ATHENAcious Fight: a siege of supremacy
I was lucky to have an on-hand experience of evaluating a library system in an academic school. Way back in 2004, under the supervisory of Professor Edgardo Quiros, we then evaluated the library system of San Beda College in Manila—the Athena library system.
The Athena library system at that time was still on its peak of commercialization, but now, when I checked the website of Follett Software Company who created this system, it was said that the system is now no longer available to new consumers but they still provide support to the existing users of this system.
As an introduction, I would like to mention bits of information about the San Beda College Library. This library is located at the second level of St. Maur’s Hall. The School area is approximately 66.5 meters by 13.00 meters, pretty conducive for students. ^_^
Its school library supports teaching and research in business management, law, humanities, and social sciences as integral component of their academic programs. And it is much more than a repository for the accumulated knowledge of our civilization, and it existed as a proof of individual’s heart of intellectual undertakings.
Due to the increasing demand of other researchers, the library provided online-access of catalogs of the different college collections through their OPAC (Athena version 9.11) and the CDS/ISIS--- which I think had been pretty useful at that time because the student clienteles can actually access their library accounts outside, and most importantly the information had been very accessible anytime and anywhere.
The Athena allowed various library applications for the San Beda college library including the inventory, catalog, circulation and etc. As for some schools, these are also the common applications on library system that are use.
The version of Athena that they were using then was the Athena Version 9.11, the system interface is user friendly, easy to understand.
When conducting searching on the system the clientele has to do search from the Quick Search screen, click the change collection tab, and then Athena will display the list of Collection, then Click on the Collection tab you want to Active (CL-College Library Collection, LL-Law Library Collection, MB- MBA Library Collection, PC-Periodical Collection), Enter a word or phrase then press SEARCH. After that the screen will display number of titles available and if the book is on loan, like in any other OPAC system, when you click on to the desired title, the screen will display the full details.
Included on the package was the legal periodicals Index (Index to republic Acts, executive others and other Special Laws), Mendiola Consortium Index to Philippine Periodicals (MENDIOLINK) and Computerized Index to Periodical articles on CDS-ISIS (MS-DOS Based), which had not been use adequately because it cannot be networked, unlike the Athena system per se that can be accessed by most clienteles in and outside the institution--- this is one of the down-side of CD-ISIS system, aside from being a system that is not user friendly.
In any institution, financial factor is always an issue, especially for those institutions who just started restructuring or establishing their systems. In the case of San Beda College, they had preferred the Athena system because the whole software then was just only less than 300,000 pesos, and the maintenance cost is less than 60,000 pesos for the software package that already includes the library applications: circulation service, inventory, catalog, marc and OPAC.
Added features has also been an important consideration, like if the system allows add/delete/change title (records), add patron or client records (for accountability purposes and user profile), and view records if access in or outside the institution.
In terms of security, the Athena system needs Backup (I think all of the library systems do need it too). This feature is present as icons on its software interface— those were labeled as back up 1, back up other, and test back up. System requirement is a crucial part of a system, because that will be a deciding factor too as to whether the institution should adopt the system or if their institution infrastructures are ready to cater the system requires, but in the case of Athena, no system requirements were much stated.
Duplication of records, is one of the area being delineated in any of library systems, as for Athena, input of all the areas of description in the catalog has a corresponding text area in the interface, and no multiple copies of records are included in the search result because there is a separate menu in the interface that will allow you to view the number of copies available; also the date of purchased and the cost of purchased material.
Another area worth considering in the San Beda library system is the CDS-ISIS. Most of us who work in a local library are I think aware of this system. As we can obviously see, this is a classical form of retrieval system.
This system is Menu Driven in Choosing the Existing Database, Changing language, Changing or Adding Data, Searching the Database, Sorting & Printing; writing on file, Creating or Updating the indexes, Creating or changing database definition, Reorganizing, exporting in ISO-format (creating a back-up of a database), Utility programs, Programming additional modules in Pascal according to ISO-format. It provides a very Comprehensive & well-organized manual and also a quite comprehensive Search Facility a. ANY file for synonyms and narrower terms, and no need for upgrades and relatively runs fast on even old type of computer.
The problem of this system is that it needs a User Manual, a very Comprehensive one. Since it is over-menu driven the interface is a bit crowded (added problem here is that it has a chromatic colored screen), and the files has no integration that’s why when viewed it is confusing. Also, it is not easy to change existing data entry sheet because the worksheet is composed of several pages and the indexing process takes a long time, lengthy process and consumes a lot of space, and the system can only accommodate six characters of database name.
But I wonder now, whether San Beda is still using the same system (I remember one of my classmates is working in San Beda), and how now they have been dealing with the setbacks created by the obsoleteness that happened on this version of Athena, most likely they have faced or might be facing now an issue on migrating their data to a more high-end system, or if not, they might just be dealing with the upgrade supports that the Follett company have been giving to them.
As for my institution, we are still in process of looking for a library system that is free—most likely we will be adopting the Libro System because it has video and archival features which I think will be helpful for my records organization and data archiving. But the hindrance to this system implementation, is that, I have to re-encode tof export to anothere version the entire records of my library since the system features is not the same with the one I am currently using in my library. The system doesn’t support the importation or conversion of files from MS Access, and also data worksheets in Excel. But of course, we still have to reconsider since that I think is the online library system we have now that will most likely meet most of our objectives, and according to Sir Romy, customization of the system if possible (that’s the good thing about it) ^_^ hence, I will just have some of its features customized. Such a relief ^_^
Going back to my earlier discussion about Athena and CDS-ISI, Actually, No one could really tell or anticipate the problem in a system unless they have tried it for quite sometime. Maybe during the evaluation of the Athena software, the library had prioritized the requirements and made sure that the chosen software meets most, if not all of their high priority requirements.
Well if will take a look at the above presented situation, there is a bigger picture presented by this scenario, that is----it is the sad reality anchored in the fast technological advancement------ NOTHING IS DEEMED PERMANENT.
The high-end or shall I say what you call “latest” you have now will be obsolete in the future. These fast tracked developments were nonetheless due to the inquisitive and creative mind of people who are continuously creating things which aims perfection to improve and develop service. The irony there is, new technology makes life easy and also difficult. It makes the life of those who can afford, easy, but shaky for those who are experiencing financial adequacies.
.... this can be liken to the Goddess Athena that was once showered its Prowess, but amidst its overwhelming skills and character, like the developed technology we have now, it can be soon be siege by its successor.
------------------
I was lucky to have an on-hand experience of evaluating a library system in an academic school. Way back in 2004, under the supervisory of Professor Edgardo Quiros, we then evaluated the library system of San Beda College in Manila—the Athena library system.
The Athena library system at that time was still on its peak of commercialization, but now, when I checked the website of Follett Software Company who created this system, it was said that the system is now no longer available to new consumers but they still provide support to the existing users of this system.
As an introduction, I would like to mention bits of information about the San Beda College Library. This library is located at the second level of St. Maur’s Hall. The School area is approximately 66.5 meters by 13.00 meters, pretty conducive for students. ^_^
Its school library supports teaching and research in business management, law, humanities, and social sciences as integral component of their academic programs. And it is much more than a repository for the accumulated knowledge of our civilization, and it existed as a proof of individual’s heart of intellectual undertakings.
Due to the increasing demand of other researchers, the library provided online-access of catalogs of the different college collections through their OPAC (Athena version 9.11) and the CDS/ISIS--- which I think had been pretty useful at that time because the student clienteles can actually access their library accounts outside, and most importantly the information had been very accessible anytime and anywhere.
The Athena allowed various library applications for the San Beda college library including the inventory, catalog, circulation and etc. As for some schools, these are also the common applications on library system that are use.
The version of Athena that they were using then was the Athena Version 9.11, the system interface is user friendly, easy to understand.
When conducting searching on the system the clientele has to do search from the Quick Search screen, click the change collection tab, and then Athena will display the list of Collection, then Click on the Collection tab you want to Active (CL-College Library Collection, LL-Law Library Collection, MB- MBA Library Collection, PC-Periodical Collection), Enter a word or phrase then press SEARCH. After that the screen will display number of titles available and if the book is on loan, like in any other OPAC system, when you click on to the desired title, the screen will display the full details.
Included on the package was the legal periodicals Index (Index to republic Acts, executive others and other Special Laws), Mendiola Consortium Index to Philippine Periodicals (MENDIOLINK) and Computerized Index to Periodical articles on CDS-ISIS (MS-DOS Based), which had not been use adequately because it cannot be networked, unlike the Athena system per se that can be accessed by most clienteles in and outside the institution--- this is one of the down-side of CD-ISIS system, aside from being a system that is not user friendly.
In any institution, financial factor is always an issue, especially for those institutions who just started restructuring or establishing their systems. In the case of San Beda College, they had preferred the Athena system because the whole software then was just only less than 300,000 pesos, and the maintenance cost is less than 60,000 pesos for the software package that already includes the library applications: circulation service, inventory, catalog, marc and OPAC.
Added features has also been an important consideration, like if the system allows add/delete/change title (records), add patron or client records (for accountability purposes and user profile), and view records if access in or outside the institution.
In terms of security, the Athena system needs Backup (I think all of the library systems do need it too). This feature is present as icons on its software interface— those were labeled as back up 1, back up other, and test back up. System requirement is a crucial part of a system, because that will be a deciding factor too as to whether the institution should adopt the system or if their institution infrastructures are ready to cater the system requires, but in the case of Athena, no system requirements were much stated.
Duplication of records, is one of the area being delineated in any of library systems, as for Athena, input of all the areas of description in the catalog has a corresponding text area in the interface, and no multiple copies of records are included in the search result because there is a separate menu in the interface that will allow you to view the number of copies available; also the date of purchased and the cost of purchased material.
Another area worth considering in the San Beda library system is the CDS-ISIS. Most of us who work in a local library are I think aware of this system. As we can obviously see, this is a classical form of retrieval system.
This system is Menu Driven in Choosing the Existing Database, Changing language, Changing or Adding Data, Searching the Database, Sorting & Printing; writing on file, Creating or Updating the indexes, Creating or changing database definition, Reorganizing, exporting in ISO-format (creating a back-up of a database), Utility programs, Programming additional modules in Pascal according to ISO-format. It provides a very Comprehensive & well-organized manual and also a quite comprehensive Search Facility a. ANY file for synonyms and narrower terms, and no need for upgrades and relatively runs fast on even old type of computer.
The problem of this system is that it needs a User Manual, a very Comprehensive one. Since it is over-menu driven the interface is a bit crowded (added problem here is that it has a chromatic colored screen), and the files has no integration that’s why when viewed it is confusing. Also, it is not easy to change existing data entry sheet because the worksheet is composed of several pages and the indexing process takes a long time, lengthy process and consumes a lot of space, and the system can only accommodate six characters of database name.
But I wonder now, whether San Beda is still using the same system (I remember one of my classmates is working in San Beda), and how now they have been dealing with the setbacks created by the obsoleteness that happened on this version of Athena, most likely they have faced or might be facing now an issue on migrating their data to a more high-end system, or if not, they might just be dealing with the upgrade supports that the Follett company have been giving to them.
As for my institution, we are still in process of looking for a library system that is free—most likely we will be adopting the Libro System because it has video and archival features which I think will be helpful for my records organization and data archiving. But the hindrance to this system implementation, is that, I have to re-encode tof export to anothere version the entire records of my library since the system features is not the same with the one I am currently using in my library. The system doesn’t support the importation or conversion of files from MS Access, and also data worksheets in Excel. But of course, we still have to reconsider since that I think is the online library system we have now that will most likely meet most of our objectives, and according to Sir Romy, customization of the system if possible (that’s the good thing about it) ^_^ hence, I will just have some of its features customized. Such a relief ^_^
Going back to my earlier discussion about Athena and CDS-ISI, Actually, No one could really tell or anticipate the problem in a system unless they have tried it for quite sometime. Maybe during the evaluation of the Athena software, the library had prioritized the requirements and made sure that the chosen software meets most, if not all of their high priority requirements.
Well if will take a look at the above presented situation, there is a bigger picture presented by this scenario, that is----it is the sad reality anchored in the fast technological advancement------ NOTHING IS DEEMED PERMANENT.
The high-end or shall I say what you call “latest” you have now will be obsolete in the future. These fast tracked developments were nonetheless due to the inquisitive and creative mind of people who are continuously creating things which aims perfection to improve and develop service. The irony there is, new technology makes life easy and also difficult. It makes the life of those who can afford, easy, but shaky for those who are experiencing financial adequacies.
.... this can be liken to the Goddess Athena that was once showered its Prowess, but amidst its overwhelming skills and character, like the developed technology we have now, it can be soon be siege by its successor.
------------------
References
Mrs. Marlo C. Chavez
College librarian
San Beda College
Mr. Paul V. Reside
Computer Services
San Beda College
Info-Ed Marketing Corp.
url:
Url:
Mrs. Marlo C. Chavez
College librarian
San Beda College
Mr. Paul V. Reside
Computer Services
San Beda College
Info-Ed Marketing Corp.
url:
Url:
