Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 12:00:43 -0600
From: "Martha Coleman" <mcoleman@mail.westark.edu>
Organization: Westark College
Subject: Vendor Comparisons

I received a couple of requests to summarize for the list.  The
following are the 4 messages that I received in response to my
question about a comparison between Sirsi, Innovative, and VTLS
serials modules.

Martha Coleman                    mcoleman@systema.westark.edu
Boreham Library
Westark Community College         501-788-7208  phone
5210 Grand Avenue                 501-788-7209  FAX
Fort Smith,  AR  72913

From:             "Mary Page" <mspage@rci.rutgers.edu>
Date sent:        Mon, 24 Nov 1997 11:04:42 -0500
To:               mcoleman@mail.westark.edu
Subject:          sirsi v. innovative

We are currently migrating from innovative to sirsi.  innovative is the
cadillac of serials systems, and sirsi is the rickshaw, at best.

sirsi serials is clumsy, requires many more keystrokes than innovative.
learning curve for staff has been really steep.  we are creating control
records in sirsi at the rate of 2 per hour.  it's a difficult transition.

on the bright side, there are a lot of academic libs. with sirsi now that
are finding the product inadequate for our needs, and we are banding
together to urge sirsi to overhaul its serials system.  we are now on
release 9.x, and major improvements are expected with release 11 (around
2000).  so you may end up getting a system that's vastly improved (at
least if your bidding process takes as long as mine did!)

good luck.

Mary Page
LSM/Rutgers University
Piscataway, NJ

--
Mary Page
mspage@rci.rutgers.edu

From:             "Steve Zahorbenski" <szahor@rci.rutgers.edu>
Date sent:        Fri, 21 Nov 1997 14:42:55 -0500
To:               mcoleman@mail.westark.edu
Subject:          (Fwd) Vendor comparisons

I saw your posting on Serialst about switching serials modules.  We were
an Innopac site for 5 years and really liked the functionality for
serials.  This summer we switched to SIRSI and SIRSI is NOT good at all
for serials.

 We are currently inputting records for our 3500 title collection and
finding Sirsi to be very "keyboard intensive".  The system requires lots
of editing for anythine that does not fit established patterns.

I would strongly recommend that you stay away from Sirsi.

Good luck!

Steve Zahorbenski
Rutgers Univ.
11/21/97

Date sent:        Fri, 21 Nov 1997 10:55:01 -0500 (EST)
From:             Deborah Harrell <dharrell@westga.edu>
To:               Martha Coleman <mcoleman@MAIL.WESTARK.EDU>
Subject:          Re: Vendor comparisons

> Our library is currently using the VTLS (release 92) serials
> module but would like to explore other serials modules.  We
> have seen demos of Innovative and Sirsi.

We have been using Sirsi since 1992 for serials.  And although we aren't
running the latest version, perhaps my experience will help.  In addition,
we have explored the possibility of all University System libraries use
the same vendor, so we have looked at Innovative and VTLS.

Sirsi has a number of reports that are "canned"--you can pull up and
modify as you need--as well as training to create your own reports.  Our
library does belong to Georgia On-Line Database (GOLD) which is part of
OCLC.  This is primarily for ILL use, but can be used for other purposes.
We also use WordPerfect to create a paper "user-friendly" list of
periodical holdings.  This listing is placed beside our reference
computers--we have 25-30.  So you see, we still maintain three separate
serials records as well.

As far as Sirsi is concerned, I would choose them over all the other
vendors.  I've seen DRA...their reports are virtually non-existent.  And
none of the vendors except for Sirsi treat serials as separate
entities--everyone else lumps them with book acquisitions.  Although they
are similar, they aren't identical and (to me) should be separate.

Incidentally, we are a university library with one main campus and several
"off campus" sites.  Currently we have approximately 9000 students.
Ingram Library has 31 full-time employees and approximately 50 student
assistants.  We average 1400 current subscriptions with a budget of around
$200,000.

Debbie Harrell
Technical Processor
Irvine S. Ingram Library
State University of West Georgia
770/836-6498
770/836-6626 (fax)

From:             "June Breland" <jbreland@Library.MsState.Edu>
To:               mcoleman@mail.westark.edu
Date sent:        Fri, 21 Nov 1997 10:50:43 CST6CDT
Subject:          Re: Vendor comparisons
Priority:         normal

I'm sorry I'm not familiar with VTLS or Sirsi but we used to have the
Innovative serials/acquisitions module.  We were able to get all
kinds of reports from Innovative without having to rely on a person
at the system level to write progamming language, etc.  I recommend
it highly if it will fit within your budget.

June Breland
jbreland@library.msstate.edu
Collection Development Officer                  phone: 601-325-7672
Mitchell Memorial Library                       fax: 601-325-3560
P.O. Box 5408                                   Campus mail stop:
9570
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS 39762-5408