databasing and reporting
systems are simple enough to be used by older pupils unsupervised.
| Reports |
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To keep abreast of your library information Biblio provides extensive report facilities including:
- Books overdue
- Books on loan
- Complete history of loans to individuals or class/year
- Analyse stock usage by fiction and/or non-fiction
- Analyse stock by an alphabetical range of authors or by a range of Dewey numbers
- Show borrowing patterns for fiction and non-fiction by boys and girls (useful for OFSTED reporting)
- Output lists of stock in your preferred order
- Stock taking routine using ISBN list
- Quick class lists
- List and edit keywords used
All reports may be printed, viewed on screen or saved to disk for inclusion in word-processed documents or spreadsheets.
| Setting up a library system |
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Pupil import routines are provided to pick up a pupil database from school records via tab delimited or comma separated
variable (CSV) files. Alternatively, type your records in directly. Department for Education student numbers may
be used as library member numbers for convenience.
For those upgrading from an existing system import routines are provided to pick-up a book database via generic
tab delimited or comma separated variable files.
Import from British National Bibliography, Whitaker and TES Bookfind CDROMS using a list of ISBNs (a barcode reader
is highly recommended). Alternatively, type your records in directly.
The software comes with an extensive on-line manual and help-system and email support is provided to get your library
up and running as soon as possible.
Add value to your library records
Books reviews may be typed directly into the database or may be prepared in class using a word-processor (Windows
notepad is ideal) and swept en masse into Biblio automatically allocating each review to the correct book.
At no extra cost you may make as many copies of the software as you wish for use at the school site. Let each class
have it's own complete system. Students can input the books with a basic pupil record, and control the complete
operation of the databases. There is a facility to export the book database and collect a number of small databases
into one, thus building up a whole database on a class by class basis.
PRICE: £69 inc
System Requirements
Windows 95/98/98 SE/NT 4.0/2000, 10Mb free hard-disk space.
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