OK so you have a fantastic library system but are you taking maximum advantage of all the features and facilities it offers? It’s quite common for software to be packed with features that are never or rarely used.
The other side of the coin could be that you are missing out by not using your library management system for applications or tasks that it is well suited for. More and more organisations are coming to us and saying that they want to reduce the number of database applications that they have to manage. We think that makes sense. Bringing your databases together within one application mean:
- You develop a greater level of expertise about that system.
- Saves time because you don’t have to manage upgrades, you don’t need to call on internal IT staff to assist as often, you only have one database software supplier to work with, reducing communications and time liaising with their staff.
- Data can be more easily cross referenced if it’s all in one system.
- Integration with other systems is simplified. Using one system for many tasks means less effort is expended by internal IT making systems talk to one another.
- It helps to justify the value of the corporate library service to the organisation.
What applications could the Library System be used for?
Here are some of the uses we see amongst clients in Government, Special and Corporate libraries.
- Picture library (stock shots)
- Archives
- Video and Audio library
- Records management
- Enquiry management
- Image management
- CRM
- Case Management (legal)
- Policy Document Management
- eBook Distribution
- DRM
- Committee Minutes
- Blog
- Peer review of Theses
- Research tracking
- Complaints management
- Course Reading Lists
- Secure document distribution
- Skills and Expertise Register
- Know How and Best Practice
- Market Intelligence
- Library management (of course!)
All of these have one thing in common: they bring order and control to information flowing through an organisation.
Where the library sees poor information management practices, it is a great opportunity for the library to assist. And if your library software has the flexibility to be easily customised to meet new needs without impacting your existing services, you have a potential win that can help to justify the library’s importance to the organisation.
Corporate library security
In numerous organisations that we come into contact with, there remains concern about the safe storage of documents, safe in the knowledge that they are easily found and accessible to only those who need them. The library can play a part here, not to replace the document management systems that control the creation and versions but to complement such systems.
Easy ingest of documents and digital assets into the Library database is a useful facility. Couple this with a Search Portal that can be embedded into web pages (internal or external) and the library can provide fast access to information for departments, quickly and easily.
Could now be the time to explore the future of your corporate library within your organisation? We welcome your comments below or contact us at any time if you would like to run a new library application idea past us.
Graham Beastall – Senior Consultant and Managing Director. Graham’s background is in Accountancy, Public Administration and Organisational Theory with a deep technical understanding of databases and web technologies. More posts by Graham.
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