Presenting the case for Heritage to your Manager
Selecting a library management system can be a tricky business. You look at a number of systems, review quotations and speak to existing users before you can be confident that you have made the right choice. Many people, however, find that this is the easy bit - persuading Line managers and finance officers to part with the money can often be far more exhausting!There are a number of methods that you can employ to help persuade your manager and IT colleagues that a library management system is the best use of resources. Value for money is the watch-phrase and strong evidence that the introduction of a library management system (or a better library management system) is going to revolutionise the way in which your library or resource centre operates and benefit as many people as possible is required. There are always other projects vying for resources and you have to convince colleagues that yours will provide the biggest return on investment.
State the case for the library
Emphasise (or re-emphasise) the key circumstances which require that a new system is purchased. Major on the amount of time currently wasted on calling a support line, waiting for reports which take forever, mending data which is corrupted every time somebody sneezes on the issue desk. Emphasise how this time could be spent helping put library users in touch with resources and knowledge. How stock haemorrhages at an alarming rate and how you are not able to determine the true extent of it because of the limitations of your existing system. Don't forget to promote what you do already as well, it is amazing how many decision-makers need reminding of the value of what they preside over. If you can, provide evidence of the way in which the library already benefits your institution, outlining the services you already offer and stress the improvements you believe Heritage will make to your performance.
DIY?
Heritage represents over fifteen years of library management software development. We are confident that it is impossible for your IT staff to develop an in-house system that will provide the functionality and value for money that Heritage offers. We also have a support team to address any problems, and a development team to keep the system up to date, so you are far more likely to stay ahead of the field if you invest in an established system with a wide user base.
Our experience has shown that 'DIY' systems leave a problematic legacy. IT colleagues can be poor at documenting what they have done, particularly as they are often under pressure for all directions. The programs they write can also be idiosyncratic, making it difficult for the next person who takes over to make sense of the code. Also IT colleagues invariably have no experience of library practice (why should they?) and unless the librarian has worked closely on the project, the chances are there will be significant limitations to the program, e.g. no ISBN field and all accession copies held as individual copies.
Economics
Heritage saves money and frees up library staff time by automating mundane administration tasks, such as the generation of overdues and reservations notices, and automatically informing users when new items are added to their specified areas of interest.
Measuring and Reporting
Decision-makers need to know that capital investments are proving their worth and evidence of this can be found using the report writer. Heritage will increase usage of resources because it `publicises' them and makes access to them easier. Analysis of all library movements and stock usage can be achieved simply and presented in an attractive manner to senior managers.
Heritage will increase the use of the library as it makes it so much easier for users to quickly find what they are looking for; they can even do this from their own desks (if you are networked) as well as from home.
Compatibility
Heritage uses the same conventions as other systems already used in your institution, so it will be familiar to your users and your IT colleagues. This means that costs are again minimised, as only library staff will require training. Heritage can interact with other products, so you can export information to Microsoft Word or Excel, offer a link to Heritage through your Intranet or even offer your catalogue on your web page for Internet access. If you have a management information system you can also use an import module to import borrower details rather than enter them manually, again saving time and money.
Allies
With over 1,200 users in the UK and Ireland there are plenty of people who have followed the same process as you. They will provide anecdotal evidence of how they secured funding for the implementation and you may have already struck a rapport with some of them during your investigations – ask them about the process; most are happy to share their experiences. We at IS Oxford can also help. After a demonstration we provide you with an itemised quotation which lists the elements of Heritage you require. We can provide services such as support, training, consultancy, data conversion and offer a Project Management service, so if you are limited for time we can even schedule and co-ordinate the whole implementation for you.
Temps
Cataloguing can be a huge task and decision makers often assume this hurdle can be overcome by hiring temporary help. Speedy typing skills alone are not the answer. Remind the decision-maker that the benefit of a system such as Heritage can be reduced by poor data content and that Librarians are trained to consider how information should be categorised, stored and presented to users. A fast-typing secretary is not going to bring that vital element of discernment which reflects a sound knowledge of both resources and library users. What you really need is a bibliographic source such as 'Quickcat Online' and equally importantly, sufficient time to devote to doing the job properly. The better the data the better the more successful the system and don't forget to set the expectation of the decision-maker realistically in terms of how long you need to get the new system up and running.
Compromise
Almost inevitably, once you have gained approval in principle for a system purchase, you will find yourself negotiating over elements within it. It is vital to go to the decision-maker with a complete picture and try to avoid introducing additional costs at a later stage in the process. Bid high rather than trying to predict what figure will be accepted. Many have found to their cost that they were talked down from an already low bid. Decision-makers were born to find cost savings, so start with everything which you might conceivably need and hopefully you will end up with everything you actually need.
Don't underestimate the importance of the `human' elements of a purchase either. Training is often subconsciously filed somewhere beneath hardware in the pecking order, because the latter is more tangible. Obviously you need hardware but it is tempting to assume that one more PC in the library is preferable to two days of training, if savings have to be made: this thinking is flawed. A lack of proper training can result in inefficient or incorrect use of the system, which will cost much more than a PC in the long term.
It is vital to research your purchase thoroughly and don't be afraid to get sales people to FULLY explain their price lists and put in writing what they think you will need. Many librarians bid for funds without fully understanding their own requirement, only to realise later that they have to introduce costly additions to the bid, something which won't go down too well with your boss. Good sales people will work alongside you and advise without pressure. However, they are not mind readers, so the onus is on you to ask as many questions as possible. Don't gloss-over areas that you don't fully understand, even at the risk of feeling embarrassed. There are very few concepts in IT beyond normal comprehension if explained clearly and patiently.
Writing your Specification
Many institutions do not require the production of a detailed written specification as part of the purchasing process. However, for those that do, this can be a very time consuming task. Fortunately help is at hand. IS Oxford was one of the sponsors of the development of a standard core specification by Juliette Leeves. This can massively reduce the effort in producing an Invitation to Tender (ITT). Have a look at the Cilip website for more information.