Thank you very much to everyone who responded to my request for information
about Alexandria and Destiny and also to my request for information about
Atriuum. Below is a hit for all three. I received a large number of
responses about Alexandria, and almost all of them were postitive. I only
received 2 about Destiny, but both were positive. It seems nobody out there
really uses Atriuum.
Doris Black
Sierra Middle School Librarian
Roswell, NM
djblack@cableone.net
Alexandria
I've been using the Alexandria system since 1994 and have never
had a moment of regret that I chose this program. Now most of the schools
here are using the system, some are on the windows platform and most are on
the Mac. I don't think anyone has any complaints.
The program does far more than I even need. I know there have
been changes over the years, but the company has kept up with requests from
Teacher-librarians. When you get this system you get a complete program, you
don't need any add ons. Tech support is also available 24 hrs/ day and seven
days a week. I don't often call now, but I still like the comfort of knowing
help is just a phone call away.
--------------------
I have a single user license for Alexandria, so I can only speak
to being able to use it on one computer, not over a network.
Overall, I find Alex to be easy to use--both on the circ and
cataloguing ends. The opac, or researcher as they call it, can be used on
the simple level or a more advanced (boolean) level. The main research
screen comes on in the simple mode, and has pictures/words. In Circ mode, I
don't bother with library cards for my students (we've only got about 250)
and there are shortcuts I can use to look them up by first name using the
keyboard. This is as fast as trying to hand out library cards every week.
I've been able to import my patron records from our school's
attendance program (which is a program only used within our province) very
easily. Importing cataloguing records is also quite easy. You can catalogue
from a simple screen, very easy to use or in MARC format and it is easy to
switch between the two.
Alex works very well when you have the minimum specs or more
than they require--if you don't it can be slow.
I highly recommend that if you get Alexandria, you pay the tech
support fees. This gives you access to 24 hour phone support, as well as to
a mailing list for Alex users--which I've found invaluable in the past. The
company monitors the list and will often answer any question. Oh, and paying
tech support entitles you to the updates- which can be downloaded through
the program (this feature hasn't worked for me for a couple years--my tech
guy called their tech people and supposedly the problem is on our end, but
even when the tech guy put my comp outside the firewall, it still didn't
work) OR you can download the update files from the website, which is what I
do and it's very easy.
--------------------
I went from Alexandria to Destiny this fall. I like the
flexibility of Alexandria, in that I could generate almost any kind of
report I wanted. Destiny seems more limited. However, they are always
willing to listen to suggestions for improving the product. And the fact
that anyone can get to Destiny, at home, in the classroom, in the library on
ANY computer, is wonderful. I love Destiny, and I would not want to go back
to the old system.
--------------------
I have used Alexandria on a Mac system for over 5 years and
loved the program. It is easy to learn, the tech support is great. I really
have nothing negative to say about the system.
--------------------
I use Alexandria and have since 1999. I just love the program in
our three elementary schools. There are several formats for the patrons to
use for searching for materials, any easy to use and boolean version for
older students and adults. (Actually all of us use the simple search
portion 99.9% of the time.) We use eMacs for our datastations (servers) and
eMacs for our patron stations and have web access for anyone inside our WAN
or at home. You don't need anything incredible for your server just lots of
memory and the ability to burn a CD now and then. I find the program to be
very stable in both environments (Mac and Windows). I have gotten a copy for
our small local public library and they run Windows. I find the program easy
to use with loads of options. The thing I like the most is the response of
the company when I as kfor changes to the program. The Alexandria people are
so very responsive to customer input. They are often releasing new versions
with little updates that are easily downloaded from the Internet. We have a
separate program in each of our libraries rather than a district wide
program. Both versions are available and from what I can tell the district
wide version works very well too. Alexandria has great tech support, a real
plus. I used the tech support often when I was first starting, but now I
rarely need it. Super stable program.
There is a listserve for Alexandria users. The company
(COMPanion) has allowed people like you to join and ask Alex users for their
opinions about the program.
I really don't think you could go wrong with Alexandria.
--------------------
I have Alexandria and love it. Tech support if needed is great.
Almost anything you need rapidly for a student can be printed from the main
screen. SAISD has the web version as well as client version for OPACs so
students can view the OPAC in a classroom as well as in the library.
--------------------
We are in the process of changing from Alexandria running on
Macs to Destiny, a web based system that will be run on Dells. Not a good
experience with earlier versions of Alex. We got the 4.0 versions and they
were dogs.
---------------
I wanted you to know that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Alexandria (Alex to
those of us who are up-close and personnel with her). I have had Alex on
Macs for 5 years now and have fought tooth and nail to keep it. My school
system has gone totally PC with my Alex as the only hold out. My computers
are 6 years old and I finally got permission to replace them worth new Macs
so I can update Alex. Alex is the most user friendly system I have ever
seen. The kids love it because it is so user friendly. The other 4 schools
in the system use Surpass on PCs, but I refused to switch from Alex. I
offered to switch to ALEX on PCs, but refused to change from Alex.
Tech support is wonderful!! They will answer any question any
time and never get upset about stupid questions!!!! They will even check
back later to make sure everything is OK. The $399 a year includes all
updates. If it wasn't for the updates, I would feel that I was wasting my
money and not buy Support, but I am chicken and a sucker about things I
don't know a lot about. I learned with an overview for the previous Media
Specialist and a little help from a MS that has moved. I have learned
recently that they will come to you (if you have several people to train
and they also have online training (I think).)
I am not on their payroll and I don't get kickbacks either. I
just feel that this is the best and easiest system to use.
--------------------
I have Alexandria at one of my schools (I'm new there this year)
and I like it very much. I haven't used Destiny, but I did have Follett for
several years in another job. I actually like Follett better, but that
might be because I'm more familiar with it. Either one will be great
software for your school library.
--------------------
We have used Alexandria for 4 or 5 years. It works well for us
in most ways. To me the type size they use is too small, but I am almost
blind. Having such small type on the spine labels causes me a great deal of
trouble.
The thing I mainly like about Alexandria is the fact that the
whole program is consolidated. You don't have to close out of one component
to go into another. I had Follett before this, and that was a major
nuisance.
Destiny
We have Follett's Destiny and LOVE it. By far one of the best
systems I have
ever used.
--------------------
I went from Alexandria to Destiny this fall. I like the
flexibility of Alexandria, in that I could generate almost any kind of
report I wanted. Destiny seems more limited. However, they are always
willing to listen to suggestions for improving the product. And the fact
that anyone can get to Destiny, at home, in the classroom, in the library on
ANY computer, is wonderful. I love Destiny, and I would not want to go back
to the old system.
Atriuum
I don't have direct experience with Atriuum unless you count
getting many phone calls from one of their sales reps. Our district started
to look at them (and others) this year, but Atriuum got knocked out of the
running early for two reasons. One was that the system is so new that it
hadn't even been implimented in any district yet (this was last fall). I
believe the other reason was that it could not interface with the student
records system to pull in patron information. At the time we looked at
their info, they had no plans to change that either.
At this point we're focusing on Follett's Destiny. Atriuum
sounded good, but it was too new for us to be one of the "guinea pigs" doing
an early adoption.
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