Library software MLS Eclipse

[JJonas]

Our service contract is about to run out and we are trying to work out if we want to renew.

 

If we dont go down the renew the contract route - its a lot of money. How many people on here know enough about Eclipse to offer technical help if we have a problem?

 

and

 

 

What open source library management packages are there to replace Eclipse? and how easy is it to get our library data into them?

 

 

I am aware of Koha as one possible option has anybody used this?

[mrbios]

Using Eclipse.net here which version are you using and what features?

 

Only real issue we have with it is that the self service system doesn't work properly but that's because we're one of very few schools that seems to want to use it and they've got very little support in that area.

 

Their support team are quick to respond and easy to talk to, getting hold of them on the phone i sometimes and issue but emails are normally responded to quickly.

 

In all if we had the choice i think we would happily stick with them, any particular reasons your looking for an alternative?

[JJonas]

Mostly cost

[Edu-IT]

Is this Eclipse2?

 

Given how old the system is, and how many changes they've made to it in the past year, I'd say that if it's running stable at the moment then as long as you don't fiddle it's not going to go completely wrong.

[john]

Don't ditch support for your library system, when you need support it will cost you an arm and a leg, the same with when you find an upgrade you need / want say to fix a patch that MS bring out to the Database that breaks it. We are in this position, not with Eclipse but another library system and its going to cost us thousands to get sorted out

[Edu-IT]

But then, when you need them, you could choose to purchase it. In the meantime why not sit back and see if the system continues to run okay?

[john]

But then, when you need them, you could choose to purchase it. In the meantime why not sit back and see if the system continues to run okay?

 

Works fine in principal until you need the upgrade, as we haven't paid for maintenance for a few years we have no rights to a discounted copy of the upgrade thus we might as well be a new customer! A bit of arguing got us a bit more discount but in the grand scheme of the costs we are still a large difference from what we would have paid had we kept up on the maintenance.