Micro Librarian Support?

[Joanne]

Been asked about other systems today. Sooo there is Koha, but I can't download that.... I get 'This page isn't working' error. Then there is Softlink - Oliver, then there is Libresoft and AccessIT.

 

Any I've missed?

[LeMarchand]

There's one that someone here was developing. Can't find it on a quick search, though. Apologies to the member who was developing it!

 

Found it! It was @simmotech with SmartLibrarian. Not seen anything from them for a while, though.

Edited January 16, 2019 by LeMarchand

[mikkydoos]

I phoned them a couple of days ago to cancel and they gave me the 90 days T&C spiel.

 

They're saying I haven't called support to sort anything out since 2017 - which is probably true - gave up on their support ages ago.

 

Has anyone managed to successfully get out of their contract in the 90 day period ??

[mavhc]

Been asked about other systems today. Sooo there is Koha, but I can't download that.... I get 'This page isn't working' error. Then there is Softlink - Oliver, then there is Libresoft and AccessIT.

 

Any I've missed?

 

Which page isn't working?

 

Basically create a new VM, install Debian, and then follow https://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/Debian#Debian_Packages_on_Koha

 

https://openschoolsolutions.org/how-to-install-and-set-up-koha-for-schools-part-1/ has more info on setting it up after installation

[JSpaced]

Anyone using Capita MLS noticing problems again today? I've been told, in the current loans screen, the "find resources" button is missing.

[mikkydoos]

I'm fighting with MLS at the moment over our cancellation within their 90 day period. I demanded to see our signed T's & C's... they sent me the original contract I signed for in 2009.

 

Is that legal for them to use a contract that is that old and will have been renewed 10 times without re-signing??

[Ditto]

I'm fighting with MLS at the moment over our cancellation within their 90 day period. I demanded to see our signed T's & C's... they sent me the original contract I signed for in 2009.

 

Is that legal for them to use a contract that is that old and will have been renewed 10 times without re-signing??

 

Of course it's easy for me to say, but ditch them and tell them to sue. You might suggest to them there are laws about 'fit for purpose'. I think these forums will address that item adequately.

[ovek]

I'm fighting with MLS at the moment over our cancellation within their 90 day period. I demanded to see our signed T's & C's... they sent me the original contract I signed for in 2009.

 

Is that legal for them to use a contract that is that old and will have been renewed 10 times without re-signing??

 

Having exactly the same problem, magically my renewal date move forward a month from last year. I can't be arsed fighting them on it though, I spend more on printer toner a month than what I pay for a years worth of Reading Cloud.

 

They did tell me that only a "select few schools" are having performance issues though... hahahaha

[j224]

Amazingly, we managed to get away from MLS without a problem. We just said we wanted to cancel and they let us.

 

We've been happily using Libresoft for a couple of weeks now. Half the price, an easier-to-use interface and a support team that actually replies and fixes any issues very promptly!

[Griff]

I am trying to cancel + get some money back (worth a try right) They cannot provide me with any signed copy of any contract....so they have taken the other tactic of just ignore or passing my emails on to 'managers'

[mavhc]

I am trying to cancel + get some money back (worth a try right) They cannot provide me with any signed copy of any contract....so they have taken the other tactic of just ignore or passing my emails on to 'managers'

 

Tell them you'll ignore their requests for payment then

[jimmy_2k]

I've just moved to Reading Cloud and ditched the onsite Eclipse system. What issues have people had with Reading Cloud?

[JSpaced]

I've just moved to Reading Cloud and ditched the onsite Eclipse system. What issues have people had with Reading Cloud?

Slow response

Missing icons on the web interface

Only half the requested data being presented on screen

High number of unexpected downtimes

[ovek]

Slow response

Missing icons on the web interface

Only half the requested data being presented on screen

High number of unexpected downtimes

 

All of this and:

 

The site will grind to a halt doing simple things like scanning book barcodes... the horror! I don't know what kind of database it runs in the background but it clearly isn't up to the task.

 

Recently we couldn't get in to the librarian/admin interface unless you knew a workaround. Capita knew of the problem and how to get around it but didn't bother in inform anyone, you had to dig around the "My Capita Portal" forum so some other poor Reading Cloud user to share this top secret information.

 

It's old clunky and no ware near worth what they charge per year for it. I'm ashamed that I paid for it as long as I did, and still am due to the "unbendable terms and conditions".

 

If you contact support about any speed issues you will get this response that it's your internet connection, the browser you're using or even the OS you're using. All complete rubbish of course but they won't have any of it, they also farsically claim that "only a small percentage" of schools have speed issues however all the schools I know that did use it or still do all hate it with a vengeance. One of them even went back to using paper records and stamps.

 

Oh and it's now owned by Captia and Captia are the worst.

[timbo343]

I've just moved to Reading Cloud and ditched the onsite Eclipse system. What issues have people had with Reading Cloud?

Just want to say we have seen IMPROVEMENT on our eclipse hosted system - i may be the only one on here who is saying this but i want to tell of my experience.

 

We moved to hosted in December 2017 and things were OK, but it seemed that this time last year, around Feb / March 18 things started getting worse. Time ran away and we were entering the 90 day no cancelation period.

 

The other week (week ending 8th Feb) our librarian was almost about to ditch Eclipse Hosted, it was slow to be point where finger printing students was almost impossible and issuing / returning books and cateloging was a no go.

 

A few weeks before this, just after christmas i rang Reading Cloud to give notice, to my disappointment we had just entered the 90 day period that we could not give notice in. After a lengthy and angry conversation with Kate we managed to get a guy called Phil out to look at our system.

 

I got our librarain to write down EVERYTHING she was experiencing with the system between having the conversation with Kate and tonwhen Phil arrived on site. These problems didn't occur during the day, both the librarian and myself tested the system at 19.30 at night with the same slowness results.

 

When Phil arrived on the 8th Feb, the system somehow actually started working the quickest it has ever been and to this date it is still very quick. The day before it was unbearable. Both the librarian and myself felt we had "robbed" Reading Cloud and it made us feel like we were lying about the issues. I wouldn't be saying this if it wasn't true but the librarian can now catelogue her books, issue and return books to the correct user. I keep popping to see her to see how the system is and she keeps saying it's still running quick.

 

Fortunately when Phil arrived and we explained the circumstances, he totally understood these frustrations about the system. Phil sat with the librarian for the whole day going through each issue that she had written down.

 

We also have come down from the highest tier (premium) down to Plus which is more cost efffective for us, we didn't use all the premium features!

 

My advice to those who are complaining about Reading Cloud is to contact Kate in the Customer Success Team to see what they can do about your system. You can ask for someone to come out to see about your issues and you need to have made sure that you have deadicated all your resources in your filtering to microlibrarian.net and also make sure you teat at various times of the day including in the evening.

 

At the end of the day you have to give them the chance to put right the system and that's what we did. Yes it can be slow but if we all moan on here but not do anything about it how can people improve their systems. Also, get to know your account manager so you can copy them into any email correspondance that you send to them.

[mikkydoos]

@timbo343 I appreciate you want to state something positive. I respect that.

 

 

For everyone else thinking of or already using using this product...

 

I've used this product since it was Junior Lbrarian locally hosted. This bunch of clowns have had years to sort it out and had plenty of time to get it right. Their support is uncontactable.

I keep missing the cancellation until it gets into 90 days, which is an unheard of customer retainment strategy nowadays. They recently sent me a copy of T&C's I signed a decade ago, way before Capita had anything to do with them, to force their non-cancellation point. They're a bunch of crooks. I hope they go bump very soon, very hard.

[bald_pig]

At my last school, they tried to go around me and went straight to the librarian and head of english to email them saying that IT was keeping your on-premise system out of date, you should move to hosted etc. Luckily they forwarded it on to me, and MLS received a very strongly worded reply on how we were on the latest available release, the only reason it was considered out of date is that they pulled the plug on the update they assured us was coming, and how so many others report issues that I'd be migrating to another system over moving to hosted.

 

Talk about scummy sales practices!

[mavhc]

If they had any clue they'd a) be on this thread, and b) be hiring some people who know what they're doing to fix the problems, it's a database, it's not as if they're doing something no one else has ever done before, just hire someone who knows how to fix things, stop trying to not pay for the programmers you need.

[3s-gtech]

@timbo343 it does sound very much like the support team allocated more resources to your system just before they sent an engineer out. I’ve heard similar before. If so, that’s extremely shady and not really a positive.

[timbo343]

@timbo343 it does sound very much like the support team allocated more resources to your system just before they sent an engineer out. I’ve heard similar before. If so, that’s extremely shady and not really a positive.

Yeah it does sound like that but if it's worked to our advantage then so be it. I must admit, i wasn't being fobbed off with their excuses and laid down the issues thick with them. It's a shame that it had to get that point to where we wanted to be.

[mikkydoos]

I'm still trying to get an answer from their customer services rep to acknowledge our cancellation a month after I emailed them our termination notice !!

 

The contact email I have is an individual.... Does anyone have a generic customer services email address I can copy in also so it gets to someone else.

 

I really really can't be bothered going through the hassle of ringing them and trying to be retained.... I will cr@p on them verbally.

[Katy]

I'm still trying to get an answer from their customer services rep to acknowledge our cancellation a month after I emailed them our termination notice !!

 

The contact email I have is an individual.... Does anyone have a generic customer services email address I can copy in also so it gets to someone else.

 

I really really can't be bothered going through the hassle of ringing them and trying to be retained.... I will cr@p on them verbally.

If you have proof you told them then I'd just give up and wait for them to invoice, then tell them why you aren't paying it. Had similar experience with Virgin and it was a complete waste of time (and stressful!) when, even after telling them in writing (posted recorded delivery)/email/phone/twitter they still invoiced for the next year. Just let the invoice to go the threatening letters stage (as you get them contacting you then) and said "I have proof I gave you notice x months ago, bye".

[mikkydoos]

If you have proof you told them then I'd just give up and wait for them to invoice, then tell them why you aren't paying it. Had similar experience with Virgin and it was a complete waste of time (and stressful!) when, even after telling them in writing (posted recorded delivery)/email/phone/twitter they still invoiced for the next year. Just let the invoice to go the threatening letters stage (as you get them contacting you then) and said "I have proof I gave you notice x months ago, bye".

 

Yep. It's shady. I ahve a delivery report so I know my mails have got there but they're not sending accepting my read-receipt.

 

I have all my correspondence saved tho'.

[ovek]

From what I know you need to sign something they send you to complete your cancellation.

 

The generic email address to send your cancellation notification letters to is [email protected].

[bennz]

A letter that needs to be signed would be your best bet just to cover yourself but i doubt they will come after you, id go one step further and let them know on their social media, they closed their facebook account because of the bad reviews id just tweet them.