Library Systems - What others are there?

[bennz]

Just FYI

 

Pupil Premium is generally including to pull reports up on those students to compare them on reading activity etc.

[simmotech]

I'd be surprised if they didn't already have everyone's photo on file anyway

I guess they do but I can't get at them to see what's already there (and what size/resolution/format etc.).

I don't have access to a SIMS setup and its not likely to be included in an export anyway IMHO.

 

Junior Librarian - well being a web app I can just copy an existing image off the web page but that would be fixed at 183 high x 141 wide.

They do have a webcam button and it does take over my webcam but it doesn't show an image unfortunately.

It does however have a nice 'target area' for a dialogue box which I'll try to get my control to emulate at some point.

 

 

[simmotech]

Just FYI

Pupil Premium is generally including to pull reports up on those students to compare them on reading activity etc.

That could still be done using a Tag or membership of a Group, rather than a specific checkbox I guess but either way, another question arises...

 

Would a child be upset or offended if another child saw they were flagged as 'Pupil Premium' as I understand that it means the child is considered "disadvantaged whether by income or by family upheaval" and/or "adopted; or in care"?

 

 

 

[simmotech]

Well, it seems I have my first customer!

A Primary school is refusing to renew their upcoming MLS Junior Librarian subscription because their cloud-hosted system is down more than it is up and very, very slow at the best of times and too expensive.

 

Said Primary school just received an invoice for MLS for another year for nearly £600

Apparently, there is a 90 day notice period required to not renew for another year!

They were told verbally that the school was definitely not going to renew and we believe this was followed up in writing (need to check).

 

MLS also spoke to my wife last week at another of her schools where they were trying to harass the head into going with their online version using crap such as "Microsoft no longer support it and it will stop working."

 

I've tried not to have a go at MLS (after comments in this thread) and even offered to help them with the bugs I reported to them but now they are taking my customer, well I can't let that go.

 

Any advice/experience about unfair contract terms etc. would very welcome.

[LeMarchand]

Said Primary school just received an invoice for MLS for another year for nearly £600

Apparently, there is a 90 day notice period required to not renew for another year!

They were told verbally that the school was definitely not going to renew and we believe this was followed up in writing (need to check).

 

MLS also spoke to my wife last week at another of her schools where they were trying to harass the head into going with their online version using crap such as "Microsoft no longer support it and it will stop working."

 

I've tried not to have a go at MLS (after comments in this thread) and even offered to help them with the bugs I reported to them but now they are taking my customer, well I can't let that go.

 

Any advice/experience about unfair contract terms etc. would very welcome.

 

Sounds very familiar. I thought it was 30 days, but 90 days might explain why we set a reminder 3 months before renewal! It took multiple calls to get them to accept the cancellation and they kept making outlandish claims as to how badly things could go wrong if we didn't renew.

 

They are currently claiming that the latest W10 breaks JL 3.WhateverTheLastOneWas. My answer: then we'll just use a non-internet connected machine on a known working version of Windows.

 

Not an ideal solution, especially if your only customer, but could you offer a free year?

[simmotech]

Thanks for that info LeMarchand - on what basis did you get them to finally accept the cancellation? (or had you given notice in writing within the time)

[mavhc]

Just stop paying them, what are they going to do?

[LeMarchand]

Thanks for that info LeMarchand - on what basis did you get them to finally accept the cancellation? (or had you given notice in writing within the time)

 

Sorry, but I think we sent the initial cancellation in time as we'd had this problem last year and set a reminder! Didn't stop countless phone calls warning us how cancelling would bring about the destruction of the human race*.

 

Just stop paying them, what are they going to do?

 

I guess they could sue for beach of contract. Might be a bit unlikely given the bad publicity it could generate.

 

*Possibly a slight exaggeration

[kennysarmy]

I've checked our terms and conditions:

 

Term and Termination

7.1 The Contract will commence upon the Start Date and will continue until terminated under condition 7.4. The Licence will commence upon the date of delivery of the Software and will continue indefinitely until terminated in accordance with these Conditions. The provision of Support will commence on the date of delivery of the Software and will continue for a period of one year from the 1st day of the calendar month following the calendar month in which the Software was delivered after which it will continue, subject to payment of the Support Fee, for further consecutive periods of one year.

7.2 Either party may cancel the Support by serving not less than 30 days' written notice upon the other, such notice to expire on an anniversary of the date of delivery of the Software. The cancellation of the Support will not affect the Licence or the remainder of the Contract.

7.3 If, having terminated Support you wish to reinstate it, you may do so subject to payment of the relevant Support Fee and MLS's then applicable Support re-instatement fee.

7.4 The Contract may be terminated by notice in writing with immediate effect:

7.4.1 by either party if the other commits a material breach of any term of the Contract which (in the case of a breach capable of being remedied) has not been remedied within thirty (30) days of a written request to remedy the breach (and for these purposes it is agreed that lateness is a remediable breach); and/or

7.4.2 by either party if the other makes an arrangement with or enters into a compromise with its creditors, becomes the subject of a voluntary arrangement, receivership, administration, liquidation or winding up, is unable to pay its debts within the meaning of section 123 of The Insolvency Act 1986 or otherwise becomes insolvent or suffers or is the subject of any distraint, execution, event of insolvency or event of bankruptcy or any other similar process or event, whether in the United Kingdom or otherwise.

7.5 Upon termination of the Contract for any reason the Licence and the provision of Support will terminate and you must immediately cease use of the Software and return to MLS all copies of the Software and Documentation, delete all stored copies and certify to MLS that no copies have been retained.

7.6 Termination of the Contract and/or the provision of Support for any reason is without prejudice to any other rights or remedies a party may be entitled to under the Contract or at law. It does not affect any accrued rights or liabilities of either party or any provision which is expressly or by implication intended to come into force on, or continue in force after, termination.

 

 

 

Only a 30 day cancellation period !

[LeMarchand]

Thanks - gonna forward this on and see if we can claim back last year's money. (Not holding my breath!)

[LeMarchand]

Found this http://www.microlib.co.uk/pdf/Junior%203%20to%20Junior.net%20Upgrade%20Form.pdf Section 2 suggests that is 90 days if hosted, at least. As we were allegedly upgraded to hosted (not that we used it), it would seem we're stuck. Edited March 21, 2018 by LeMarchand

[simmotech]

It would appear that MLS, via their Capita parent, are willing to take legal action unless the full notice to terminate is given to them in writing despite their software only working half of the time - verbally is no good it would seem. Bunch of b*stards IMHO. I can't believe they would send a letter like that to a primary school and tie them in for another year.

 

I've been trying to help them get their shitty software just doing the basics like exporting correctly in CSV but they refuse to even acknowledge anything is wrong...

"The hosted version of the library system have been around for nearly 10 years. Of which time you are the first person to comment on the csv file export with double quotes causing issues."

 

Unbelievable arrogant! So I sent them some C# code which produces correct files (a dozen lines or so) but I won't hold my breath on them fixing it soon.

 

But the gloves are off now.

[mavhc]

Time to phone the newspapers

[LeMarchand]

"The hosted version of the library system have been around for nearly 10 years. Of which time you are the first person to comment on the csv file export with double quotes causing issues."

 

Maybe because they've managed to prevent most other people from leaving?

[synaesthesia]

Another cracking bit of service from MLS. Our import stops working from groupcall. Turns out they've actually globally changed the settings which need inputting into the groupcall console, and didn't bother telling anyone. Useful.

[GREED]

Another cracking bit of service from MLS. Our import stops working from groupcall. Turns out they've actually globally changed the settings which need inputting into the groupcall console, and didn't bother telling anyone. Useful.

 

Out of interest, are you an RM Integris school by any chance?

[synaesthesia]

Nope, SIMS here.

[GREED]

OK no idea then. I know there have been changes to the RM data integration due to RMs switch to their new API... But off topic!

[NotSoFast]

We've left. Funnily enough we suddenly started getting offers of an on site support visit, 6 months free etc last week, but it was too late.

[Quay12]

Wow reading some of these comments I'm glad we never needed MLS support, we got out of there as soon as they tried switching us to the cloud service, I didn't want my data stored on someones else's servers. We switched to QuickTrack Pro for Schools for £157 pa and it is all stored locally with great support.

 

they also listen to feedback and are happy to modify the software if they can see the benefit of the update

[simmotech]

Just be aware that the £157pa price is per computer.

 

+1 for Stored locally

[Quay12]

Just be aware that the £157pa price is per computer.

 

+1 for Stored locally

 

How many computers do you have in your library

Plus im sure they mentioned additional licence for the same site are available cheaper if you email them

[simmotech]

How many computers do you have in your library

I don't have any - I'm a software developer

But I would imagine that small junior schools would have a single machine but larger junior schools plus secondary schools would have more.

Why not publish additional licence costs online with the rest of the prices?

 

I've downloaded the manual for later perusal but I had a quick glance and got the impression that:-

- the software was originally a generic asset tracking app that has been extended for libraries (text like 'Units in Stock' and 'Reorder Level')

- it is designed for only a librarian/administrator to use and no functionality to allow students to do self-checkout or login to review their loans and write reviews etc.

 

Am I wrong?

[p858snake]

How many computers do you have in your library

Plus im sure they mentioned additional licence for the same site are available cheaper if you email them

 

Local primary: 4 desktops that do circulations (2 are Backo of House for adminy stuff), plus a laptop. + very computer in the school does opac

[Quay12]

I don't have any - I'm a software developer

But I would imagine that small junior schools would have a single machine but larger junior schools plus secondary schools would have more.

Why not publish additional licence costs online with the rest of the prices?

 

I've downloaded the manual for later perusal but I had a quick glance and got the impression that:-

- the software was originally a generic asset tracking app that has been extended for libraries (text like 'Units in Stock' and 'Reorder Level')

- it is designed for only a librarian/administrator to use and no functionality to allow students to do self-checkout or login to review their loans and write reviews etc.

 

Am I wrong?

 

You would have to ask them why they don't publish the additional licence price, my best guess would to either avoid confusion or maybe they quote you on how many extra licences you want, ie the more you want the cheaper they get

 

They did tell us that it is based on there QuickTrack Asset Tracking software, but they charge schools less than normal.

 

We allow older students to use the software to book there items in and out, but they told us recently they are adding a new Users function that will block students from accessing 75% of the features and just allow them access to the booking screen